American vs. french

[Bucko]

Tom, plonk is plonk no matter where it comes from. I don't drink the stuff but do have occasion to try it frequently as samples.

I will agree from my travels that cheap little French co-op wines can be quite charming. They blow away the majority of our jug wines. However, we CAN do it right. Canyon Road makes a delicious Sauvignon Blanc that I have commented on before. It even won a Gold medal at the Indy International last week. So we can do it; the question is why we do not do it more?

One of my most pleasurable wine experiences was sitting in a small Alsatian cafe eating Tarte Flambe and drinking Gewurztraminer by the pitcher from a tapped barrel - a match made in heaven. It is the whole package in France. Our Victorian country did not develop their cuisine with wine in mind. Wine was thrown in as an afterthought. As such, much of our wine does not match food very well. It may be pretty to drink alone and win gold medals, but it does not lend itself to food. We are beginning to turn the corner a bit in this regard, but I still find myself reaching for that Sancerre or CdP to have with meals.

Bucko