The plague

[Sharon Bowman]

I've been thinking about Camus's novel The Plague recently. Story of a besieged burgh in North Africa hit by the bubonic of same name; panic and fraught stories of comings and goings and non-crossings.

The cloud of volcanic ash that trapped some in Europe and others Stateside led to ruminations on the ins and outs of quarantining and how people are separated and stranded from each other and their lives.

In so doing, I obviously went immediately in mind to the intractable phenomenon of not importing other countries' wines into France. The quarantine. The cordoning off.

Yesterday, I had a hankering for good, old-style Rioja.

Given that online resources are few in the Hexagon*, I looked first at my Aug catalog. They stock one, and according to searches I found online, it is of a "modern" style, resembling a New World wine. So I went to Lavinia.fr and found a similar clutch of brazen non-traditional Riojas, redolent of American oak and Supra Violet or whatever you call it.

I know we are spoilt in Paris.** We can get Foillard 3.14 with a snap of the fingers (or the bat of an eyelash and a bit of wheedling to a Gallic caviste); we well-nigh bathe ourselves in vin jaune.

But I have this untoward taste developed in your pestilential climes! for oddballs from outside France. Alas, I may never taste them again.

*Slang for France; see from sky.

**Doesn't the "t" in "spoilt" give a good pothole to a sentence? Thunk you go, and back up again.

 

[VLM]

The French are the most parochial wine drinkers I know.

This works out fine for them, for the most part.

One of the many things that I like about Eric Texier is that he is the antithesis of this.

Spoilt sounds Southern and hence, awesome.

 

[scottreiner]

its crazy that outside of his brezeme, texier is not worshiped in france!

 

[VLM]

originally posted by scottreiner:
its crazy that outside of his brezeme, texier is not worshiped in france!

Well, I don't think anyone should be worshiped but I don't think Eric's personal and wine style are the type that do.

 

[SFJoe]

originally posted by VLM:

originally posted by scottreiner:
its crazy that outside of his brezeme, texier is not worshiped in france!

Well, I don't think anyone should be worshiped but I don't think Eric's personal and wine style are the type that do.

Oh, I dunno. I have a little Texier shrine in my house.

 

[Sharon Bowman]

originally posted by scottreiner:
its crazy that outside of his brezeme, texier is not worshiped in france!

No, it's more than that; he's invisible everywhere.

There are wines/winemakers like that, ones you find in the US and not in France, though they're French. Fourier and Chevillon are completely unheard-of in Paris, for instance.

 

[Rahsaan]

Fourier and Chevillon are completely unheard-of in Paris, for instance.

Don't worry. Fourier is also unheard-of in the US.

(Sorry, it was too easy)

 

[MLipton]

The Plague is, on balance, my preferred Camus novel: his penchant for didactic prose is kept to a minimum there, IMO. Even there, though, the allegory is rather heavy-handed, though that problem may lie more with the translator (they're a shifty lot, I hear). I would feel greater sympathy re your vinous isolation were it not for my existence here in vinous No Man's Land (though I did just spot bottles of the '06 Drouhin Chorey, a wine that impressed us greatly over Xmas, for sale at a local retailer's).

Best of luck on your quest,
Mark Lipton

 

[MLipton]

originally posted by Rahsaan:

Fourier and Chevillon are completely unheard-of in Paris, for instance.

Don't worry. Fourier is also unheard-of in the US.

Do try to be series for once, Rahsaan.

Mark Lipton

 

[VLM]

originally posted by SFJoe:

originally posted by VLM:

originally posted by scottreiner:
its crazy that outside of his brezeme, texier is not worshiped in france!

Well, I don't think anyone should be worshiped but I don't think Eric's personal and wine style are the type that do.

Oh, I dunno. I have a little Texier shrine in my house.

Eric's dirty cloths in your guest room?

 

[VLM]

originally posted by Sharon Bowman:

originally posted by scottreiner:
its crazy that outside of his brezeme, texier is not worshiped in france!

No, it's more than that; he's invisible everywhere.

There are wines/winemakers like that, ones you find in the US and not in France, though they're French. Fourier and Chevillon are completely unheard-of in Paris, for instance.

Barthod too.

I'm surprised about Fourrier, some folks I know, know the wines.

 

[Claude Kolm]

originally posted by VLM:

originally posted by Sharon Bowman:

originally posted by scottreiner:
its crazy that outside of his brezeme, texier is not worshiped in france!

No, it's more than that; he's invisible everywhere.

There are wines/winemakers like that, ones you find in the US and not in France, though they're French. Fourier and Chevillon are completely unheard-of in Paris, for instance.

Barthod too.

I'm surprised about Fourrier, some folks I know, know the wines.

Nah, Barthod's all over Paris -- Lavinia, Repaire de Cartouche, etc.

 

[VLM]

originally posted by Claude Kolm:

originally posted by VLM:

originally posted by Sharon Bowman:

originally posted by scottreiner:
its crazy that outside of his brezeme, texier is not worshiped in france!

No, it's more than that; he's invisible everywhere.

There are wines/winemakers like that, ones you find in the US and not in France, though they're French. Fourier and Chevillon are completely unheard-of in Paris, for instance.

Barthod too.

I'm surprised about Fourrier, some folks I know, know the wines.

Nah, Barthod's all over Paris -- Lavinia, Repaire de Cartouche, etc.

Could be true. If so, it's new.

 

[Claude Kolm]

originally posted by VLM:

originally posted by Claude Kolm:

originally posted by VLM:

originally posted by Sharon Bowman:

originally posted by scottreiner:
its crazy that outside of his brezeme, texier is not worshiped in france!

