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Writer's pictureThe San Juan Daily Star

10 French wines to drink while watching the olympics


A variety of French wines in New York, July 13, 2024. These easygoing bottles — red, white, rosé and sparkling — are perfect for relaxing and just right for watching the Paris Olympics from afar. (Tony Cenicola/The New York Times)


By ERIC ASIMOV


The Summer Olympics begins in late July, and I have to say, I’m with all the Parisians renting out their apartments and fleeing their city. If the Games were in New York, I might do the same.


Who needs bigger crowds, hyperinflated prices and myriad detours and inconveniences? The best view is from afar, in a comfortable spot in front of a screen, with snacks, a meal if the timing is right and a good, easygoing, thirst-quenching bottle of wine.


These sorts of bright, vibrant wines are made all over the world. But since the Olympics are in France this year, even if we are not, why not embrace a French theme for the wines?


I’ve spent the last few weeks exploring thirst-quenching French wines — vins de soif or glou glou, as the French say — and picked 10 of them that are great for drinking right now, especially while watching the Olympics.


What makes a vin de soif? All good wines ought to quench thirsts, but that is this category’s primary attribute. What’s more, vins de soif satisfy the thirst joyously. These wines make you feel good.


Vins de soif are also defined by what they are not. They aren’t oaky or tannic, which would impede the smooth gulpability of the wine. They’re not complex, which would require thought and concentration, and they won’t distract from the focus of the moment, whether it’s on the hammer throw, a sprint or how Simone Biles will top herself this year.


These are not often age-worthy wines; drink them young. They won’t be particularly high in alcohol, which would discourage enthusiastic drinking. Most will be bone-dry, though a lightly sweet wine, balanced by lively acidity, might fit the bill well. Consider colas, which are both far sweeter and far more acidic than a modestly sweet wine.


Acidity is a crucial element of all these wines. It provides the zip and vivacity, the skeletal structure in wines lacking a framework of tannins. They need to taste good, too, of course.


If you don’t find these particular bottles, plenty of others will do. Good wine shops will have other options with these characteristics.


Here are the wines, in order of price.


Combel-la-Serre Cahors Le Pur Fruit du Causse 2021, 12.5%, $19


Julien and Sophie Ilbert of Château Combel-la-Serre are among the younger producers trying to revitalize Cahors in southwest France. Le Pur Fruit du Causse is their entry-level wine, full of dark fruit and lively acidity, an easy-to-drink malbec, made of organically farmed grapes, that is joyously delicious. (Louis/Dressner Selections, New York)


Fabien Jouves Vin de France À Table!!! 2022, 12.5%, $19


Fabien Jouves is one of the best producers in Cahors and, like the Ilberts, is part of the new wave of the region worth seeking out. He releases what he calls wines of terroir under the label Mas del Périé, his family estate, and, under his own name, thirst-quenchers like this bottle, a dark rosé made from biodynamically farmed malbec and tannat. It’s bone-dry with a winsome, lightly bitter fruit flavor that makes you want to pour another glass. (Zev Rovine Selections, Brooklyn, New York)


Domaine des 13 Lunes Vin de Savoie Apremont 2022, 11%, $22


Often the wines of Apremont in the Alpine foothills of Savoie, in the far eastern corner of France, are light, straightforward and refreshing. The 13 Lunes version, made entirely of the jacquère grape, is all of that and more. It’s energetic and vivacious, with fresh floral, herbal and citrus flavors. Perhaps that comes from biodynamic farming, or maybe from the freshness of the mountain air in the region. But for whatever reason, it’s delightful. (Wine Traditions, Falls Church, Virginia)


Pierre-Olivier Bonhomme Vin de France Le Telquel 2022, 13%, $22


Le Telquel is an archetypal vin de soif, fresh, tart, juicy and gulpable. It’s a red blend, always with a base of organically farmed gamay from the Loire and some combination of côt, as malbec is known in the region, pineau d’Aunis and grolleau. Pierre-Olivier Bonhomme was something of a protege of Thierry Puzelat of Clos de Tue-Bouef, a godfather of natural wine, until he went out on his own in 2013. (Louis/Dressner Selections)


Domaine des Marrans Beaujolais-Villages 2023, 12.5%, $22


Domaine des Marrans makes serious cru Beaujolais from Fleurie and Morgon. But this Beaujolais-Villages is a throwback to the easy-drinking, convivial Beaujolais of memory, the sort of wine that puts a smile on your face. It’s juicy and earthy but with the sort of keen acidity that keeps it lively and gets you ready for the next sip. It’s made from organically farmed gamay. (Skurnik Wines, New York)


Laurent Saillard Vin de France La Pause 2023, 13%, $25


New Yorkers of a certain age might remember Laurent Saillard as one of the early New York stalwarts of natural wine in the 2000s at his restaurant Ici, in Brooklyn. For more than a decade, though, he’s been making natural wines in the Loire Valley, like La Pause, a bright, luscious gamay that is vividly fruity yet bone-dry and delicious. (Fruit of the Vines, Long Island City, New York)


Maison Clusel-Roch Coteaux du Lyonnais Les Traboules 2021, 12.5%, $25


Clusel-Roch is best known for its excellent Côte-Rôties. But Guillaume Clusel, who now runs the family estate, also makes a series of terrific, less-exalted wines from purchased grapes like Les Traboules, grown in the Coteaux du Lyonnais to the north. Les Traboules is made entirely of organically grown gamay. It’s wonderfully juicy and fresh, even at three years of age, with fine, silky tannins that provide an airy structure. (Grand Cru Selections, New York)


Arnaud Lambert Crémant de Loire NV, 12.5%, $26


Arnaud Lambert is an excellent producer in the Saumur region of the Loire Valley. He farms biodynamically and makes the wines with scrupulous care. This sparkling wine is made of 75% chenin blanc and 25% chardonnay, and vinified using the same method as Champagne. The result is a smooth, elegant, energetic sparkling wine, delicious for celebrating the Olympic athletes — not necessarily for winning but for simply having made it to the Games. (Grand Cru Selections)


La Famille Mosse Vin de France Moussamoussettes 2022, 12.5%, $29


Here’s another sparkler, a rosé pétillant naturel from La Famille Mosse. Agnès and René Mosse are longtime vignerons in the Anjou region of the Loire Valley and have largely and seamlessly passed on the winemaking to the next generation. This gently carbonated wine, made from organically and biodynamically farmed pineau d’Aunis and grolleau, is dry, spicy and easy to drink. There is no added sulfur dioxide, an almost universally used antioxidant in winemaking, so keep it cool until you’re ready to uncork it. (Louis/Dressner Selections)


Du Grappin Bourgogne-Aligoté 2022, 12%, $32


Andrew and Emma Neilsen are an unlikely couple to find in Burgundy. He’s Australian and she’s British, but their wines are superb. They use the Le Grappin label for the more serious bottles from the Côte d’Or, while Du Grappin is reserved for the vins de soif from the more southern areas. This aligoté demonstrates how pleasing and refreshing the grape can be. You could drink it while eating a bowl of chips, but it would also go beautifully with shellfish or cheeses. (Terrestrial Wine Co., Manhasset, New York)

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