Vino: 2003 M. Chapoutier Belleruche

(It's Monday... time to get your votes in. We haven't heard a lot from readers this weekend about the wine, so if you tried it, or plan to, speak up.)

2006.01.03.Chapoutier.jpg Name: M. Chapoutier
Grape: 50% Grenache, 50% Syrah
Region: Rhone Valley, France
Price: $8.99 to $12.99

I have been trying to think about how Lent relates to wine. For the observant, forgoing wine is generally a part of Lent. For the less observant, Lent can be a time for thoughtful reflection about the foods we consume. I have decided to use this time to seek out a biodynamic wine because of the spiritual approach biodynamic vintners take.

Biodynamic winemaking is like organic winemaking on steroids, mixed with a bit of old world voodoo. Like their organic brethren, biodynamic farmers recognize the impact of chemicals on the earth, choosing natural compounds and predators to protect their crops instead of chemical substances. The difference between these two schools of thought is that biodynamic farmers use the phases of the moon as a timeline for their pruning and fertilizing needs. Believing that the gravitational pull of the earth has an effect on the sap levels in the plants as well as other conditions concerning the soil and climate. This is where the voodoo element enters; biodynamic vintners feel that the plants go through different cycles just like the moon, and respond more agreeably to treatment if you follow the earth's rhythm.

Our homework for this week is a Côtes-du-Rhône from the biodynamic producer M. Chapoutier. Some of Chapoutier’s more expensive wines rival the best wines in the world. Fortunately, he makes a basic Côtes-du-Rhône affordable enough for all of us to try. This should be a full-bodied, spicy red, hearty enough to warm chilled bones this wintry weekend.

Stores: PJ Wine (4898 Broadway, between 204th and 207th Streets), Acker Wines and Spirits (160 West 72nd Street, between Broadway and Columbus), and K & D Wines and Spirits (1366 Madison Avenue, between 96th and 97th Streets).

Comments (5)

In case you are wondering about the bumps in the picture, these labels are also in Braille.

Lent "loophole!"

According to Associated Press Style Book, "The 40-day Lenten period for penance, suggested by Christ's 40 days in the desert, does not include the six Sundays between Ash Wednesday and Easter"....So, happy carnivore-blowout Sundays till Easter, everyone!

On a theological note, choosing to fast or deny yourself 'daily-pleasures' is supposed to provoke thought about daily choices and how they reflect upon the person we want to be or the world we want to live in. And ultimately, Lenten observance is supposed to allow someone to have an inkling of what Jesus Christ suffered.

Consequently, I've found it odd that people who don't really believe in Christ still choose to observe lent. And it seems more like it is a badge-of-honor or an opportunity to diet. Finding loopholes seems a little silly in a practice that is supposed to a reflection of commitment and devotion. (This isn'tvintended to be a slam against what Corey posted - just some reflections of my own)

I feel that the focus on self-denial comes at the price of really understanding what is at the heart of these traditions. Kinda like the commericialization of Christmas and the bunny-ization of Easter.

And no, I'm not a practicing Christian but I think it is important to attempt to put these practices into some context of the traditions from which it sprang.

We tried a bottle over the weekend and liked it. This was a simple wine but it had nice fruit and good spice and was completely enjoyable. I would drink it again.

LOL
o yeah, WINE

We had budget Cali pinot - Castle Rock is it?
It's okay, nothing I'd get again.
Had it with ceasar salad and babganoush on toast
it got considerably sweeter against the smokey garlic of the baba.
not disagreeable, just . . . funny.

I liked the David Bruce pinot we had last week better . . . no surprises there.

Wish my label had braille . . . that's so cool!