the rhone age
Perrin Réserve Cotes du Rhone ($10)
If most French wine confuses consumers — is Bordeaux a kind of grape? — then wines from the Rhone are perhaps the most confusing. The area receives less ink than either Bordeaux and Burgundy , and Rhone wine can be made from about a dozen grapes, as opposed to four in Bordeaux and two in Burgundy .
So is
For one thing, the Rhone area is the birthplace of winemaking for everyone who likes syrah or
Usually, red wines from the northern
Chateauneuf is the most famous red in the southern Rhone, usually made from the classic Rhone blend of syrah, Grenache, and mourvedre (a combination that
The
Ask the Wine Guy:
Dry red wine is too bitter for me. Are there sweet red wines?
Yes, they exist, mostly in , where the dornfelder grape offers an interesting perspective on sweet wine. But in this country, it’s extremely difficult to find sweet red wine that isn’t ordinary red wine with sugar added (or, in the case of some Kosher wines, bad red wine with sugar added). The catch is that adding sugar upsets the wine’s balance, and it’s not wine anymore, but a grape juice cocktail. The best bet for anyone who wants a sweeter red wine is to try any of the $10
WITH YOUR WINE
Almost cassoulet
There may be as many variations of cassoulet, the classic white bean stew from southwestern , as there are French. Traditionally, it contains a variety of pork and fowl cooked for as long as three days. This is quite tasty, but not all that practical. Our version, which bears more than a passing resemblance to Cajun-style white beans, should take no more than a short afternoon. And don’t be afraid to serve a Rhone red with it, even though the Rhone is in southeastern .
Servings: 6-8
Time: 3-4 hours, including prep
16 ounces dried white beans
8 ounces pork neck bones (you can substitute a chicken or duck carcass or use it in addition to the neck bones)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon thyme
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 onions, peeled and chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
8 cups cold water
Salt and pepper to taste
3 to 4 pieces best-quality pork sausage, like a bratwurst
1. Combine all ingredients except the sausage in a large stock pot, bring to a boil, cover and cook gently until the beans are almost done. This depends on how old they are; check after an hour or so.
2. Remove the bones or carcass. Slice each piece of sausage in half, and add to the pot. Cook until the beans are done, another 30 to 60 minutes. The mixture should be soupy.
3. Pick the meat from the bones or carcass and add to the pot. Serve in bowls with crusty French bread, hot sauce and a green salad.