Dry White Sauternes Wines & Wild West Malpère Appellation

Overview—

First, the Sauternes wine region of Frances is famed for sweet wines. But did you know they also produce stellar dry white wines? I recently learned that truth during a lunch in Saint-Émilion.

Second, this wine appellation in France is located in the Mediterranean region (basin, or watershed), but most of its appellation wine is made using grapes from the Atlantic region. A friend and I drove out to visit and learn more.

Third, below is another free recipe for you to download. Also included is another professional testimonial for my newly released cookbook The Winemakers' Cooking Companion.

Finally, a 'Did You Know—Video' highlights French summer solstice music festivals in every town.

Stellar Dry White Wines from . . . Sauternes?—

I recently drove up to the lovely village of Saint-Émilion in Bordeaux to meet a friend from college (years ago!) when we were in Boulder, Colorado. Steve arrived with his wife Michelle, and their friends David and Wendy, after having departed a Bordeaux wine tasting at Château Smith-Haut Lafitte on the left bank.

We met for lunch.

I waited for them at the restaurant Lard et Bouchon (Bacon and Cork) which is a jewel. It is run by my friend Sam (we met ten years ago when I wrote this article for Forbes) who has a knack for sourcing excellent quality local wines at stellar prices. As I waited a few minutes for the others to arrive, Sam (as always) served me a white wine to taste blind.

WoW! The aromas were of a Sauvignon Blanc with characteristic crispness, and the flavor included this knife edge balance between fruit and acidity, with excellent tension and subtle citric flavors—peaking at the correct chilled temperature.

I guessed that the Sauvignon wine was from the Graves region in Bordeaux, but Sam said no. I then guessed it came from Pessac-Leognan. "Close," Sam said before revealing that this dry white comes from a Grand Cru Classé producer in Sauternes—Château Guiraud. This 70/30 Sauvignon Blanc/Sémillon blend is an offspring in a region renowned for sweet wines.

This is an unusual truth: although only 10% of Bordeaux wines are white, I consider those whites to be some of the best on the planet—and often for very reasonable prices. Further, less than 10% of Sauternes/Barsac wines are dry whites, and—as shown by this glass—they can truly shine with quality.

My allies arrived and we shared a bottle of the same wine. They loved it. This beauty? You can buy it online for only €15.00/bottle. (No, I am not paid to endorse it!)

These Wines Blend Atlantic & Mediterranean Grapes—

Cabardès, located just north of the city of Carcassonne in southern France, is the ONLY wine appellation in France that requires BOTH grapes from the Atlantic side of the country (Atlantic watershed) and the Mediterranean side. (I wrote an article about the appellation for Forbes a few years ago.)

Of the grapes that are included in the Cabardès appellation wines, 40% must be Atlantic (either Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Cabernet Franc) and 40% must be Mediterranean (Grenache and/or Syrah). The remaining 20% can include such 'auxillary' grapes as Cinsault and Malbec.

However, another appellation with similar wine characteristics is within a half hour drive of Cabardès, east of the city of Carcassonne. This is a land of rolling wheat fields, ancient castles and pilgrims who walk the French portion of the Chemin de Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle trail. It is named Malpère and includes 16 wine producers and two wine cooperatives. This appellation applies only to red and rosé wines and also allows grapes from both the Atlantic and Mediterranean regions, but is less strict than Cabardès in apportioning how so.

Wines have to include 40% to 50% of Merlot and at least 20% a combination of Cabernet Franc and Malbec (all Atlantic grapes). Others that can be added include Med varieties such as Grenache and Cinsault.

Many Malpère wines include only Atlantic grapes (such as Merlot and Cabernet Franc) which seems bizarre considering that the region is about 30 kilometers (about 20 miles) east of the 'continental divide' that separates the Atlantic and Mediterranean watersheds. However, although the physical divide is distinct, weather patterns and the spread of soil types are far looser, and factors that influence climate (and what types of grapes will grow best where) stretch far behind that specific divide.

What to pair with these Malpère red wines? Try cassoulet, charcuterie, ham or pasta with vegetables in season.

Although white wines are not included in the Malpère appellation, local producers do generate decent Chardonnay and Viognier. And, because Limoux is nearby, they often start tastings by pouring sparkling crémant wine.

Another Free Recipe from The Winemakers' Cooking Companion Cookbook—

The Winemakers' Cooking Companion cookbook has been published! It includes 108 recipes from 18 countries that were contributed by winemakers, winery chefs and winery owners. Units are both metric and American, and recipes include some marked as vegetarian or vegan.

A lively and fun book launch will take place later this summer in my village in southern France. I'll let you know when this takes place in case you decide to visit.

Recipe—

The free recipe below, from The Winemakers' Cooking Companion, is from Inman Family Wines in Sonoma County, California.

Testimonial for the Book—

Twenty one wine professionals from eight countries have written testimonials about the cookbook—which are included on its back cover and initial pages.

One comes from Sonoma, California.

Cyril Penn is the editor for Wine Business Monthly magazine based in Sonoma, California. In the past decade we have traveled together to Porto, Portugal and to the wine country of Stellenbosch in South Africa (where I wrote this article) to taste wines. Cyril wrote the following words about my cookbook:

"Blending a fine wine is a creative process akin to a chef utilizing a spice rack. Winemakers are usually excellent cooks. One of my favorite wine books is really a cookbook—Favorite Recipes of California Winemakers, published by the now defunct California Wine Advisory Board way back in 1963. But it's dated. The Winemakers’ Cooking Companion is at another level, however, with recipes from wineries in eighteen countries organized by season. Having tasted Chenin Blanc in South Africa and Port in Portugal with Tom Mullen, not only do I love the premise of this book—I'm thrilled he made it happen. Here's to the joy of discovery and to sharing peak wine and food experiences."

—Cyril Penn, Editor, Wine Business Monthly, Sonoma, California, USA

Final Video—Did You Know?

In France, June 21st every year is the 'Day of Music' and towns all include live bands and music for free to celebrate the longest day of the year (summer solstice).

What's Next In Vino Voices—

I'll soon feature:

• Input from Bordeaux winemaker Namratha Stanley, author of Vineyard Melody.
• Recipe for Tarte Bugiste (Bugey is located about mid-way between the cities of Lyon and Geneva).
• Red tuna and local Carignan wine on the Sardinian island of San Pietro.

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