If you’re after a foodie treat this autumn, Been there readers have the answer – try chestnuts in Sorrento, a wine tour of Alsace or a meat-feast in Rio

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WINNING TIP: Chestnut festival, San Felice D’Ocre, Italy – 30 November

In an impossibly perfect medieval hilltop village, a stripy food tent is crammed with extended family groups dining on chestnut dishes made with beef or chickpeas, then a selection of chestnut desserts. A steady stream of sacks is delivered to a giant hotplate for roasting, then transported to the back of the kitchens to be transformed into more chestnut delicacies. bit.ly/pQe7OM MandyMc

France/Germany

Alsace wine route
We toured the Alsace wine route one autumn. The vines were bare as it was after the harvest, but the little wine towns of Kaysersburg and Riquewihr were ravishing. For one afternoon we popped over the Rhine to the pretty university city of Freiburg in Baden-Württemburg for a look at the gorgeous high-gothic Münster. In the Christmas markets we sampled hot bratwurst in crusty rolls, currywurst and dampfnudel – a suet pudding – with a cherry sauce and custard.
duncandonuts

Italy

Sorrento, Campania
In late summer, the evenings are cooler, but the days are still sunny and warm, and the colours of the autumn foliage blaze along the Amalfi coast. Foodies are in for a treat, as this is the time of year for freshly picked mushrooms, chestnuts and walnuts. For a splurge try L’Antica Trattoria – fabulous food (tasting menu €180 for two people), a beautiful terrace and a cosy traditional interior for the cooler evenings. For a restaurant with a local neighbourhood feel, try Il Leone Rosso – spot on for an authentic pizza marinara (€4).
lanticatrattoria.com, illeonerosso.it
troutiemcfish

Sibillini mountains, Le Marche
We spent a superb weekend in autumn sunshine staying at Villa San Raffaello with its great apartments, amazing views and free organic vegetables. We blew away the cobwebs walking along old mule tracks in the rolling hills, past the heady scent of locals making vino cotto (cooked wine). The next day we hiked into the Sibillini mountains and ate at the rifugio (refuge) at Monte Amandola – tasty strozzapreti pasta with truffle and sausage, and succulent lamb cooked on coals. The bill, including wine and homemade tiramisu, was under €20 a head.
villasanraffaello.com, apartments from €700 in autumn; rifugiocittadiamandola.blogspot.com
VinniForno

Santa Lorica, Livorno, Tuscany
Surrounded by wooded hills and vine covered slopes, this rural agri’ is perfect for foodies and families. Breakfast on homemade preserves, tarts and local cheeses while taking in the views across to the medieval town of Sassetto. The evening meal was our daily highlight, the friendly owner and his family served delicious and unusual regional dishes, always with an equally tasty veggie option. We chatted over local wine at communal tables under the stars while the kids hunted in the grounds for wild boar and fireflies.
+39 0565 794335, agriturismo.it/santalorica, €55pp half-board
dawnhove

Brazil

Marius Carnes, Rio de Janeiro
There are loads of all-you-can eat meat restaurants in Brazil and we tried three while I was there for a two-month stay working my way through Brazil. This place was the best. For meat-eaters it was heavenly. Best tip – don’t bother having lunch and stroll up about 7pm. You’ll feast. If you take a trip to Brazil now it will be coming into their spring – it’ll be hot but a great time to visit.
Av Atlantica 290B, +55 21 2104 9000
Mozzawatt

UK

Northumbria Food and Wine Festival, Corbridge
This takes place over three days, featuring wine tasting and live music, plus classic British cuisine. You can indulge your tastes, explore some great local food, all in a picturesque rural setting. Entrance includes tokens for wine samples and a commemorative tasting glass to take with you as you trot gracefully (or stagger) between tables. A great starting point for a trip to Northumberland.
7-9 October, Tynedale Park, tickets £20, northumbriafoodandwinefestival.co.uk
Forbesspeaks

guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle

Pop-up tandoor tents in Suffolk, France’s first Fête de la Gastronomie and a herring fair in Helsinki – our writers pick the best treats for foodies around Europe this autumn

