Come to the Loire. The wines in this region are very mild, non-bombastic, unhedonistic and only sometimes fruit bomby. A typical red isn't 13-14-15%. It's 12, 12.5%. (I used to remember when their happiness grade was routinely just 11-11.5%. I see a few palm trees in Amboise, so maybe global warming has played a role of sorts in pumping them up.)
If it's over-extracted and concentrated wines you're tired of, look no further than the Loire. The reds are light in color and flavor and in their "attack" on the palate. The roses are so light they actually look like those "blush" wines of California, except that they tend not to be cloying and rampant with manipulated flavors and smells.
So--in general, boys and girls, don't bitch about those big, overdone, overoaked etc. wines. Head to the store and buy something from the Loire -- from Chinon, Bourgueil, Vouvray, Saumur and other appellations in these here parts. Most of these appellations offer you easy to drink wines at a good price -- admittedly, most of them wines you needn't think about too much.
Pretty good. And cheap even in a resto with outrageous markups.
Still. You won't feel wrecked in the morning and your wallet won't be all that much lighter.
They say travel is broadening. And it is.
In da' heat, we are liking those white Touraines, Cheverneys and Vouvray's.
Posted by: Marco | July 20, 2008 at 08:13 AM
love chinon...i think my attraction to dirty cab franc needs to be examined.
Posted by: tracie b | July 20, 2008 at 12:13 PM
i'm loving your updates from the Loire, and loving your take on the wines too. but i didn't like your "admittedly, most of them wines you needn't think about too much" comment. makes it sound like a region of affordable quaffers, which i guess it can be. but there are deeply profound wines there too, bubbly, rose, red, and white, and even those cost in the mid 20's to mid 40's. usually. keep it coming...
Posted by: Brooklynguy | July 21, 2008 at 04:46 PM
BGLW, I was guilty of facile generalizing -- again!
Actually, this brings up a point I had meant to make. We usually don't come to Europe on a gastronomic pig-out mission. We try to hit mid-priced places which may or may not be flooded with tourists. The food and wine on offer at these good-but-not-great places are typiques of the region. The markups on wine in France are quite high, so we select pichets often as not. This gives you a very good idea of the normal local product, the house wine in various colors. The Loire seems to be the source of many or most house wines in Paris as well. They are never horrible and usually quite enjoyable. But no, you don't give them much thought.
Posted by: terence | July 22, 2008 at 03:35 AM