One of the reasons we love Central Market is because they have an awesome wine selection and a helpful and informative staff. Since we know almost nothing about French wine, we asked the wine expert at Central Market to give us a quick French wine 101. He shared some great tips that I noted in Monday's blog post.
Since we told him we really enjoy Willamette Valley Pinot Noir's we thought we would try out a French version. He recommended a Pinot Noir from the Bourgogne region. Understanding our need for an economical wine, he thought this might be a good choice. Also this wine was supposedly an exception to the rule that a bottle that highlights a single variety like Pinot Noir in this case is usually cheap and not very good. We had to try the wine to find out.
Bottle #3 - Bourgogne Pinot Noir:
- Name - 2007 - Joseph Drouhin - Laforet Bourgogne Pinot Noir
- Price - $15 - Central Market
- Winery Notes - Burgundian style, fruity, easy to drink and elegant.
- Our Take - we noticed right away before even opening the bottle that the color of the wine was lighter than the dark red Pinot Noir's we have tried in the past. This did translate to the taste as well. It was much lighter and less bold than what we were expecting. Not sure if all French Pinot Noirs are like this, but something to note for next time. It was smooth and a decent wine, but not really our preference.
We paired the wine with Emi's butternut squash soup and some delicious, flavorful, and tender lamb chops. We haven't had lamb chops in awhile, mainly because they cost $15 a pound. However Central Market had them a little cheaper so we bought some to pair with this wine.
My favorite way to cook lamb chops is to first season generously with sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and a little bit of MSG. Then I broil them on high for about 6-8 minutes per side. You don't want to overcook them because you want them to be tender.
Next up will be some white wines from France.
- Kyle
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