Harvest, UK

Harvest is a food and music festival split between two farms: Alex James’s in Oxfordshire and Jimmy Doherty’s in Suffolk. Both include pop-ups (Lily Vanilli’s Piece of Cake Diner, Dock Kitchen’s Tandoor Tent), a cookery school, chef visits (Richard Corrigan, Francesco Mazzei, Yotam Ottolenghi, Nuno Mendes), workshops and farmers’ markets, and this year’s British Street Food awards take place at Jimmy’s.
• 9-12 September, adult weekend camping £97.50/£105 (Suffolk/Oxfordshire), adult day ticket £36/£45, harvestatjimmys.com
Oliver Thring is a regular contributor to the Guardian Word of Mouth food blog

Fête de la Gastronomie, France

When France organises a food festival you can be sure that all the stops will be pulled out, and that is certainly the case for the first ever Fête de la Gastronomie on 23 September, with 2,400 foodie events taking place all over the country. There are a host of Michelin-starred celebrity chefs involved, such as Alain Ducasse, but it also features master charcutiers, bakers and pâtissiers, farmers and wine makers. Hundreds of gourmet restaurants are offering two meals for the price of one (19-25 Sept, tousaurestaurant.fr), and you can attend a giant picnic or go on a foodie treasure hunt.
• 23 September, nationwide, fete-gastronomie.fr
John Brunton is a food and travel writer based in Venice and Paris

Ebel Festival, Denmark

As we all know, in recent years Danes have become much more aware of the produce that grows around them, and one of the emblems for this new pride in local produce is the Danish apple, or rather apples. The Danes are coming to realise that there is more to life than sugary Pink Ladies and turnipy Golden Delicious, and that there are more than 300 apple varieties to be found in the country. This diversity is celebrated in October in the eastern Jutland town of Ebeltoft. At the Ebel Festival, locals get together to rejoice in the fact that different types of apple can be used for different purposes – for juice, cider, cakes, brandy, vinegar, snaps or art.
• Ebeltoft, 15-22 October, ebelfestival.dk
Michael Booth’s latest book is Eat, Pray, Eat (Jonathan Cape, £14.99)

Stromming – Helsinki Baltic Herring Fair, Finland

The end of the arduous, but hopefully successful, fishing season is celebrated in early October with Stromming, a festival dedicated to the Clupea harengus membras, otherwise known as the Baltic herring. The fair has been held since the 18th century – thousands of locals wrap up against the icy chill and descend on the harbour to eat more than 50,000kg of their nation’s favourite fish, served in traditional ways such as salted, pickled and smoked, and with dark rye bread. Helsinki’s restaurants get in on the act, too, offering more modern interpretations using the herrings with local berries and even Asian spices.
• 2-8 October, visithelsinki.fi
Simon Majumdar is the author of Eat My Globe (John Murray, £8.99) and Eating for Britain (John Murray, £9.99)

guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle

Spaniards, Germans and Pole express confidence to pollsters, but the British only excel at modesty

The Spanish can cook, the Germans drive well and the Polish are good looking: ask Europeans how they think their countries excel and revealing trends emerge. The Guardian’s poll of European countries carried out by ICM suggests most nations think they are good at something – apart from the ever modest British. We feel we are pretty mediocre at everything.

The poll, carried out online among 5,000 people – 1,000 from each of the five countries involved in the Guardian’s New Europe series – exposes a mix of classic national stereotypes and unexpected self-confidence. Germany may be famed abroad as a land of lederhosen and strong beer but the Polish outdo everyone else as a nation that feels it can knock its drink back and stay sober. In total, 61% of Poles think their compatriots can hold their schnapps and vodka, in contrast to just 14% of Spaniards who say the same about their compatriots’ capacity for San Miguel beer.

The British are not in denial about their own capacity for drunken behaviour. Only 15% of Britons think we can hold our drink, against 85% who rate ourselves at the middle or lower of the scale. Other nations judge themselves little different, apart from the Poles.

