There’s One Thing You Left Out
By Eric Asimov
IT’S TOO LATE TO TRACK DOWN IDEAL BOTTLES. WHAT CAN I GET THAT’S EASY TO FIND AND CHEAP?
When in doubt, think Beaujolais. This is true even in those uncivilized corners of the earth that don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. It’s a versatile, juicy, joyous red that will go with almost anything. Ordinarily, I gravitate toward the best small producers, like Jean-Paul Brun, Pierre-Marie Chermette, Marcel Lapierre, Jean Foillard, Daniel Bouland and Julien Sunier, just to name a few. But now is not the time for a search.
Instead, Beaujolais-Villages wines from larger-scale négociants like Louis Jadot and Joseph Drouhin should be as easy to find now as pilgrim hats and turkey basters, whether you’re shopping at suburban supermarkets or your local bodega wine shop. Wines from the very good 2010 vintage are fresh and energetic. Best of all, they’ll only set you back around $10 a bottle.
BUT YOU’RE TALKING JUST ABOUT RED WINES. I’M LOOKING FOR WHITES.
No problem. The white-wine equivalent of 2010 Beaujolais-Villages is 2010 Mâcon-Villages. In its basic form, from négociants like Drouhin and Jadot, these are crisp, snappy chardonnay wines, also for around $10 a bottle. If you move up the chardonnay chain a bit, you could look for Pouilly-Fuissés or even Chablis. Drouhin makes a very creditable basic Chablis, and the 2010 is less than $20 a bottle. But let’s remember, we’re in a rush and staying basic. The message is Mâcon-Villages.
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