French wine help please
 

I'm leaving Monday for 10 days in France, (around Avignon, Lyon, and Paris), but I'm not too knowledgable about French wines. There so darn many! I like almost any Italian red wine (sangiovese, chianti, valipolicella, bardolino, brunello, etc.) as well as merlot, pinot noir, cotes du rhones, and beaujolais. I don't like many white wines--I just find them sour--but I have had a relatively rare French white wine that I really liked--picpoule (not sure if that's one word or two...), which is not very dry but not as sweet as a reisling or guerwerztraminer (I'm sure that's spelled wrong too!). The typical descriptor for picpoule is tart, like green apples.

So, my question is: what are your suggestions for some types of wine that I might enjoy in these regions, based on the wines I listed above that I like? I'm especially interested in trying more whites, but not dry ones (never had a chardonnay or sauvigon blanc that I liked). :-) I'd like to know what names/terms to look for on the white lists.

Thanks, fodorites!

Try an Alsatian Pinot Blanc---my personal favorite.

It is picpoul. Where did you have a wine made from 100% picpoul? I think it is usually found in blends from the Rhone area.

Wines from Vouvray or Sancerre... (Loire)

ekscrunchy--I'm not 100% sure that it was 100% picpoul, ;) but that was the name on the front lable of the bottle (like you would see merlot or pinot noir). I believe it is called Picpoul de Pinet, from the Languedoc area, but don't remember the vineyard.

Travelnut--what are Sancerres like? I've seen that name bandied about, but no description of the wine.

enzian--are the Alsatian Pinot Blancs similar to reisling or other german whites?

Oops-and I did mean to say thanks for the suggestions so far! :-D

I wouldn't say a Pinot Blanc is similar to a Riesling---it's more flavorful and full-tasting. But I won't pretend to be good at describing wine flavors.

I also like the Picpoul from the Languedoc, but I haven't been able to find it for over a year.

Thanks, enzian. I just asked because the Alsatian food has a heavy German influence, so I thought it might be true of the wine too. It does sound like something I might like--I'll look for it while I'm over there.

My coworker brought back a Sancerre rosé as a 'thank you' for helping her plan her trip. I don't like rosés as a rule but this one was delicious.

I bought a Vouvray for Thanksgiving at my sister's house one year - a nice fruitier flavor (like some of the German whites) and less dry than a Chardonnay.

That is the sum total of my 'knowledge' about these 2 wines.

Since you mentioned you don't care for either Chardonney or Sauvignon Blanc, I'll mention that a white Burgundy is made from the Chardonnay grape, and a white Bordeaux is either Sauvignon Blanc or a blend of that grape with Semillon. But I think you would find these quite different from a U.S. Chardonnay or SB. I myself find most California chardonnays too "oaky". The French ones are quite nice, however.

Visit Chateauneuf du Pape and taste, taste, taste! It's close to Avignon.

Find the Cave du Verger des Papes and ask for Guy. Don't miss the Boisrenard reds.

www.caveduverger.com

I'd suggest tasting the wine local to where are on a given day. Maybe you will find some new favorites.

My wine taste sounds similar to yours - I find I can't go wrong with Cotes du Rhones - white or red or rose.

Alsace - found a nice Muscadet that I really liked and then tried a local Muscadet in Montpellier - very different tastes but I like both. And I don't typically like a sweet wine. Also liked the Sylvaner from Alsace.

Loire (I think) - Vouvray, Sancerre and Chenin Blanc. I resisted the Chenin Blanc because the name reminded me of some of jug wines consumed in college - not a good memory! But tasting the "good stuff" was quite different.

Have fun!

I think if you don't like Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc, you won't like them in France, either. I like both as I prefer dry wines, and thus don't have a lot to suggest for white wines since I only like dry ones. I like some California Chardonnays (although I prefer French), but have never had a US sauvignon blanc that was very drinkable. I don't know why, but I do like it in France.

Anyway, I think you would probably like wine from the chenin blanc grape, as that is often less dry and fruitier than a chardonnay. It's a little too much so for me, I prefer chardonnay, which is why I think you'll like it. That can vary in its dryness, though. That's from the Loire and the problem is wine names can be different in France (in the US, you'd just buy a chenin blanc). It would probably be a Vouvray or Saumur, but you might have to ask the server about the dryness. At least wine lists usually have them separated by red vs. white so you can't confuse it with a Saumur Champigny, which is red (and I think you would like that, actually -- a versatile, rather light, somewhat fruity red wine). I think you'd probably also like a brouilly, a nice red from the Beaujolais district. It's an easy-to-drink, medium to light-bodied red wine.

I agree about the chenin blanc wines from Loire. (Vouvray, etc) They are among my favorite French whites. Give many of the wines a try..you will find something you like!!!

I thought of another white I liked - Aligoté from Burgundy. I have only found it once at home. Not sweet and not not dry, just a nice sipping wine that we had for "happy hour" on the hotel balcony a few times.

As someone who has trouble with most red wines, I apprecite this thread.

You might enjoy chardonay in France. I don't like chardonay at all in North America but enjoy Macon whites made mostly from chardonay grapes in the Beaujoulais area. The best idea is to take a wine tour and try a few.

I endorse vouvray too.

Here is a link that I have learned a great deal about french wines. This edition is about white wine from the Loire Valley but you can look through the archives for other info. I find this guy very easy to follow.

http://a-la-recherche-du-vin.typepad...ine_lover.html

I haven't seen that anyone mentioned the Viognier. This wine/grape is grown along the Rhone valley. Look for wines from either Condrieu or Chateau Grillet.

http://www.maisonvins.com/vins/coeur1.htm

This is one of the kings of white wines in France. This grape is grown a few other places in France but it's not as good as the Rhone valley. I think that Australia has doing better now with this grape.

It's not cheap though.

Blackduff

Hi g33,

Stop in at a wine bar in whatever town you happen to be in and start tasting.

You might find the French Rose' wines (there are all kinds) to your liking.

The wines of Bordeaux are mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Those of Burgundy are mostly Pinot Noir.

((I))

Thanks, everyone!! All of your replies were REALLY helpful--I'm so looking forward to trying a bunch of new wines. :-D