In an imaginary Eurovision contest of national talents, the Spanish and the French think they would be way ahead of everyone else as the best place to eat. Among the Gallic citizens of the land of haute cuisine, 80% give themselves at least eight out of 10 points for their cooking. In Spain, where Ferdinand Adrià’s modernist El Bulli restaurant reinvented modern cooking, perhaps to its detriment, 87% do the same.

By contrast, a generation reared on Delia Smith and Jamie Oliver in Britain still don’t rate themselves highly: only 23% of people in this country believe the UK is renowned for its cooking, against 77% who put it in the middle or below.

Perhaps fortunately the poll doesn’t reveal what other Europeans think of our food. Ever confident, the Poles shrug off jibes about dumplings and beetroot soup to chase France for third place as the nation with good cuisine: 70% score their nation highly against just 2% who put their country way down the scale. Germany is next, followed by Britain in last place of the five countries surveyed.

So it is official that we think we have the worst cooking in Europe. But at least we believe ourselves to be more friendly than the French and the Germans, if not quite up there with Spain and Poland. Overall, 32% of Europeans questioned thought people were very friendly in their country, against 56% who put the answer somewhere in the middle and 12% at the bottom.

In Britain, 23% score themselves highly against 77% who do not. In Poland, more cheerful perhaps, 35% score highly and 65% not.

The French appear to think they are part of a nation of grumps: 70% put themselves only in the middle for national friendliness and 17% right at the bottom, ahead of everyone else. Experience Paris on a weekend in August and you might be tempted to agree.

Unsurprisingly, Germans – from the home of the unrestricted autobahn, BMW and Porsche – believe themselves to be the best drivers in Europe. The French – from the land of Renault and Citroen – think they are the worst.

In Germany, 34% score their country well for its driving, against just 11% in France and 17% in Poland. The British and the Spanish are somewhere in the middle: 29% of people here think their country drives well against 23% in Spain.

By contrast, 20% of French people put their driving skills in the bottom categories, scoring just one to three points out of 10. In Britain, 15% say the same and in Germany it is just 13%.

About a quarter of Europeans think people in their country are good drivers: about two-thirds, sensibly, put themselves in the middle.Even vanity is trumped by modesty in Europe, according to the poll. While about a third of people surveyed rated people in their country notably good looking, two thirds put the answer in the middle and a few even lower down. Men are marginally more positive about national looks than women.

The Poles scored themselves most highly – 57% rated their nation at eight out of 10 or above for looks, against just 14% in Britain, officially the most modest country among those polled, if not the ugliest. Here, 73% ranked national appearance in the middle and 13% at the bottom.

According to the survey, 41% of Spaniards say their compatriots are good looking, against 22% in France, with Germany narrowly behind.

guardian.co.uk food-and-drink

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I started collecting wine just as the tremendous 2000 vintage was being released, and so before I even had much experience with Bordeaux, by almost pure chance, my first serious Bordeaux cellar purchase was a couple bottles of the 2000 Pontet-Canet. How exciting its been to watch the ascendance of this 5th Growth since then, and how lucky I’ve felt to have those bottles in the cellar, with all the talk of Pontet-Canet having become a “super-second” with the 2005 vintage, and even the lesser vintages becoming more expensive than the 2000 was on release. The story of this chateau is well-known now: its location right next to Mouton-Rothschild, and how it was considered one of the top estates in the early 19th century; its slow decline to rock-bottom during the Cruse scandal of the 1970s; and finally how the Tesseron family painstakingly revived it over two decades, preparing it for its meteoric rise that started in the mid-1990s. Given my experience with the 1970 (below), it is clear that even at its lowest ebb, there was greatness lurking here. I’ve had the pleasure to taste more wines from Pontet-Canet than from any other Bordeaux estate, and the style has become familiar: dense, dark, tarry, firm. Some say Pontet-Canet now resembles St.-Julien more than Pauillac, and they may be right, but what it is for certain is a great example of a modern claret that has not sold its soul like many others.

