Chard substitute for wine-tasting

[joeyz6]

OK, so I just arrived at Ms. Immer's first wine-tasting test in Great Wine Made Simple. On her list of suggested wines to use, she fails to mention any French Chardonnay. Same deal with Cabernet Sauvignon. Do you all think it's OK to substitute any old white Burgundy and red Bordeaux (provided the Bordeaux is Cab-based)?

[wondersofwine]

Yes.

[Thomas]

...it illuminates the New World-centric nature of some wine people...

[hotwine]

Chablis and Left-Bank Bordeaux, resp.

[Innkeeper]

You're getting a little ahead of the book, Joe. In Chapter 5 she does have you taste Old World against the New World.

For all: Having read all three of her books, as well as many of her Esquire articles, would call her more Old World than New.

[joeyz6]

Hmm ... the problem is that I have no way of getting any California chardonnay out here. I suppose I could just wait until I get home in May and do the tastings then.

[Thomas]

Take a French Chardonnay, hang a "teabag" of oak in it, melt a pat of butter in it, and make believe it is from California.

Joking, of course?

[Innkeeper]

There are many Vin de Pays Chardonnays that are very Californialike. They probably don't sell any of it in France though.

[hotwine]

Duboeuf peddles both Cab and Chardonnay from VdP d'Oc. And dirt cheap. You might be able to find those.

[hotwine]

Try http://www.georgesduboeuf.com/uk/indexliens.htm

Once you get past the Shockwave razzamataz, the site's utility improves. Look under Vin de Pays d'Oc for the Cabernet Sauvignon, and under Maconnaise for the Chardonnay.

[Thomas]

Come to think of it, JoeyZ, if you can get your hands on Chateau Routas Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz (Provence) and Louis Jadot Grand Ardeche Chardonnay (Ardeche), you will have two quite-like California wines.

But like IK alluded, such wines are likely difficult to locate in France since they seem to be for the American market.

[Bucko]

Don't let 'em kid you, there are some real oaky Burgs as well. That is why Chablis is my choice from Burgundy.

[joeyz6]

Thanks for all of those tips, I will see what I can find. [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img]

[Innkeeper]

Well, today we got ahold of a Routas Cabernet Sauvignon ('01 Cabernet Sauvignon That Wild Boars Prefer [in Engligh] $8.99 at The Clown in Belfast). God awful plonk. Particularly irksome, since we had a nice '00 Bordeaux at the same price a few days ago, and according to Google, The Clown was supposed to have it. They are trying to find it for me now, and they we really have to try after this one.

Had a nice meal despite the plonk. Salisbury steaks grilled with mesquite smoke, sauteed shitake mushrooms, and salad with vinaigrette dressing.

[Thomas]

IK, are you under some stress? I'm trying to figure out why this post is in this forum...

[Innkeeper]

I was responding to your post about the Routas wines above.

[Thomas]

Oh, I didn't go up to that post.

Anyway, you discovered what I meant about the Routas being California-like...

[Innkeeper]

Noticed today the Wine Spectator gave it an 84 score. Either they are very generous or we got a bad bottle. Our purveyor took it off the shelf.

[Thomas]

How about a third possibility: that's the kind of wine arbiters in magazines tend to tout!