Big Fat Wine

(There is very little documentation on this grape so if you have any further information that we can add, please let us know)

Residence: South West France, California
Though it is slowyly being removed from vineyards in this area it is still by French wine law allowed in Cotesdu Marmandais and it is also made into some red Vin de Pays of the south west.

Abouriou is a red wine grape grown primarily in South West France and, in small quantities, in California. It is a blending grape that along with Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Fer, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Gamay is used to make the French wine Côtes du Marmandais. Though it shares several synonyms with the Beaujolais grape Gamay, the two grapes do not share many characteristics. In California, the grape is sometimes called Early Burgundy as another allusion to the Gamay grape. The vine produces high yields and vigorous growth with a relatively high resistance to disease. It tends to bud and ripen early.  The grape is known for its low acidity and high tannin content.

Transformation:

A good example of a wine that uses the Abouriou grape is the Domaine Elian Da Ros Clos Baquey.

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We all have our own personal cultural experiences that are constantly changing with everything we do throughout our lives. Whether you travel, immerse yourself in different cultures, learn a new language or venture out in your own hometown, these life-grown additions season our intellect and provide a new taste on life.

As you evolve in your adventures as a wine lover, it becomes plainly evident that wine brings its own cultural enlightenments. This can be found in the ritual of drinking wine, the people you meet, the craft of the winemakers and the rich historical aspects it brings to us in each and every glass. Even with a minor appreciation for wine, one can’t help but visualize strolling through a lush vineyard in Burgundy or sitting on a hillside, overlooking a Tuscan sunset, sipping on flavorful Chianti.

Personal enjoyment of wine varies with every bottle. When we drink wine, our taste buds are stimulated by multitudes of flavors and the alcohol brings a calming effect to our brain. Taste involves four major components:  sweetness, saltiness, acidity and bitterness. The acidity and sweetness in wine are the two factors that balance together to produce a pleasant sensation on our sense of taste. We taste the acidity with the middle of the tongue and the sweetness with the tip of the tongue.

Wines with too much acidity taste harsh, those with not enough acidity taste boring and their flavor does not linger in the mouth long after tasting.  Bitterness is caused by the tannins in the wine.  Tannins are natural compounds that are found in grape skins, seeds, and stems. Additionally, during the aging process oak barrels infuse tannin into the juice. Too much tannin makes the wine too bitter to enjoy. The right amount of tannins bring together all of the different flavors and presents itself in one luscious package.  The multitudes of fruit flavors in wine contribute to the sweetness we taste.  Try detecting different fruit characteristics, such as berries, plums, apples, pears…It’s like an orchestrated taste explosion that melds with our many senses. Appearance or sight is important as well. The colors and shades are always amazingly different, even amongst the same varietals and vintages.  Our sense of smell picks up on the fragrances. It is highly complex as we pay attention to what we’re drinking.

There is much to learn about wine, and we find that the more we immerse ourselves in absorbing the vast amount of information on wine, the more enriched our lives are becoming. As we develop our senses in enjoying wine, we are also enriching and experiencing the many layers of life as well.

I don’t think General Electric would appreciate a “Wine Brings Good Things to Life” motto, but its meaning is ever so true. For us at Big Fat Wine [BFW], bringing the lifestyle of wine into fruition is our vision quest. Not for just our own personal enjoyment, but for the rest of you that have chosen to take the entire wine experience to another level.

In September 2007  Joel  and I had the opportunity to spend 10 days in Paris.

We arrived in the afternoon after almost a full day of travel so it was time for food and a nap.  We ate in a cafe around the corner from the hotel, fell into bed and slept.  The time difference really does mess with you.  Once we came out of hibernation it was time to explore.  We didn’t get a car because driving in Paris is way more of an adventure than I was ready for plus the metro system can get you anywhere in the city easy, cheap and fast… okay so it’s a bit crowded and there are some pretty interesting smells down some of the dark corridors but I still felt safer down there than I would have in a car considering the driving style.

We were warned, before we left, that the French were not exactly friendly to Americans and if we don’t speak French (which we don’t) people would be down right rude.  That wasn’t the experience we had.  The French people that we encountered were wonderful and very helpful.  We had a few interesting experiences when we tried to order but thank goodness everyone knew what we were saying when we ordered “house red.”

We never had a bad glass of wine or a bad cup of coffee while we were there.  Not once.

We did all the regular stuff, the Louvre, Notre Dame, Jim Morrison’s grave, but I think the best thing we did was hang out in the shadow of Sacré Coeur in the little community of Montmartre.  We just walked and ate and drank cheap wine and absorbed the local color.

This trip was amazing and I would go back today if I could.

By the way, Paris truly is the most romantic city on the planet.

As Always,

Love, Laugh, Learn… LIVE!

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A French minister reduced the country’s disgraced World Cup stars to tears as she gave them a dressing down over their tantrums ahead of their final group game on Tuesday. Roselyne Bachelot said she had told the players they are a “moral disaster”. “I told the players that they are perhaps no longer heroes for our children,” Bachelot told reporters. “It is the dreams of your partners, your friends, your supporters that you have broken. It is the image of France that you have tarnished.” She went on: “I said to the players that French football was confronting a disaster, not because it had lost a match, but because this disaster is a moral disaster.”

Bachelot said she told the stars that “nothing will be the same again” during what she called “an extremely emotional meeting” when she saw tears in the eyes of the players.

Today, South Africa added insult to injury with a 2-1 victory over France, and France’s World Cup embarrassment was now complete.

As Americans, I don’t think we can fully comprehend the impact that this has on the French people. Even if the Dallas Cowboy’s, who have attended a total of eight Super Bowl’s, were to lose to the Tokyo Gas Creators in Cowboys Stadium, I don’t believe we could empathize with the French.

We graciously extend our condolences to our French brethren out of respect for their national pastime. (Even though the sportsmanship and game play was questionable). But rest assured, you can still claim the miraculous wines that you so deserve credit for. Your country is widely regarded as producing more quality wine than anywhere else in the world! From Alsace to Bordeaux, to Beaujolais to Languedoc, the French have excelled at bringing us wine that is incomparable to the rest of the world. The Judgement of Paris in 1976, IMHO, did not put you in your place, as others may project. It merely showed that California can and does create a good quality wine. France still presides.

Put the soccer shoes away for another year and remember “mes amis”, there is always next year, and “We’ll Always Have Paris”.

The Talamonti ModA’ 2008 was exquisite tonight! The steaks were equally tasty! In fact, we don’t see a pairing quite as symbiotic. Thick! The aroma of liquid smoke, faint aroma of tobacco and cherry over grilled beef is a wonderful combination of tastes. We love this wine and suggest you match it up with your favorite steak!

*Big Fat Wine Score: Voluptuous!

-hindsight (a French wine would have been appropriate but we couldn’t wait to try this one at home!)

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