Just started a new semester of my Exploring Wine Class -- some of my students have prior wine industry experience (bar tenders), some enjoy wine and a couple are completely new to the taste of fermented grapes. I always start the first class with a tasting of six of the basic wine varietals; three white, three red. The "new-to-wines" (forwardly known as NTW's) usually manage to get through the first two whites (the third white is slightly sweet, therefore, is tasted after all the reds) but the NTW's virgin taste of the first red is classic! Their mouths pucker, eyes squint and faces turn red -- next semester, the first day of class is on YOUTUBE for sure (with their permission, of course)!
Can you guess the favorite of the six? The majority of the class (including the NTW's) was the sixth wine, and yes, the sweetest. Nothing wrong with that! In fact, I choose it because it's one of my favorites too...Georges Meurgey Vouvray from France. I'm drinking it now...the nose has a lemony, honey, peach smell and the palate shows slightly sweet, peachy minerality and a touch of flint which is normally associated with Chablis or even Vouvray's neighbor, Sancerre.
AOC Vouvray is made exclusively from the Chenin Blanc grape -- a varietal which once played a role in white wines coming out of the Napa Valley. Not much is produced now in the US but one stalwart is Chappellet's (www.chappellet.com.) If you'd like to educate yourself a bit more regarding the wines of Vouvray, check out http://www.loirevalleywine.com/home/?q=loirewines/wines/appellation/vouvray.
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