FYI Wine from southern France worth stocking up on right now By Dave McIntyre, Published: May 22 Wine has come a long way in overcoming the snob factor to become a popular drink for every day, or at least every week. We expect wine to be consistent in quality . on a basic, ordinary level, anyway. We want each bottle of our favorite brand of cabernet sauvignon or chardonnay to taste as good as the last one, and wine manufacturers are getting better at achieving consistency at affordable prices. We can ignore the vintage on our Yellow Tail or Barefoot chardonnay because we know each will taste alike, just as we have confidence in every bottle of our favorite beer. That is key to the growing popularity of wine in the United States. Wine Recommendations But I am here to tell you that vintage matters. Much of wine.s charm, for those of us who spend way too much time drinking it and thinking about it, is its variability from one place to another and one year to the next. By paying attention to vintage characteristics, we know when to snatch up relative bargains in Burgundy or Bordeaux to drink young while waiting for .better. years to mature. And we know when to double down and stock up. Now is the time for wine lovers to invest in France, which has enjoyed a string of terrific vintages beginning with 2007 and culminating in the universally acclaimed 2010. If you are a collector, you.ve probably been buying already. If you are a novice or simply an explorer, now is the time to procure by the case and see how the wine evolves. Whether 2010 will surpass the excellent 2009 is a matter best resolved at dinner tables over the next several years. You can reach your own conclusion. But the 2010 red wines from southern France are now entering our market, and they are tremendous in quality and value. Adventurous wine lovers will buy the 2009s still on the shelves to compare with the 2010s as they age. Focus on Cotes du Rhone. These wines from the Rhone Valley and northern Provence are blends primarily of grenache and syrah, often with other grape varieties included. The most prestigious Rhone reds, from Cornas, Cote Rotie and Chateauneuf-du-Pape, are not yet available, but basic Cotes du Rhone and the various village wines, such as Rasteau, Gigondas, Vacqueyras and others, are in stores. Wines from the Languedoc, a bit farther south and west, are also enjoying a string of strong vintages and offer great value. From here, look for wines from the Corbieres or Minervois appellations. My favorites from recent tastings include the Coteaux F Rouge from Eric Texier, a darling of the .natural wine. movement for his non-interventionist style of winemaking. That wine, at a modest $16 to $18 a bottle, is electric. It carries an energy that tells you it is alive in a way most wines don.t. That also means its flavors are hard to pin down and best experienced in a glass rather than in a newspaper. In a more traditional style, the J.L. Chave Selection Mon Coeur and the Alain Jaume Rasteau speak of the earth and the terroir where the wines were grown. The J.L. Chave seemed to draw me through the roots of the vines as they scratched out mineral qualities from the soil. The Rasteau added herbal notes of lavender, rosemary and thyme in a beguiling bouquet that made me wonder whether the wine had somehow transported me to southern France. Your assignment for the summer: Buy red wines from the Cotes du Rhone and Languedoc regions of France. You will be rewarded as they develop over several years. Wine Recommendations McIntyre blogs at dmwineline.com. Follow him on Twitter: @dmwine. Recommendations Published: May 22 Recommendations ...Exceptional ...Excellent..Very Good Prices are approximate. Check Winesearcher.com to verify availability, or ask a favorite wine store to order through a distributor. Here are some stellar wines from southern France to introduce you to the delicious 2010 vintage. Domaine de la Mordoree, La Reine des Bois, Lirac 2010 ... Rhone Valley, France, $40 This deep and intense wine tastes like a Chateauneuf-du-Pape, the king of southern Rhone wines, and is priced accordingly. It smolders with earthy complexity and minerality that hint of treasures to be unfurled with age. Buy it for later this decade, or