If I am not thwarted by an ice storm, I expect to get on a plane tomorrow bound for the South of France. I am going to the Rhône Valley for work; very hard work. I have been invited to Découvertes en Vallée du Rhône, and look forward to tasting, meeting and visiting wines, winemakers and wineries as I can.
I haven’t been in the Rhône Valley for almost 10 years. The last time I caught a glimpse of the might Mont Ventoux it was from the window of a train going somewhere else and felt a pang of whistfullness. I write about Rhône wines all the time (as I have below), because they consistently offer great value, especially in the $20 range.
The model of the Southern Rhône has avoided the worst excesses of premiumization, that other regions have succumbed to. I like that Rhône producers will often engage in the same the basic ingredients and techniques in their entry level Côtes du Rhone bottles as their topt ier Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas and Vacqueras bottles. And now there’s all kinds of interesting things happening in the villages cru’s in between.
It will be good to get back and I hope to bring lots of good stories on my return. Stay tuned.
WINE TRADE WAR
I made another chat video with Jens Peter Barynin of VIVI Economics. Our favourite wine economist has been looking at the possible effects of Trump’s threat of a 200% tarrif on alcohol imports to the US from the EU. We spent a few minutes looking what it all means.
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WINE RECOMMENDATIONS
CaSal di Serra Verdicchio del Castelli di Jesi 2023
Price: $18.95
Channel: LCBO Vintages
Producer: Umani Ronchi
Country: Italy
Region: The Marche
Appellation: Verdicchio del Castelli di Jesi 2023 DOC
Grapes: Verdicchoi
Alcohol by Volume: 13%
Sugar Content: 3 grams per litre
This crisp Verdicchio, from one of the Marche’s more established modern producers, comes the foot hills west of Ancona that lead up into the high Appenines and the old road to Perugia. It’s full of lemon citrus, and since it comes from a midway point between the sea and mountains, it could just as easily go with seafood (shrimp cocktail) or cheese (pecorino).
Umani Ronchi has been making the CaSal di Serra Verdecchio from a singular site since 1980. I like that they’s kept it simple in stainless steel. It’s straight forward, refreshing and food friendly. I also like that they’ve kept the price point under $20. We all need some affordable luxury these days.