The Wine Leading the Blind: Chablis Ain’t No Jug Wine!
I’m the first to admit that I don’t really have a favorite wine – I just go through phases of favorites. However, this time of year always finds me drinking more white wine for the obvious reasons, especially in the oppressively hideous swampfest that is summer in the District of Columbia.
The white wines of France have been an obsession for a few years now, and I love that they are so versatile that most can be appropriately drunk (is there such a thing as “appropriately drunk?”) year-round.
I picked a Chablis and a Sancerre this month because I think — though they take some ’splainin’ to those new to French wines — they can be simplified enough to send even the most timid drinker out to a wine store with plenty of confidence. And they are not to be missed — their soft elegance and subtleties make them perfect bottles to crack open after that sweat-drenched weeknight walk home.
If you mention Chablis to a budding wine enthusiast, don’t be surprised if his or her nose wrinkles in feigned disgust. Many an American jug white has been packaged under the misnomer of “Chablis,” doing nothing but harm to the patently genius-esque elegance that the best of Chablis proper exudes.
Chablis is located at the northern tip of Burgundy, and would be a logical first stop on a drive from Paris to the heart of Burgundy in Beaune and Dijon. Most of the grapes grown here are Chardonnay, but you’ll want to note an important aspect of any Chablis label: — they’ll all be marked as one of the following:
Petit Chablis
Chablis
Chablis Premier Cru
Chablis Grand Cru
The different categories denote where the grapes are grown, starting from the least ideal growing conditions (Petit) to the most ideal (Grand Cru). With a few exceptions, the price in turn will be proportional to the label.
Generally, you can’t go wrong with any Chablis. Most folks who consider themselves more serious about wine will agree that it is one of the most beautiful and ethereal wines out there — in fact, it can be downright intimidating. As I have grown to appreciate Chablis, I came to realize that it’s a whole subset of wine culture bordering on insanity. Some of the better bottles start around $30 to $40, and launch into the ridiculous from there. Thus I was curious to see if there were any Chablis available that wouldn’t completely kill my budget. See one here.
In addition to Chablis, I chose a Sancerre for those who are more used to New World Sauv Blancs. Expect something bright, floral, and citrusy. The difference between the Sancerre and, say, a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc lies mostly in the flinty quality of the wine. French wines generally exhibit a much more chalky/flinty taste than other wines because of the large chalk deposits in the soil, which softens the overall tone of the wine and produces more subtle flavors.
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By Lauren McNally
Lauren B. McNally is a New York based consultant and freelance writer who spends most of her free time exploring culinary and oenological pursuits with friends. She originally hails from Maine and graduated from Bowdoin College,spending time abroad at the University of Cambridge in the UK (where she found the dining hall cuisine rather offensive and repulsive, as opposed to the top-ranked Bowdoin Dining Services). Her palate is ever-evolving but Burgundies are among her current obsessions. Her least favorite wine-related phrase: “I don’t like _.” Lauren also enjoys cooking Italian and French cuisine, and has an unnatural obsession with Gorgonzola and pancetta.
About The Humble Gourmand
The Humble Gourmand is published the first Friday of each month, edited by Alison L. McConnell, a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and writer. It is designed to offer straightforward lessons and advice to aspiring cooks, oenophiles, and all other eaters and drinkers.
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