decant it a few hours before dinner to allow its flavors to develop. Kysela: Available in the District at Ace Beverage, Calvert Woodley. Available in Maryland at Bacchus Wine and Spirits in Hagerstown, Bay Ridge Wine & Spirits in Annapolis, Pinehurst Wine Shoppe and Wine Source in Baltimore. Available in Virginia at Balducci.s in Alexandria and McLean, Classic Wines in Great Falls, Out of Site Wines in Vienna; on the list at L.Auberge Chez Francois in Great Falls. Alain Jaume, Grand Veneur Reserve 2010 ... Cotes du Rhone, France, $15 Alain Jaume produces an exceptional line of wines from throughout the southern Rhone Valley, and I heartily endorse all of them, especially his Rasteau ($27). The Grand Veneur Reserve is the most widely available, and it shows classic Cotes-du-Rhone characteristics of lavender, thyme, rosemary, dark fruit and earth. Kysela: Available in the District at Calvert Woodley, Capitol Hill Wine and Spirits, Circle Wine & Liquor, Kogod Liquor, MacArthur Beverages, Magruder.s, Marvelous Market of Capitol Hill, Paul.s of Chevy Chase, Sheffield Wine & Liquor Shoppe. Available widely in Maryland, including at Bay Ridge Wine & Spirits in Annapolis, Calvert Discount Liquors in Cockeysville, Decanter Fine Wines in Columbia, Eddie.s of Roland Park in Baltimore. Available in Virginia at Balducci.s, Unwined and the Winery in Alexandria; Kybecca in Fredericksburg. J.L. Chave Selection Mon Coeur 2010 ... Cotes du Rhone, France, $21 Jean-Louis Chave is one of the most famous Rhone winemakers, and this bottling helps explain why. It tastes of stones, silly as that sounds, and earth, with gritty and grippy tannins that draw you in and make you want to meet this wine again in four or five years. Bacchus: Available in the District at Chevy Chase Wine & Spirits, Morris Miller Wine & Liquor, Rodman.s; on the list at the Source by Wolfgang Puck. Available in Maryland at Wine Merchant in Lutherville, Wine Source in Baltimore. Eric Texier Coteaux F Rouge 2010 ..1 / 2 Cotes du Rhone, France, $18 Eric Texier is a darling of the .natural wine. movement, and this wine is as natural as they come. It tastes almost raw at first, but electric in its energy. Before long it shows delicious fruit and length. Decant at least an hour before drinking. Bacchus/Williams Corner: Available in the District at Cork & Fork, Cork Market, MacArthur Beverages, Weygandt Wines; on the list at Mintwood Place and PS 7.s. Available in Maryland at Calvert Wine & Spirits in Hunt Valley, Cork & Fork in Bethesda, Roots Market in Olney, Wine Cellars of Annapolis, Wine Source in Baltimore; on the list at Bolton Hill Bistro in Baltimore. Available in Virginia at Market Street Wineshop in Charlottesville, River City Cellars in Richmond. La Reserve du Domaine Sainte-Eugenie 2010 ..1 / 2 Languedoc, France, $16 This blend of syrah, carignan and grenache follows the classic southern France model for reds and offers up an inky, mineral wine with hints of the herbs and sea air that wine lovers refer to as .garrigue.. It should develop nicely for a few years. Kacher: Available in the District at Cork & Fork, Dixie Liquor, MacArthur Beverages, Morris Miller Wine & Liquor; on the list at Marcel.s. Available in Maryland at California Wine & Spirits in California, the Perfect Pour in Elkridge, Quarry Wine & Spirits in Baltimore; on the list at Isabella.s Taverna and Tapas Bar and the Tasting Room in Frederick. Chateau de Segries Lirac 2010 ..1 / 2 Rhone Valley, France, $23 It is awkward at first, but after several hours, and even up to the next evening, the wine develops clear, pure flavors of blackberries and exotic herbs. Cellar it for two to three years. It won.t disappoint. Kysela: Available in the District at Calvert Woodley, Wide World of Wines. Available in Maryland at Friendship Wine & Liquor in Abingdon; Jason.s Wine & Spirits in Ellicott City; Mt. Washington Wine Co., North Charles Fine Wine & Spirits and Wells Discount Liquors in Baltimore. Available in Virginia at Balducci.s in Alexandria and McLean. -- ------------------------------ * Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * mobile : 651/645-0753 * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 * * james(a)brewingnews.com James.Ellingson(a)StThomas.edu *