A couple weeks ago, I organized a wine dinner featuring the 1970 and the 2002 vintages of the Grand Vin, and the 2000 of Let Hauts (which in a vintage like 2000 is practically a grand vin itself):

Chateau Pontet-Canet, Pauillac 1970
Base neck fill. Medium-dark garnet; good color! Very nice old Bordeaux nose, savory, and with glycerin showing. A succulent palate, with cherry/raspberry, cassis, and a bit of tar. Medium-full bodied. Opens and grows very nicely in the glass. Still has good fruit, with nice tone and structure; one can sense the intense 1970 structure this would once have had. Near the end of its very mature prime, but can probably hold at this level for a few more years; this wine is in great shape for its age. Quite a treat, and a consummate match to Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourgignon! Excellent (87 – 90). [7/9/10]

Les Hauts de Pontet-Canet, Pauillac 2000
Medium dark ruby. Nose a bit funky and not much on the palate at first, but with time in the glass, it opens beautifully. Cherry/raspberry, cassis, tar/dark fruit, lots of mineral, hints of herbs, and hints of pencil lead. Succulent. Compared to the 1970 Pontet-Canet grand vin tasted just before, this drinks like a much younger version of the same wine, and seems to confirm the similarity between the two vintages (how nice to get to compare the two). In addition, nearly equal in quality to the 2002 Pontet-Canet grand vin tasted just after. Approachable now with air, but better in 3 – 5 years, and should drink nicely until 2020 or so. 2000 shows its depth here! Excellent / Exceptional (89 – 91). [7/9/10]

Chateau Pontet-Canet, Pauillac 2002
Decanted 2 1/2 hours, and needed further time in the glass to open (nose a bit funky at first). Opaque ruby. Excellent, dense, rich nose. Cherry, blackberry, cassis, tarry/leathery notes, a hint of roasted herb/tobacco, and a hint of pencil lead/mineral. Full bodied, ripe, and dense, with good tone. Needs time, perhaps another 5 years, and shouldlast last until 2020 – 2025. Quite an impressive performance from this maligned vintage, and for under $40, a very impressive value as well. Exceptional (90 – 93). [7/9/10]

And as chance would have it, I had also had the opportunity to taste the 2003 in May:

Chateau Pontet-Canet, Pauillac 2003
Decanted for over an hour. Dark, warm ruby; impressive color. Great nose!!! Black cherry, blackberry, juicy red currant, cassis, some floral notes, and a touch of citrus, with tobacco, a hint of pencil lead, mineral, roasted herbs, roasted meat, and espresso. Ripe, but not overly so, and there is a LOT of tannin hiding underneath. Has 2003 warmth, but with the tannin, density, and acidity to balance it. This is a wine you need to swirl in your mouth to perceive how well constituted it is under the ripe fruit. Approachable now and very pleasurable to drink, but will only get better, and I dare say it will achieve a more classical Bordeaux balance in its maturity. Has up to 20 years ahead of it; when will it hit its peak? Not sure – perhaps in 10 years. A lot of potential here. Extraordinary (93 – 95). [5/13/10]

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This wine helped in resolving a long standing family dispute over wine. For years, my wife claimed that Bordeaux can’t meet the standards of our favorite wine region: Piedmont. Knowing her taste, the main point was around how Masculine are the wines (or the more feminine/elegant nature of a lot of Bordeaux wines that we had). Comes Talbot 2001 to show that the combination of masculine and elegant wines is not unique to Piedmont or Italy in general.

Chateau Talbot, St. Julien 2001
Started with excellent fruit: blueberries, black current later reveled earth and minerals with just a good hint of green notes. Masculine wine with an excellent elegant finish. Excellent / Exceptional (89 – 91)

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Chateau de Beaucastel is one of the best wineries in Chateauneuf du Pape. Pierre Perrin, Beaucastel’s wine maker and 5th generation owner of the winery hosted an excellent tasting this Wednesday. It was a pleasure to see how passionate Pierre is about his wines and wine making tradition of his family. Chateau de Beaucastel have been producing organic wines since 1956, but don’t brand their wines as such. They try to create wines with a unique signature “I want to sign the wine like Picasso” – is the exact quote. In each year they try to make the best wines for that vintage and not replicate last year’s taste. From what we have tasted – it’s a complete success. The wines all share a common theme: balanced, food friendly, complex and interesting.

Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc 2006
Light to straw color, medium bodied and refreshing wine. Opens with Muscat nuts, smoke, honey, apricots and melon balanced with very good acidity. Good finish. Exceptional 90.

Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Roussanne Vieilles Vignes 2006
Almost Yellow straw color, full bodied and balanced. This is one of the best whites I’ve had in the last year (including the excellent 2006 vintage in Austria). Smooth, round and creamy (positively) wine. With Caramel, ripe peaches, minerals all going to a Loooong finish. Outstanding 96

Perrin & Fils Chateauneuf du Pape Le Sinards 2006
This wine gets its grapes from the young vines of Beaucastel. Not destined for long term cellaring, but still a good wine. Medium bodied and medium to light color. Raspberries, minerals, unripe plums. Nice finish. Still too tannic – keep it for 1-2 years. Very Good 86

Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge 2005
This wine showed what older vines and more traditional wine making (old oak, huge – 4000 Lt. barrels) can create. Medium bodied with a red garnet color. Balanced, elegant and very drinkable right now, but will surly be even greater and more complex in years from now. Mostly delicate aromas of cassis, plums, lavender. A bit meaty aroma on the edges. Just the right amount of acidity. A very long and wonderful finish. Extraordinary 95

Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge 2001
Needs more time to balance – but what a wine! Medium bodied with a brick/garnet color. Meaty, leather, plums, blackberries, cherries and a balancing acidity. After some time in the glass it gets really smooth. Nice, long finish. Extraordinary 93

Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge 1998
This is a love or hate wine – I’ve heard both opinions around. I loved it! The color shows some age with dominating brick color. The aroma opens with a sweet caramel component along with cherries and leather. very good, long sweet finish. Exceptional 92

Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge 1994
This is on the spot for current drinking. Ripe plums, a bit truffles, green herbal component along with delicate leather and meaty aromas. Still has some tannins for the next couple of years. Very good finish. Exceptional 91

Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge 1989
Decanted for 3 hours. Light brick color. A complex and interesting wine which made me hate myself for not purchasing it when it was possible. Opens with meaty flavors, plums, olives, minerals, perfume and Provencal herbs. Amazing long finish.
Incredible 97

Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage a Jacques Perrin 2005
Almost impenetrable red garnet. Full, almost chewy body. An almost never ending array of aromas: red plums, blackberries, nuts, olives & herbs. Right now its very tannic and alcoholic – give it at least 15 years to soften (Pierre claims that the 1989 is not really ready yet…). Complex, long finish.
Incredible 98

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I am only recently come down from the clouds – Friday night (5/23/08) I held the most perfect tasting of my life (thus far). A lineup of eight wines – some more ordinary than others, but each in its way a delight – each enjoyed by everyone in a delightful company of friends, and with a nice assortment of very good cheeses. A situation where the whole was infinitely more than the sum of its parts – I can hardly imagine a more perfect evening of wine tasting. This may very well be the standard by which I judge all other tastings for the rest of my life – not simply the wines, but the experience. And the featured wine of the evening – from my grandmother’s birthyear, a wine I know, beyond a doubt, will stand among the very most memorable of my life.

The evening consisted of three ‘mini-tastings,’ which, although apparently only loosely connected, providing a perfect progression.

Sauvignon Blanc: one wine from each of my three favorite regions for the grape, providing an excellent illustration of the differences between them.

Delaille, Domaine du Salvard, Cheverny 2007
Grapefruit, ripe peach, kiwi, and gooseberry, with touches of mineral and vegetal notes. Exactly what I look for in Loire Sauvignon: focused, elegant, and light-on-its-feet, yet with depth. Under $15, and a good value. Excellent (87 – 90).

