No matter what you think you know about Rhone Valley white wines, one thing is certain, no two are the same because of the diversity of terroir in each wine producing zone.
Each appellation has a distinctive topography, soil type and climate. The individual characteristics of each growing area create a wide range of quality wines that can satisfy the taste preferences of any discriminating wine consumer.
Wines from the North benefit from a continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. The heavy year-round rain coupled with steep slopes of granite, Mica, Schist, Clay and limestone soils produce elegant, sophisticated wines.
The South is dominated by a Mediterranean climate, with vast plains of clay, limestone, and rocks. Vineyards in sandy soils cascade to the sea.
Several white grape varieties, Viognier, Marsanne, Ugni Blanc and Vermentino, to name a few, create some beautiful white wine blends that pair wonderfully with exciting and exotic cuisines.
The wines are bursting with lively fresh fruit flavors, while being rounded and well balanced. Grilled lighter meats or fish like whole salmon or branzino stuffed with herbs and slow cooked over hot mesquite, fresh oysters or sushi, shrimp scampi or lobster poached in butter are great for a light summer meal.
Crisp lettuce bathed in a light vinaigrette sprinkled with goat cheese or Fontina cheese crumbles and a few pine nuts or walnuts paired with a crisp white wine. This is the perfect prelude to a dessert of crème brulee or a nice lemon meringue tart.
My personal passion is an Easy No Bake Banana Cheesecake that I make in a Mason jar right in the fridge. Look the recipe up online at stateofdinner.com if you don’t believe me. It’s as easy as, well, pie!
Now that I’ve got your taste buds flowing, its time to introduce a white wine that has long been one of my favorites, M. Chapoutier “La Ciboise” Luberon 2021. At just $20, it is one of the supreme values among French white wines. A comparable Chablis or white, Burgundy might cost you double.
Named after the grandfather of the estate’s owner, Michel Chapoutier, the wine is a blend of Grenache Blanc, Vermentino, Ugni Blanc and Roussane, a virtual wine ‘salad’ of the terrific grape varieties that are native to the region.
When you open a bottle of M. Chapoutier La Ciboise, it smells as if you are walking through the vineyards. Aromas of delicate white flowers, bright yellow tangy lemons and ripe, exotic fruits create a heady sensation. I know because I’ve been there and had a like experience.
The wine has an abundance of fresh flavors that are balanced perfectly. The bright acidity gives it a long, luxurious finish.
Most people don’t feel that white wines have much body. Not so with this richly appointed beauty. It has ample structure that can stand up to the most exotic cuisines.
They keep saying that kebabs are out of fashion, but I encourage you to ignore the food snobs and break those skewers out of that cluttered kitchen utensil drawer and head right out to the grill!
M. Chapoutier utilizes sustainable practices. Grapes are harvested very quickly at night by machine in order to preserve the delicate aromatics of the grapes and guard against oxidation. They are then subjected to total destemming before being gently pressed and settled under cold temperatures.
Low temperature alcohol fermentation in stainless steel tanks ensures freshness.
Enough of the technical stuff! This is a terrific, affordable wine that you can enjoy with just about anything. Create your own food fantasies. Nature’s bounty is endless, especially with the terrific selection of fresh farm-to-table goodies that are now coming to market. Visit chapoutier.com/en for more.