1 post tagged “french”
Since I mentioned it in an earlier post, I thought I'd expand a little more on Banyuls.
Banyuls is a French wine made in a similar method to Porto, passing some of its time in barrels left outdoors, to submit to whatever conditions nature happens to throw at it. The result is a warm, smooth, sweet wine that clocks in at about 17% alcohol and works great both as an apéritif and as a dessert wine. The traditional grape of Banyuls is grenache, although a number of blends are acceptable to the standard Banyuls appellation. Banyuls Grand Cru however requires at least 75% grenache.
It is produced in a small area right at the border of France and Spain, along the Mediterranean coast. When we're in France, we love to spend time there. Two nearby small towns along the coast are absolutely charming: Port Vendres with its picturesque bay waterfront (photo below), and our favorite, Collioures, with its narrow cobblestone streets lined with colorful stucco houses. A fortress dominates the small protected harbor. Art galleries and artists studios abound, along with many pleasant little restaurants serving Catalan seafood fare that is positively explosive with flavor.
The vineyards of Banyuls line arid, stony hills occasionally topped by
the ruins of ancient forts. Below, the Mediterranean is warm and
inviting. If you are anywhere near the south of France, this area most
definitely warrants a visit.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, the oldest wine I ever tasted was a 1961 Banyuls Grand Cru - and I've actually had the pleasure of sampling three bottles of 1961 Banyuls over the years. Many many years, ago my father-in-law and mother-in-law purchased these bottles on a summer trip to the area. As they had three daughters, they decided to save the wines and open one when each girl was married.
So my first taste was nearly 11 years ago when I married one of
those daughters. Daughter #2 was married a year later, and I got to
sample the next bottle. Finally in 2004 the youngest was married and we
enjoyed that last bottle, 43 years old at that point, and still an
absolute pleasure.
As it turns out, the oldest wine in my little "cellar" is also a Banyuls Grand Cru, although a considerably younger vintage, 1991. It was already 10 years old when we bought it in 2001, while spending a few days in Collioures.
I don't know if we'll wait until our daughter gets married to open it...maybe...