Nobilo, Sauvignon Blanc, Regional Collection, Marlborough 2007 (New Zealand)
Nice nose of high-quality fruit cocktail. Grapefruit, fresh peach, tropical fruits, and gooseberry, with bell pepper. Generous acidity. Archtypical Marlborough, with oodles of fresh, ripe, exuberant fruit. Completely consistent with previous tasting. Around $10, and a great value. Excellent (87 – 90).

Cono Sur, Sauvignon Blanc, 20 Barrels Limited Edition, Casablanca Valley 2006 (Chile)
Sea air, pear, green melon, citrus, and black pepper. Subtle and complex. Somewhat atypical for Chilean Sauvignon, but in a most interesting way. Excellent / Exceptional (89 – 91)

White Bordeaux: first a nice dry example, with 50% Sauvignon providing a nice transition from the previous flight, while at the same time setting up for the the remarkable pair of Sauternes to follow.

Chateau Bonnet, Entre-Deux-Mers 2006
Citrus, apple, honey, and fig. Nice acidity, and with enough depth to avoid being ‘just another white.’ Bonnet’s whites seem to be quite reliable. Around $10, and a very good value. 50% Sauvignon, 40% Semillon, 10% Muscadelle. Very Good / Excellent (86 – 88).

Chateau Coutet, Barsac 1928
Labeled ‘Haut-Barsac.’ Mid-shoulder fill. Distinguished, warm, dark bronze / mahogany color. Top 1/3 of the cork blackened with age. On first try, only 2/3 of the cork came out. Then using a metal skewer and piercing through the bottom of the cork, a slight hiss of air rushing into a vacuum – after 80 years, the seal was still perfect! Served moderately chilled. In the glass, perhaps the most remarkable nose I have ever encountered: intense, rich, warm nose of fruitcake, apricot, and red raspberry. On the palate, more layers of complexity than one can fully describe in words. Pruney apricot, hints of still fresh pear and even tropical fruits, with red raspberry, and orange. Warm, richly honeyed and still luscious, with loads of intense (but not unpleasant) botrytis nutmeg/mace/brown spice on the finish. Open and wonderful from the first sip, but got even better as it warmed and opened further. Some qualities similar to a fine sherry, but much more fresh – after 80 years, still proudly and unmistakably a Sauternes. Still showing everything I love in Sauternes, but with previously unimagined layers of depth and complexity added (the only other wine I’ve had with this level of complexity is the Krug NV). Far exceeding expectations, not just a privilege but a once-in-a-lifetime pleasure to drink, with no allowances for age necessary, and making every other wine I’ve had seem ordinary. With still intense structure but remarkable balance, this is a wine that should make its centennial with pleasures to spare. I wouldn’t push it beyond that, but even now it’s longevity is far, far beyond complaint. It saddens me greatly that I am not likely ever to encounter this wine again. It will forever command an exalted place in my memory. Exceptional / Extraordinary (92 – 94) for the wine itself, with no allowance for age necessary; for the experience, Perfection (99 – 100)

Chateau Coutet, Barsac 1997
Perfect fill. Lightly-bronzed gold in color. Surprisingly similar to the 1928 (tasted just before) in character. Apricots, pear/tropicals, orange, and even a touch of red raspberry, with minerals notes as well. Honeyed and with nice botrytis spice (but neither nearly as much as in the 1928). But make no mistakes, this is an exceptionally good wine, in some respects even exceeding the 1928, but in others nowhere near it. Still a bit too young, needing at least 5 more years, and I expect it to last another 10 – 20 years total. Exceptional (90 – 93), almost Extraordinary (93 – 95) and will improve.

Port: a hugely surprising white Port providing a perfect transition from the Sauternes before it, before finish the night with an outstanding single-quinta.

