Cloudy banyuls

[rmartin]

A fried of mine gave me a bottle of banyuls. When I opened it, I found that it was cloudy. The taste of it reminded me of cough medicine. If banyuls is cloudy, has it gone bad as would be the case with other wines?

[Innkeeper]

Banyuls is a fortified dessert wine from the South of France. Port is also a fortified dessert wine from Portugal. All wines in this cagegory, when tasted out of context (that being dessert), can give the impression of cough medicine. Don't know about the cloudy part.

[rmartin]

Innkeeper, thanks again for replying to a question.

I have a question concerning the books on wine that you recommended to me in reply to another question. They are Andrea Immer's "Great Wines Made Simple" and "Great Tastes Made Simple." How would you compare these books to Wines for Dummies and 101 Essential Tips by Tom Stevenson?

[Zinner]

It sounds as if something has gone amiss with your bottle. Only the fact that the sweet Banyuls that we most often get in the USA has cherry flavors, might remind you of cough syrup.

Otherwise the wine should be smooth and luscious and one of the top matches for chocolate desserts.

If you should ever head for France, Banyuls is a beautiful seaside town with wonderful food. And the wines are more varied than you might imagine from what we usually get here.

[californiagirl]

I agree with IK's book suggestions for you. They all have the same basic information, just different approaches.

[Thomas]

rmartin,

Cloudy sounds like you got a bad bottle.

zinner's comments about Banyuls Sur Mer are right on! Great place and wonderful wines. Town next door, Colleurs (sp) is as interesting and good.

[Innkeeper]

"Dummies" and "Wine 101" are both great introductory books. The two by Immer address your two points directly and fully; 1. the differences in wine, and 2. matching food and wine.