I don't know about you, but French wines used to intimidate the hell out of me. That's why I started out concentrating on learning California and Oregon wines early in my wino career. Sure, I might still occasionally confuse "Duckhorn" with "Duck Pond," but at least I know I'm probably pronouncing the names correctly.
The complicated appellation system in France left me totally without confidence. Was I ordering an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC), an Appellation d'Origine Vin De Qualité Supérieure (AOVDQS), a Vin de Paysor or a Vin de Table? Would I be able to tell the difference except when I referred to my credit card statement later? It's hard enough to remember the name of the grapes sometimes, much less the name of the village that it was grown in.
So I was very pleased, and a hair intimidated, to be invited to a tasting of Louis Latour Wines recently at Morton's Steakhouse. The Latour family have been viticulteurs since the 17th century and offer almost 175 different wines under their name. The prospect of learning about this famous wine house seemed daunting, and I incorrectly assumed the price points were well beyond the range of my usual purchases and those of most Bites readers.
But did I mention the tasting was at Morton's? In the name of journalistic curiosity and my overwhelming carnivorism, I screwed up my courage and headed downtown. The event was organized by Morton's GM Cory Mason as a benefit for l'Eté du Vin and local cancer charities. The tasting room was filled primarily with some of the steakhouse's most loyal patrons, but Mason and his Sales and Marketing Manager Lee Blankenship welcomed everyone as if they were an old friend. My French wine anxiety began to melt away like a sorbet on asphalt.
