Sublime

In addition to being barrel fermented, full-bodied white wines, such as chardonnay, may also be left sur lie, a French term meaning “on the lees,” or “on the spent yeast cells.” (As a result of the hard work of fermentation, yeasts partially disintegrate and become what is known in English as lees.) During this process, the wine rests in contact

Stylistically, chardonnay is often said to be a “winemaker’s wine”—meaning that wine-makers like it for its capacity to be transformed by lots of winemaking techniques.

Each variety of grape presents itself in an individual way (see Getting to Know the Grapes, page 53). Wines that fully and precisely express those individual grapes are said to have “varietal character.”

Passum: Used in many Ancient Roman recipes, passum was a wine made from semi-dried grapes; a raisin wine. It is very sweet and can be replaced by sweet wines such as Vin Santo or ice wine. For a less expensive alternative, a sweet Riesling or Moscato will do the trick.

salty cheese with sweet fruit

Lynch-Bages, Lafite Rothschild, Phelan Segur, Latour, Pontet-Canet, Beychevelle, Cos d’Estournel—if there were to be a wine list in heaven, selected by the Great Sommelier in the sky, these names would belong in it.

SYRAH

Traditionally styled Rioja can resemble red Burgundy (pinot noir) in its refinement, earthiness, and complexity.