Ramos Pinto, Lagrima, Porto NV
Lemon, honey, apricots, and even a touch of pear, with a distinct note of brandy. Fresh and very sweet. Remarkably similar in profile to the 1997 Coutet tasted before it. The biggest surprise of evening, and laughing heartily in the face of the mostly disparaging opinion of white Port that seems to prevail. And given that it can be found for under $15, and absolutely no more than $20, the most amazing value I have ever encountered. Best while young and fresh, I suspect. Extraordinary (93 – 95)

Ramos Pinto, Quita de Ervamoira, Porto 2004
Openned for breathing 14 hours before serving, and decanted 5 hours before serving. Consistent with my previous tasting, with dark, rich chocolate, loads of dark berries and prunes, and on this tasting, even showing some touches of red fruit. Powerful yet perfectly balanced. Surprisingly, especially given the amount of time it had to breath, not as open or opulent as previously. All the same, will benefit tremendously from 10 more years, and should last 10 – 20 years after that. Still outstanding, and may yet merit my original, highly enthusiastic rating with time. Outstanding (95 – 97), but may very well be Incredible (97 – 99) with time.

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I happen to be very fond of wines from southern France – there are quite a few under-appreciated gems to be found there (if you haven’t had Madiran, that is an experience worth seeking out). One of the regions that delights me the most is the Languedoc. The wines use the same set of grapes as in the Rhone, but with a higher percentage of Carignan (as much as 50%). I tend to think of the Rhone as being more refined, and of all the wine of southern France Chateauneuf-du-Pape is by far my favorite. The Languedoc, on the other hand, offers a more country-style, barnyard, and in my mind ‘impolite’ expression. I affectionately refer to many of these wines as ‘monsters.’ In fact, the first time a friend and neighbor of mine tasted one, he called me up and asked if I could come taste it, because he was worried that there was something wrong with it. So I went and tasted it, and my first reaction was a huge smile – that rich, earthy, barnyard of a wine was delightful!

This past weekend the same neighbor had another bottle from the Languedoc open (I seem to have converted him!), and this one surprised me, for though it had all of the rich, earthy character I love in these wines, it actually managed to be elegant – something I definitely hadn’t encountered before. The wine was made by Hegarty-Chamans (http://hegartychamans.com/), who are located in Minervois (my favorite appelation in the region). Although they produce Minervois AC wines, this particular one was a humble Vin de Table, their ‘Cuvee No. 3,’ a blend of 50% Carignan, 40% Syrah, and 10% Grenache. Why that didn’t qualify for the AC I don’t know – but it’s the wine in the glass that matters!

Hegarty Chamans Cuvee No. 3 Vin de Table 2003
This is made and bottled in Minervois, although it doesn’t carry the AC designation. A nice, deep purple color, with a very nice, rich, sweet, and floral (suprise!) nose. On the palate, red fruits upfront, with a touch of minerals providing an almost ‘cherry-cola’ character, and then sweet nectarine before an earthy finish. Perhaps some herbal notes as well, along with those surprising, floral (dare I say lilac) aromatics. An elegant wine, with ‘gentle’ aspects to its character – a huge surprise from the Languedoc – and yet still distinctly of its place. 50% Carignan, 40% Syrah, and 10% Grenache. Tasted twice with consistent notes. Excellent (87 – 90) (5/3/08).

Languedoc appelations to look for: Coteaux du Languedoc (more burly, country-style wines), Minervois (more refined), Costieres de Nimes (sometimes considered part of the Rhone, and it depends on the producer which style they go for)

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I’ve had a number of absolutely delightful dry whites from the 2005 Bordeaux vintage, and have very much enjoyed the remarkable combination of freshness and depth they have. In February I got my first chance to try a 2005 Sauternes, and in this wine at least, I dare say you see at least some of that same delightful character – I’ll definitely be looking foward to tasting other Sauternes of the vintage. And at $15 per half bottle, this one is a great value.

Chateau Hallet Sauternes 2005
My first taste of a Sauternes from this heralded vintage. Apricot, tropical fruits, then loads of candied fruit and honey. Medium bodied, with nice balance. Definitely reminds one of the delightful freshness and depth that the dry whites of the vintage have. Should drink very nicely for the next 5 years or so. (2/16/08) Excellent/Exceptional (89 – 91).

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