A Taste of What's Out There: Chateauneuf du Pape

I never get French wine in America. First of all, it's expensive. Secondly, I would have no idea what to pick. My experience of European wines is pretty much limited to Italy, so if I have $15 to spend on a bottle of wine, I buy Italian - at least I know what I'm getting. In reality, three-buck-Chuck is more my speed, and though I genuinely enjoy a glass of nice wine, it just isn't in my budget.

So I really wanted to try a good French wine while I was in Paris and could avoid the import taxes. A European friend suggested I get a bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape. The village of Chateauneuf has been producing wine since the 13th century and has a long history of supplying wine to famous clients, including a number of Popes (hence the appellation) and great French writers like Alexandre Dumas.

I walked into a wine shop on Rue Daguerre and in my horrendous French explained that "I search a particular bottle of wine - Chateauneuf du Pape." The kind shop owner suffered through my pronunciation and found me a bottle of the 2007 vintage for 19 euros. Then - because apparently I looked a little too scruffy to be buying a nice wine - asked if he should wrap it as a gift.

"No, I drink it," I declared. And drink it I did.

The wine was a serious departure from my usual range of Californian wines, but in a very good way. It had a mineral nose with hints of earth, medium body, and a well-balanced palate. The fruit flavors were subtler and not as juicy as is typical for American wines, so I can finally understand why my European friends often describe Californian wines as "like drinking jam."

Overall, Chateauneuf du Pape was an excellent introduction to French wines, one I wish I had more time to follow up on! I would strongly recommend it if you, like me, are curious about the famous wines of France but aren't sure where to begin.

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding