Many wine lovers are familiar with Rhone Valley red and Rosé wines, but not always the whites. We’d like to change that here. We don’t cover spirits as much as wine, but an article on Bloody Mary garnishes got my attention and you will not believe the garnishes. Finally, we cover which thriller movies really are. All this on Salon Saturday.
Rhone Valley White Wines
As with the red grapes of the Rhone Valley, the white grapes, with one exception, are created in blends. The one exception is Viognier, which in the northern Rhone produces wines of exquisite taste and personality in Château Grillet and Condrieu. The red blends often come under the acronym GSM, which stands for Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, the most common red grapes in these blends. I might be the first to suggest MRV, pronounced Merv, for Marsanne, Roussanne, and Viognier.
Rhone White Grapes
The four principal white grapes of the Rhone Valley are Marsanne, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc and Viognier. While there might be some blends in the north, Viognier is usually made alone. However there are many other highly-regarded white grapes that grow well on the Rhone Valley.
Grenache Blanc:
Grenache Blanc is the fourth most widely planted white grape in France, and the most widely planted white in both the Côtes du Rhône and Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellations. It’s drought-resistant, vigorous, easy to graft and ripens early. Like its Grenache Noir counterpoint it originated in Spain and is an important Rioja grape. In blends Grenache Blanc contributes rich mouthfeel, crisp acidity and a long finish.
Marsanne:
This is the white workhorse grape of the Southern Rhône and much of Southern France. Marsanne is a sturdy, hardy grape that produces a full-bodied wine – with the heft of a good Chardonnay, but a less complex palate. It provides the base of many white blends as a result that build on its base structure.
Roussanne:
Roussanne is named for its russet-colored skin. The grapes are somewhat prone to rot, but high in acidity and aromatic qualities. It’s a racy, lively wine that has the potential to age – setting it apart from the other Rhone whites. In the Southern Rhone, Roussanne is often the premium component of white blends.
Viognier:
Viognier is noted for its rich and exotically perfumed wines in northern Rhône. Best guess, it was transported there from Dalmatia by Emperor Probus in 281 AD. Not personally, of course.
Viognier requires a vintner’s skills to bring it to its fullest expression. It produces extremely low yields and needs time to reach maturity and reveal its extraordinary aroma and flavor. Viognier can be full-bodied and lush with aromas of peaches, apricots, orange blossoms and honeysuckle.
Clairette
Clairette has been around since the 1500s. It is used in the production of white and Rose blends. Clairette delivers low alcohol and high acidity which it contributes to a blend. Flavors include green apple, lime, peach, licorice, white peach and floral characteristics. It is also used in the production of Vermouth.
Bourboulenc:
Bourboulenc is largely confined to the southern parts of France, where it is permitted in the white wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Bandol, Corbières, La Clape and Minervois. Its most common blending partners are Grenache Blanc and Clairette.
Bourboulenc offers good yields and resistance to botrytis bunch rot. It is a late ripening variety, but retains its acidity in the warm, dry Mediterranean climate.
Since the southern Rhone has so many combinations of grapes one might also encounter Ugni Blanc and Picpoul. In the past decade Vermentino (known locally as Rolle) is appearing in an increasing number of blended wines from the southern Rhone. (see wine-searcher.com for more details)
For your consideration: 2021 Belleruche Blanc Côtes-du-Rhône, 14.0% ABV
Winemaker Notes: Belleruche translates to ‘beautiful beehive’ in French, a name which takes inspiration from the bees and hives that thrive in the sustainable vineyards of M. Chapoutier. An expressive wine with aromas of apricot, fennel and floral scents. The wines roundness is a perfect match for its freshness, with a finish that reveals subtle notes of aniseed.
The grapes in this blend are Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Viognier, Clairette, and Bourboulenc. My wine group was very impressed with the wine as well they might. From the glorious golden color to the rich tangy finish this is a wine that compels you to sit up and take notice. It took mere seconds for the group to exclaim how much they liked this wine. It nearly overshadowed the following wine, described later.
History:
Chapoutier began way back in 1808. The name Chapoutier was associated with the company in 1897 when Marius Chapoutier joined forces with Rodolphe Delépine, exporting wines to Holland, Switzerland and Germany. Marius took over the reins in 1922, changing the name to his. In 1928, Marius bought La Ciboise and later created the new winery at the foot of Hermitage hill.
- Marc Chapoutier succeeded Marius on his death in 1937.
- The name became M. Chapoutier in 1955.
- In 1990, Michel Chapoutier became head of the company and began to apply his belief in biodynamic cultivation.
From then onward Michel acquired properties in Australia, Roussillon, Portugal in 2007, Alsace in 2009. In 2015 came installations in Beaujolais and Provence. Acquisition of Maison Trenel, an estate in the Gard département and a hotel complex in Tain. Finally, or perhaps so far, the acquisition of an estate in the Gard département of Montfrin and an estate within the Crozes-Hermitage AOC area.
So if you were wondering where you’d seen that name before, now you know. Michel has said “if I were to be still I’d fall” and with his boundless energy he is far from falling.
Rhône Valley quality levels
Quality designations in the Rhône Valley are similar to other French wine regions such as Bordeaux and Burgundy. The basis is the Appellation or AOC system. In the Rhône there are four quality levels defined.
Cotes du Rhône AOC:
Accounting for 50% of the valley’s production, this is the ‘entry level’ classification. Most are red blends or GSMs, based on Grenache or Syrah with vineyards planted on a variety of soils. Production rules are not as strict as other levels but wines must have a minimum of 11% alc. and be made from the 21 sanctioned grape varieties. A Cote du Rhône blend can be red, Rosé or white.
Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC
Village wines are more complex with lower yields and slightly higher alcohol. These wines have great aging potential and are priced higher. Rosé wines are permitted to contain 20% white grapes.
Côtes du Rhône (named) Villages AOC
A named village wine sources its grapes from that named village, rather than a mix of several villages’ grapes. The label will include one of the 21 villages that are allowed to declare their names.
Top level: the Crus
These 17 distinctive AOP or Crus of the Rhône Valley – 8 in the north and 9 in the south – truly express their individual “terroir” and are responsible for about 20% of the Rhône wine production.
For your consideration: Maison Sinnae 2022 Luna Côtes du Rhône Villages Laudun Blanc Eléments
From website: Situated on the right bank of the Rhône, Maison Sinnae is on a plateau dominating the villages of Laudun and Chusclan. It was there that the Romans began to spread the culture of vines and wine over two thousand years ago: at Caesar’s Camp. Like an echo of the passionate love that the Emperor felt for his very first wife Cornelia Sinnae, our Maison of producers continues, generation after generation, to write history with passion and humility. The Maison has 200 associated winegrowers providing the grapes for their blends.
From website: With respect for nature and in harmony with the elements, we cultivate and interpret here, year after year, the diversity of terroir situated on the right bank of the Rhône Valley. This blend produces subtle and daring wines, each revealing the soul of our terroir.
Luna is a reference to the cool nights of summer and the elegance of the moon. This cuvée, made mostly with Grenache Blanc, Clairette Blanche, Viognier and Roussanne, expresses itself in a lively and perfectly harmonious attack with superb aromatic depth.
Elements is one of nine series of wines they offer that include Enfant Terrible that celebrate the rebel spirit of some of their winegrowers. When we tasted this wine after the very brash Chapoutier, it took my palate time to adjust to this at times subtle, but deeply complex wine. In retrospect I’d have served this wine first, but of course I was also tasting it for the first time. Highly recommended.
Spirits: How the Bloody Mary Garnish Lost Its Mind (VinePair Weekly Drop)
How do you like your Bloody Mary served? I’m fine with just a good mix, sans onion and decent vodka. I immediately take out the celery stalk if one was provided. It’s sucking up all my drink, what is wrong with people? Serve it on the side if you must, but keep it out of my cocktail! Sorry, I get very emotional about this. Knowing that, you perhaps can understand my alarm after reading this article from VinePair.
It covers the Milwaukee competition for the most elaborate and heavily garnished Bloody Mary cocktails on the planet. The city is noted as a hard-drinking town and now I know why if they can get any of these drinks down and ask for seconds, burp!
Apparently, the place to go is Sobelman’s Pub & Grille and order a Bloody Beast. At $60 this Bloody Mary is garnished with a whole fried chicken and I know you think I’m making this up. This trend all began in 2014 as a joke, like almost all of the Milwaukee pub’s over-the-top Bloodies.
A server brought in an 80-ounce Mason jar she’d found at Bed, Bath & Beyond, and effectively challenged bar owner and founder Dave Sobelman to build a Bloody befitting its gargantuan size. Dave knew this concoction needed more than the typical skewers of bacon-wrapped jalapeno cheese balls, pickled vegetables and sausages, poached shrimp, grape tomatoes, celery stalks, and scallions. This spicy Bloody called for something wackier:
How about a three-and-a-half-pound chicken battered in Wisconsin beer and flour, deep fried, and run through with a fryer hook? Would you believe this bar sells 20 to 30 Bloody Beasts each weekend, and that up to a third of its business comes from their Bloody Marys? Sobelman can’t believe this is all real, but he keeps making them.
“Every time that thing leaves the bar, I still shake my head like, ‘This is crazy,’” he says. “But when a waitress takes one to a table, conversations stop. People jump up to take a picture, they’re all talking about it. It just goes to show you can’t go too far when it comes to Bloody Mary garnishes.”
Then again, this comes from the unhinged mind that claims to have ushered in the era of outrageous Bloody garnishes in 2012, when he stuck a cheeseburger slider in a Bloody Mary and posted it on Facebook with the caption, “Am I going too far?” Sobelman’s viral stunt set off an unspoken Bloody garnish war across Brew City.
This war has spread out to many other places; to wit:
The Zeus Bloody Mary at the Blind Pelican Seafood House in Holly Springs, N.C., arrives adorned with skewers of lobster, crab legs, grilled cheese, bacon, and a 6-ounce filet mignon — oh, and a side of raw oysters. I do not want to meet the person who orders this.
At CC’s Kitchen in Louisville, the Beast sports a garnish of whole smoked and fried chicken, two corn dogs, a foot-long sausage, and an ice cream cone full of house-made cotton candy, “which you might want for dessert,” entertainment director Corey Milliman says. For dessert, who gets that far?
“Any place that opens up, it’s just the expectation,” Sobelman says. “If you’re not going to make your Bloody Mary a little over the top, you’re going to be laughed out of Milwaukee.”
All I’m saying is, if you’re like me and only crave a basic Bloody Mary stay the hell out of Milwaukee.
Which Thrillers Really Thrill
Just identifying a film as a thriller doesn’t mean it will thrill you. Some are so dense or convoluted that the main actions are dampened. A thinking man’s thriller doesn’t get the same response as a wacked out action film. Some also fail because of a sagging middle. That’s not middle age spread by the way, but a screenwriter term for part two of the classic three-act film. This is where most of the development occurs after, we hope, an exciting act one.
A film that keeps the action and momentum going from page one of the script deserves to be called a thriller. The selections from this list come from IMDB, where I spend a lot of time anyway. I list the films chronologically since everyone will disagree about the order, but not the dates.
Rear Window (1954): Dir Alfred Hitchcock, with James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey
A classic Hitchcock trope of entrapping us as viewers into watching the action just as Stewart does. The mystery thriller depicts the narrative of who the chair-bound photographer observes through his window as he recuperates, which includes a skilled pianist, a dancer in leotards and a mysterious man who Stewart suspects might have killed his wife. Adding his girl friend (Kelly) in the investigation and into jeopardy adds much to the suspense, in which Stewart and we viewers watch helplessly.
Witness For the Prosecution (1957): Dir Billy Wilder, with Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich, Charles Laughton
Based on the 1953 Agatha Christie play, Witness for the Prosecution is a classic legal mystery thriller that depicts a twisty trial centered on Leonard Vole (Power). Set in the Old Bailey in London, the film follows his case after he’s accused of murder, with the talented lawyer Sir Wilfrid Robarts (Charles Laughton) choosing to defend him. The byplay by Laughton and Elsa Lancaster, as his always insistent nurse, are an added delight. The fact they are married in real life adds to the enjoyment. I watched a re-release of this film at a mystery writing convention; made more special because Martin Cruz Smith was sitting next to me with his daughter.
Psycho (1960): Dir Alfred Hitchcock, with Janet Leigh, Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles
Arguably Hitchcock’s most iconic movie, Psycho, revolves around an unfortunate encounter between a runaway embezzler, Marion Crane (Leigh), and a strange motel proprietor, Norman Bates (Perkins). Filming in B&W with his TV crew only added to the impact and claustrophobic feel of the movie. Add to that, Bernard Hermann’s shrieking violins; Psycho put everyone right on the very edge of their seats.
Hitchcock’s decision to ensure viewers only saw this from the beginning added to the impact when his star died in the infamous shower scene. Even today if you mention shower scene, most will know which one you mean.
Aliens (1986): Dir James Cameron, with Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Carrie Henn
In this sequel to Alien, Sigourney Weaver reprises her role as Ellen Ripley, who is ultimately rescued after spending decades floating around in space in cryogenic sleep. She quickly becomes a member of a team that is sent to a colony of colonists on a planet that may be inhabited by more of the same nasty beast that killed her crew. The company’s macho marines, including a ramped up female (Goldstein) have no idea what they’re in for, but we do because we were creeped out by Alien (1979).
The Silence of the Lambs (1991): Dir Jonathan Demme, with Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn
The Silence of the Lambs is a genre-defining film that gave us Hannibal the Cannibal. The psychological horror film follows the young FBI trainee, Clarice Starling (Foster), who consults an imprisoned Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Hopkins), who she believes can provide insight into catching the serial killer Buffalo Bill (Levine). The first time you hear that eerie voice and see those piercing eyes fixed on Clarice, you realize this guy is even scary locked in jail. Hopkins and Foster were absolutely amazing is film. Who would have thought dialogue alone could send shivers up your backbone.
Reservoir Dogs (1992): Dir Quentin Tarantino, with Harvey Kietel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen
Before becoming famous for directing 1994’s Pulp Fiction, Tarantino gave audiences one of the best crime thriller movies that has a cult following today, Reservoir Dogs. A heist movie at its core, the film follows six criminals that are given fake names, Mr. White, Mr. Yellow by the mastermind. as they are hired to commit a robbery. Things get messier when they realize there’s a traitor among them. Michael Madsen came into his own in this movie with a fearsome portrayal.
Leon: The Professional (1994): Dir Luc Besson, with Jean Reno, Natalie Portman, Gary Oldman
Besson’s movie is centered on the unique relationship that develops between twelve-year-old Mathilda Lando (Portman), who loses her parents in a questionable DEA raid (is there any other kind?) and Leon (Reno), who takes her under his wing. Léon teaches Mathilda how to use weapons, and she knows just how to use them. This was Portman’s first role and she made the most of it. Reno is a Besson regular and always a joy to watch.
Se7en (1995): Dir David Fincher, with Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey
Fincher’s Se7en is a dark mystery thriller centered on a case assigned to Detective William Somerset (Freeman) and inexperienced Detective David Mills (Pitt). The new partners are tasked with hunting down a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins to dictate and inspire his brutal killings. When Mills wife, Tracy (Paltrow) is taken the suspense really ratchets up. Freeman’s deeply resonate voice always gets your attention as if he has sculpted every word.
The Usual Suspects (1995): Dir Bryan Singer, with Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Chazz Palminteri
This is a great cult film using the unreliable narrator theme. The authorities struggle to determine the truth about the mysterious Keyser Soze, who has been linked to a recent explosion in San Pedro harbor. According to Verbal Kint (Spacey), Keyser is behind the ambitious heist and roped him and four others into the disastrous crime. One of Spacey’s best roles as a chameleon-like innocent. Slowly the flashbacks begin to reveal the real villain.
The Departed (2006): Dir Martin Scorsese, with Leonard DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson
A daring infiltration of South Boston’s Irish Mafia by sending an undercover officer is at the center of director Scorsese’s The Departed. Unfortunately, the criminals have the same idea and send an undercover agent of their own. When both sides realize what’s happening, a race to uncover the representatives’ identities begins. DiCaprio and Damon are top notch here under Scorsese’s expert direction.
The Prestige (2006): Dir Christopher Nolan, with Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale
Based on the 1995 novel by Christopher Priest, The Prestige follows the rivalry between two stage magicians, Robert Angier (Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Bale). The movie is set at the end of the 19th century, when the two protagonists find themselves competing in increasingly risky ways. Shades of Houdini, magic can be too risky when it escalates like this. The staging in this movie is top-notched and lends credibility to the story.
The Dark Knight (2008): Dir Christopher Nolan, with Christian Bale, Aaron Eckhart, Heath Ledger
Considered the best film of Nolan’s Batman trilogy and currently IMDb’s best thriller movie, The Dark Knight gave fans the gritty superhero movie they’ve been wanting. Batman (Bale) works with Lt. Jim Gordon (Oldman) and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Eckhart) to fight his war on crime in Gotham City, but their efforts are soon undermined by an enigmatic criminal known as the Joker (Ledger). A brilliant performance from Ledger, who died of an overdose before the film came out.
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