If I had a dollar for each time I was asked what my favorite wine is, I’d be drinking much more expensive wine. My answer satisfies the question to so many other quandaries in the wine world: “It depends.”
There are so many factors that inform this decision. What kind of day did I have? Do I need something light and uncomplicated or something with a little more heft (aka alcohol). What am I planning to eat? How much do I want to spend? Where am I drinking? Is this in an air-conditioned space with proper glassware or outside with reusable insulated mugs? Most importantly, who am I drinking with?
As stressful as it may sound, it’s quite the opposite. The proposition of which cork to pop on a particular night is a ceremony that still excites me. Each of these circumstances (and more) are scrutinized beforehand, so when I finally have that glorious moment when the first sip of the day touches my tongue, I don’t need to think anymore. It’s also a lesson in gratitude. It is a reminder of how blessed I am to have the bandwidth and means to fixate on something so unimport ant in the grand scheme of things.
With all of that said, there are certainly wines I drink more frequently than others. I can’t give you my all-time favorite producer or offer an oversimplification of which vintage or grape is offering the best value at the given moment — as I’ve said previously, “it depends” — but I can share a place and grape that is constantly in my rotation, even if that means there is less of it for me.
The northern Rhone valley in France is synonymous for Syrah. It is hailed by wine professionals as the truest expression of the grape and features the most expensive and sought-after bottles in the world. Here are two textbook examples, at entry level prices that offer a glimpse of what of northern Rhone Syrah can be.
Domaine Clape, “Le Vin Des Amis” Syrah
In its third generation, Domaine Clape is credited as a trailblazer in the region, building the terraces necessary to farm grapes in the region by hand, and choosing to estate bottle their own wine rather than sell off in bulk.
Their aptly named “Wine of Friends” begs to be shared. It’s as classic as northern Rhone Syrah gets, bursting with heady lavender and potpourri perfume balanced by wild rosemary and black pepper spice.
It’s best with grilled lamb/game and shines with olive oil as a cooking agent as the tapenade flavors of the wine suggest.
With less than 2,500 cases produced in total at the winery, it is well worth the price.
Cost: Around $38/bottle.
Lionel Faury, Collines Rhodaniennes Syrah
Lionel Faury, who joined his father’s winery in 2006, combines historical practices with modern know-how seamlessly. As uncomplicated as it is delicious, it packs the same silky texture and mirrors many of the same aromatics as Clape. He, like Clape, makes a minuscule amount, which is surprising given the presence it has at great wine lists around the world.
I had the pleasure of drinking it at a pairing menu at the multiple James Beard awarded Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder, and recently at Milady’s New York, which recently earned a spot on North America’s 50 Best Bars list with local, turned worldwide, bar superstar Julie Reiner and her partner Susan Fedroff as new owners.
Cost: $23/bottle.
Chris Ramelb is an award-winning master sommelier, and director of education and restaurant sales manager of Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits of Hawaii. Watch him on the “Wine & …” podcast, and follow him on Instagram (@masterisksomm).
