Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

This week I have a small correction to make. . .at the end of last week’s email I stated that this week it would also be Zin. That was my mistake, as I forgot to update that part of the emailer. It would be pretty cool to do Zinfandel tasting after Zinfandel tasting. Perhaps I’ll start up a Nothing-But-Zin wine bar and call it. . .hm. . .Zintastic, or TarZin: Lord of the Jungle, or Zin-Ippity-Doo-Dah. But not at the moment. We’re wine explorers, and this week we’re sampling the white wines from the Legendary French Bordeaux.

Bordeaux, among other French wine regions, has set the standard for many wine styles, hence the designation on wine labels worldwide: “Bordeaux-Style”. For reds, this means blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec, and sometimes $1000 price tags (for the Premiere growths. . .And yes, that’s three Zeroes, not a sticky keyboard.) For whites it’s Sauvignon Blanc, Semillion, Muscadelle, and on and on. . . Mostly those three grapes, though, and far more affordable. They make clean, crisp Summer slurpers, and go great with brie and swiss cheese, and wonderfully cool down the heat.

The most prestigous of the white Bordeaux is the Sauternes, made with Botrytized grapes. Botrytized is a fancy term for “rotten”. The name is actually taken from the mold Botrytis (Noble Rot, the common, poetic term) that grows on those grapes that concentrates the juice into one of the most amazing-flavored sweet wines in the world. Had you ever seen a cluster of Botrized grapes, the question that pops into mind is how rotten grapes ever got made into wine at all. Historically speaking, and this is just my opinion, it was probably accident, despiration, or done on a dare. “Ha ha, Jean-Claude! Your grapes have all rotten! What are you going to do now? Make wine with that? Again, ha ha!”

So as an extra-special bonus, I’ll be pouring not a Sauternes (Which average in price between $50 to “Yikes!”), but I will be pouring a wine from Loupiac, the district just across the street. It’s pretty much the same stuff, it’s just a different name and a slightly different locale. Geographically-speaking, if Loupiac were Southeast Portland, here where the shop is, Sauternes would be Downtown Portland. . . The rent is more expensive, but we breathe the same air.

Extra-Special this week:
ART OPENING! We have new artwork gracing the walls thanks to local photographer Larry Iversen and his show entitled “In Sequential.” Come check out the new surroundings and enjoy some wonderful White Bordeaux!

So Friday, July 16th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

White Bordeaux!
Chateau Tertre de Launay 2002 Entre-Deux-Mers
Michel Lynch 2002 Bordeaux Blanc
Chateau Thieuley 2002 Bordeaux Blanc
Chateau Ducasse 2002 Bordeaux Blanc
Chateau de Juge 2002 Cadillac

The Extra-Special Premium Pours:
Chateau le Thil 2000 Pessac-Leognan
Chateau Haut Bertinerie 2001 Cotes de Blaye Blanc

The Super-Spiffy Satellite Sweet Pour:
Chateau Loupiac-Gaudiet 1997 Loupiac

Next week is The Carpe Vinum One Year Anniversary with Viognier!
M