It is lighter and fruitier than Cabernet Sauvignon and was first planted in the Loire region of France. This honor goes to Sassicaia first produced in 1948 by Antinori's cousins who used Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon grapes said to have come from Chateau LaFite-Rothschild. Adding a generous amount of Louisiana hot sauce seemed not to have much effect. One can also add the right amounts of soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, spices, spicy pepper and other seasoning, making the dishes taste salty, sweet, sour, hot and much more. Whereas in the previous example the rich, buttery texture and flavor of the foie gras was the perfect foil for Sauternes and other rich, sweet, white wines, in this example a pungent and salty flavor is mellowed out by the sweetness of the wine. In the United States the Napa Valley of Northern California is renowned for the wineries that produce some very well respected wines, however for a truly unique experience for the palette nothing can compare to the vintages of that are experienced from traveling to Europe and being included in the Bordeaux wine tours that venture across France. There are appellations for cheese, chickens and meat products as well as wine in France.

And, how many other global products are being shipped and stored in a container that has changed very little since it was introduced 350 years ago? It's possible to buy excellent wines made in these regions for as little as $10.00 to $15.00. Well all right then, a little bit of a leisure too. Well there you have it, five classic food and white wine pairings to get you started. For red wine pairings, see the companion article "Five Classic Red Wine and Food Pairings". This article treats one of the world's most successful marketing campaigns, the Champagne French Wine red wine that arrives just in time for Thanksgiving, Beaujolais Nouveau. I did buy one bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau, which I will review in another article. The Gamay grape started in the Beaujolais region of France. However, the key 5 areas to memorize are: Cote D'Or, Cote De Nuits, Cote De Beaune, Cote Chalonnaise, and Beaujolais. Key Rhone appellations to look for are Crozes-Hermitage, Cote Rotie, Hermitage, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and Gigondas.

Secondary (fermentation) aromas are created during the fermentation, so a young wine will contain a mix of varietal and fermentation aromas. Fortunately it will change in a way we are already familiar with from the previous page. To the individuals that are familiar with wine tasting the travel to the French vineyards is a once in a lifetime journey that is marked with a stay at the Chateau Pichon Longueville Baron where luxury accommodations provide the setting for a week of travel to sites where the history of wine originates. For anyone that enjoys drinking a glass of wine with their meal the tours of chateaux and vineyards offer a remarkable treat for vacationers that are planning a trip to Europe. In fact, many of the vineyards of Burgundy have oyster and other ancient crustacean shells in the soil from centuries ago when the area was under water. Sangiovese wines are spicy, have a smooth texture, medium body and good acid levels,.

Medium Body - Though there are some excellent heavier wines in Italy (such as Barolo), the majority are more medium bodied in nature. Barbera is a red wine grape grown mostly in Italy. The demand for quality wine has stretched certain resources (like the supply of cork) to the extreme. The law of supply and demand is obviously at play here but, for example, in 1996, Sotheby's auctioned off a set of eight bottles of 1990 Romanee-Conti for $224,900; that's more than $28,000 per bottle for a wine that was made just six years earlier! Like raw oysters or caviar, the lush, luxurious textures of good raw fish demand a wine which is equally lush and luxurious. The subtle sweetness and fresh acidity of this fine wine makes this Rose perfect for food matching particularly with fish dishes. But paired with the right food, it can balance the sweetness and richness of the wine so that anyone would want to come back for more! The glasses should be arranged in the order they are to be used and right to left.