This June I'll be taking a swing through Belgium for a couple of days. What kind of wine can I order that's the closest thing to the best French Bordeaux? Merci mille fois. Okay, so I'm a wine-O!
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
They'll probably have French Bordeaux on the menu. One of the little-known secrets of Belgium is that they actually drink a lot of wine (although they don't produce much). In fact, at many Michelin-type restaurants, beer is not even available, and the wine list may be as thick as a bible.
Posted by
Springfield, VA, USA
283 posts
Reds are not my speciality. However, there are some good whites in that area: Chardonnay (not the awful American kind) that are really good. Also, Gewurztraminer--like a reisling. I was also able to get the French standards in Belgium, such as Roses, Kir, etc. French reds are widely available in Belgium.
Enjoy!
Posted by
San Francisco, California, USA
446 posts
What do you mean by "Chardonnay (not the awful American kind)"? This is a ridiculous generality. There are many excellent Chardonnay wines made in America. What an insult to our wine industry!
Perhaps you mean that you don't prefer the California style of Chardonnay that is aged mostly in French Oak barrels, but rather, you prefer Chardonnays that are aged in aluminum tanks with little or no oak character?
Also, your description of Gewurztraminer as "like a Riesling" is very misleading. Gewurztraminer is a totally different grape from Riesling. Gewurztraminer has a spicy, herbal character, and sometimes a strong flavor, that Riesling does not.
Trimbach Gewurztraminer from the Alsace region of France is the most famous and worth a try. But, it is quite different from any Riesling -- German or French.