No, it's more than that; he's invisible everywhere.

There are wines/winemakers like that, ones you find in the US and not in France, though they're French. Fourier and Chevillon are completely unheard-of in Paris, for instance.

Barthod too.

I'm surprised about Fourrier, some folks I know, know the wines.

Nah, Barthod's all over Paris -- Lavinia, Repaire de Cartouche, etc.

Could be true. If so, it's new.

Not that new. I saw the wines at lavinia 4-6 yrs ago.

 

[VLM]

originally posted by Claude Kolm:

originally posted by VLM:

originally posted by Claude Kolm:

originally posted by VLM:

originally posted by Sharon Bowman:

originally posted by scottreiner:
its crazy that outside of his brezeme, texier is not worshiped in france!

No, it's more than that; he's invisible everywhere.

There are wines/winemakers like that, ones you find in the US and not in France, though they're French. Fourier and Chevillon are completely unheard-of in Paris, for instance.

Barthod too.

I'm surprised about Fourrier, some folks I know, know the wines.

Nah, Barthod's all over Paris -- Lavinia, Repaire de Cartouche, etc.

Could be true. If so, it's new.

Not that new. I saw the wines at lavinia 4-6 yrs ago.

Sorry, that's what I meant by new. Should have said recent.

 

[Jonathan Loesberg]

originally posted by MLipton:
The Plague is, on balance, my preferred Camus novel: his penchant for didactic prose is kept to a minimum there, IMO. Even there, though, the allegory is rather heavy-handed, though that problem may lie more with the translator (they're a shifty lot, I hear). I would feel greater sympathy re your vinous isolation were it not for my existence here in vinous No Man's Land (though I did just spot bottles of the '06 Drouhin Chorey, a wine that impressed us greatly over Xmas, for sale at a local retailer's).

Best of luck on your quest,
Mark Lipton

As an attempt to increase thread drift: 1)the allegory isn't less in the French version; it is, after all, central to the novel, and 2)I prefer the Fall. I also like the Stranger (mistranslated as the title is), but that's not sufficiently etrange to be admissible on a hipster bored.

 

[Tom Glasgow]

originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:

originally posted by MLipton:
The Plague is, on balance, my preferred Camus novel: his penchant for didactic prose is kept to a minimum there, IMO. Even there, though, the allegory is rather heavy-handed, though that problem may lie more with the translator (they're a shifty lot, I hear). I would feel greater sympathy re your vinous isolation were it not for my existence here in vinous No Man's Land (though I did just spot bottles of the '06 Drouhin Chorey, a wine that impressed us greatly over Xmas, for sale at a local retailer's).

Best of luck on your quest,
Mark Lipton

As an attempt to increase thread drift: 1)the allegory isn't less in the French version; it is, after all, central to the novel, and 2)I prefer the Fall. I also like the Stranger (mistranslated as the title is), but that's not sufficiently etrange to be admissible on a hipster bored.

Any suggestions on recommended English translations would be appreciated.

 

[Christian Miller (CMM)]

But I have this untoward taste developed in your pestilential climes! for oddballs from outside France. Alas, I may never taste them again.

Take the train to Lyon. My wife was just there and enjoyed this place: http://www.georgesfive.com/. Edmunds Syrah and Brown Estate Zin in Lyon! Who knew?

 

[VS]

originally posted by Sharon Bowman:

Yesterday, I had a hankering for good, old-style Rioja.

Given that online resources are few in the Hexagon*, I looked first at my Aug catalog. They stock one, and according to searches I found online, it is of a "modern" style, resembling a New World wine. So I went to Lavinia.fr and found a similar clutch of brazen non-traditional Riojas, redolent of American oak and Supra Violet or whatever you call it.

I know we are spoilt in Paris.** We can get Foillard 3.14 with a snap of the fingers (or the bat of an eyelash and a bit of wheedling to a Gallic caviste); we well-nigh bathe ourselves in vin jaune.

But I have this untoward taste developed in your pestilential climes! for oddballs from outside France. Alas, I may never taste them again.

Don't despair so much, Sharon. Even Lavinia has some real Rioja, perhaps not under the names you are accustomed to. (BTW - American oak is THE oak of traditional Rioja - newer styles use French.)

Rioja names to look for at Lavinia Paris: Rayos Uva 2008, Olivier Rivire (no, not for 'traditional' reasons, but for 'real wine' reasons) and Roda I Reserva 1998 (magnum), Bodegas Roda.

Octavine (2 Impasse du Bureau, 75011 Paris) has some old (1970s) bottles of Via Tondonia.

Online merchant Wine-Source.com (9 Place aux Huiles, Marseille) has several traditional Riojas of note: Via Tondonia Reserva for just 22, Via Salceda Reserva for 12, which is a steal, and CVNE Via Real Crianza, Via Ardanza (the current vintage, 2001, is great - but these guys don't publish the vintages on their web site, which indeed is a bit fishy!), Valenciso (a recent winery, but extremely traditional), Riojanas' Via Albina, Roda (the second wine, with some grenache, is more markedly traditional than Roda I). If they deliver good vintages, which remains a question mark, the prices are highly competitive.

Finally, I see an enticing Marqus de Murrieta Reserva 1982 for a modest 39 at La Place des Vins in Paris.

 

[Brad Kane]

Now there's a relief. I saw the title and thought, Oh. I see Sharon wrote something about my trip to Paris.