Bon vin, bonne chere

I've been lucky recently in regards to my recipes; much of of experiments have succeeded ( no mean feat unto itself!) but the wines I've been drinking have also been winners so far. Its been a while since I've had a lousy wine, and thats a rare thing. I certainly attribute it to spending a bit more than before on each bottles, but also I'm starting to take an interest in the vintage too, at this time, mostly the grapes. The Kate got me hooked onto Viognier, and I managed to find a decent red on my own, a Clos St-Thomas Les Gourmets 2003. Originally purchased as part of an ongoing campaign to sample the Spanish wines while I can still afford it, it turned out to be Lebanese (not the first country one thinks of when wine comes up.) What surprised me the most is how good it is. To me, the mark of a good wine is its ability to stand alone, that is, theres no need for food to make it palatable. I haven't been very lucky in the reds on that part, many of them being quite heavy, or acidic, or just plain harsh. This one I could drink before, during and after my meal, was very well rounded and was very digestible. With no aftermath but good memories, I think this one will require further investment when the cash pours in.