It is one of the most widely planted grapes in the world, known as garnacha in Spain and cannonau in Sardinia, but Americans know it best by its French name, grenache. It is the most important constituent in the blend of grapes in Gigondas, the next focus of Wine School.<\/p>\n
The southern Rh\u00f4ne is known for its warm, generous, heady wines. Ch\u00e2teauneuf-du-Pape is the most famous among them. Its wine can achieve a majesty that other southern Rh\u00f4ne appellations can only envy, but Ch\u00e2teauneufs nowadays can also seem overly powerful and fruity depending on the style of the producer. They are also expensive.<\/p>\n
Gigondas, by contrast, tend to be a little fresher and gentler in potency and price than Ch\u00e2teauneuf, while retaining many of the characteristics that come from the Mediterranean climate and the bright Proven\u00e7al sun. Gigondas won\u2019t be low in alcohol \u2014 that\u2019s just the nature of grenache. But it goes very well with sweaters and the onset of chilly weather.<\/p>\n
Here are the three wines I suggest you try:<\/p>\n
Domaine du Cayron Gigondas 2012<\/strong>\u00a0(A Daniel Johnnes Selection\/Skurnik Wines, New York) $30<\/p>\n Domaine du Gour de Chaul\u00e9 Gigondas Cuv\u00e9e Tradition 2012<\/strong>\u00a0(Rosenthal Wine Merchant, New York) $30<\/p>\n Domaine Les Palli\u00e8res Gigondas Terrasse du Diable 2011<\/strong>\u00a0(Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, Calif.) $40<\/p>\n As is so often the case, these may be hard to find, so don\u2019t hesitate to look for other producers, like Grapillon d\u2019Or, Montirius, Montmirail, Ch\u00e2teau du Trignon, Ch\u00e2teau de St.-Cosme, Raspail-Ay, La Bou\u00efssi\u00e8re and Notre Dame des Palli\u00e8res. These are among the best, but buy whatever you can find. You could even try Vacqueyras, a neighboring appellation, or some of the better C\u00f4te-du-Rh\u00f4nes-Villages from places like Cairanne or St.-Gervais.<\/p>\n These wines are best served with hearty foods. They will go great with casseroles and meaty stews, braised dishes and lamb shanks, as well as burgers and sausages. They will flatter roast chicken. (Doesn\u2019t every wine?) You may also want to experiment with some savory-and-sweet combinations, like a tagine made with meat and fruit.<\/p>\n As always, it\u2019s better to serve these wines with a light chill, say 60 to 65 degrees rather than 75 degrees. Decanting is never necessary. But one thing I\u2019ve learned from Wine School is that decanting does seem to improve just about every young red. So, while it\u2019s not essential, as my people like to say, it couldn\u2019t hurt.<\/p>\n By Eric Asimov<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It is one of the most widely planted grapes in the world, known as garnacha in […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":110,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,5,186],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-109","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-les-medias-parlent-de-nous","category-les-pallieres","category-logo_kermit_lynch"],"yoast_head":"\n