Wine experts; is there a French equivalent of the Italian Moscato D'Asti?
Sep 20th, 2013, 09:58 AM
#21
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Thank you all for your suggestions. You have certainly given me places to start looking.
Of course, the obvious thing to do is just look for the wine my Wife likes in a big Parisian wine store. Since they import it into the States, they surely would ship to France. That's not the point, however. We will be in France, after all, and we want to experience things French. What could be more satisfying than to explore the intricacies of French viticulture? (Of course, since we are looking for the perfect wine for her, how can she object when I do my own search for the perfect full bodied vin rouge?)
Of course, the obvious thing to do is just look for the wine my Wife likes in a big Parisian wine store. Since they import it into the States, they surely would ship to France. That's not the point, however. We will be in France, after all, and we want to experience things French. What could be more satisfying than to explore the intricacies of French viticulture? (Of course, since we are looking for the perfect wine for her, how can she object when I do my own search for the perfect full bodied vin rouge?)
Sep 20th, 2013, 12:29 PM
#24
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"In France, sparkling wines will have the name Cremant"
Not all of them. "Crémant" refers to the method used to make the wine (méthode champenoise).
There are "Perlé" wines (méthode gailacoise), Mousseux, etc.
Not all of them. "Crémant" refers to the method used to make the wine (méthode champenoise).
There are "Perlé" wines (méthode gailacoise), Mousseux, etc.
Sep 20th, 2013, 12:37 PM
#25
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<i>nukesafe on Sep 20, 13 at 1:58pm
(Of course, since we are looking for the perfect wine for her, how can she object when I do my own search for the perfect full bodied vin rouge?)
</i>
Of course, "perfect" is in the taste buds of the drinker.
A wine rarely seen in the USA is Passetoutgrains. See http://tinyurl.com/kzbfoxw for a short intro. It became the favorite everyday wine of my ex and I when we lived in Germany. I would drive over to Burgundy and we would taste around and buy until we had the trunk full, about 100 liters <i>en vrac</i>, mostly Passetoutgrains. The rear end of our Opel sank about three inches. I bottled that in the cellar. It would last us about six months until we had to go back to France for more. Oh, what a problem!
I also discovered Aligoté on one of those Burgundy expeditions. We were not big on white wines, especially not Burgundy Chardonnay, but became a fan of Aligoté. It is a dry white wine. Again, this is hard to find in the USA.
(Of course, since we are looking for the perfect wine for her, how can she object when I do my own search for the perfect full bodied vin rouge?)
</i>
Of course, "perfect" is in the taste buds of the drinker.
A wine rarely seen in the USA is Passetoutgrains. See http://tinyurl.com/kzbfoxw for a short intro. It became the favorite everyday wine of my ex and I when we lived in Germany. I would drive over to Burgundy and we would taste around and buy until we had the trunk full, about 100 liters <i>en vrac</i>, mostly Passetoutgrains. The rear end of our Opel sank about three inches. I bottled that in the cellar. It would last us about six months until we had to go back to France for more. Oh, what a problem!
I also discovered Aligoté on one of those Burgundy expeditions. We were not big on white wines, especially not Burgundy Chardonnay, but became a fan of Aligoté. It is a dry white wine. Again, this is hard to find in the USA.
Sep 21st, 2013, 10:47 PM
#28
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I really doubt that many French wine merchants stock Thunderbird, Waldo, but thank you for the suggestion.
For our European friends, I should explain that Thunderbird is swill. The worst conceivable kind of cheap fortified wine (17.5% alcohol). It is consumed mostly by young kids having their first experience of drunkenness, and folks that live under bridges.
Here is how an American wine expert describes it: "If your taste buds are shot, and you need to get trashed with a quickness, then "T-bird" is the drink for you. Or, if you like to smell your hand after pumping gas, look no further than Thunderbird. As you drink on, the bird soars higher while you sink lower. The undisputed leader of the five in foulness of flavor, we highly discourage drinking this ghastly mixture of unknown chemicals unless you really are a bum. A convenience store clerk in Show Low, AZ once told me that only the oldest of stumbling indian drunks from the reservation buy Thunderbird. Available in 750ml and a devastating 50 oz jug."
Now that our snide Waldo has brought it up, can anyone tell me the French equivalent? I really don't want to pick up a bottle by mistake!
For our European friends, I should explain that Thunderbird is swill. The worst conceivable kind of cheap fortified wine (17.5% alcohol). It is consumed mostly by young kids having their first experience of drunkenness, and folks that live under bridges.
Here is how an American wine expert describes it: "If your taste buds are shot, and you need to get trashed with a quickness, then "T-bird" is the drink for you. Or, if you like to smell your hand after pumping gas, look no further than Thunderbird. As you drink on, the bird soars higher while you sink lower. The undisputed leader of the five in foulness of flavor, we highly discourage drinking this ghastly mixture of unknown chemicals unless you really are a bum. A convenience store clerk in Show Low, AZ once told me that only the oldest of stumbling indian drunks from the reservation buy Thunderbird. Available in 750ml and a devastating 50 oz jug."
Now that our snide Waldo has brought it up, can anyone tell me the French equivalent? I really don't want to pick up a bottle by mistake!
Sep 22nd, 2013, 12:34 AM
#29
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I find most of the wine sold en vrac, usually reddish-brown plastic jugs, pretty harsh but nowhere near approaching Thunderbird nastiness. Most of the "doux" wines are too sweet for me but most are good quality.
I am just an average wine drinker with average at best knowledge. I do look for AOC wines--appellation d'orgine contrôlée, there are lots of French 3-litre box wines which are AOC. We buy those for big parties.
I am just an average wine drinker with average at best knowledge. I do look for AOC wines--appellation d'orgine contrôlée, there are lots of French 3-litre box wines which are AOC. We buy those for big parties.
Sep 22nd, 2013, 04:29 AM
#30
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If you want to avoid cheap and bad wine, it shouldn't be hard. If you don't want fortified wines (eg Thunderbird), don't buy vins doux naturels, many from the Languedoc region and made from Muscat or Grenache grapes mainly. Some are AOC, also, that is no guarantee, you shouldn't just be buying wines you don't know anything about as to what they even are. Banyuls AOC is a fortified wine, eg, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banyuls_AOC
