The Wine Curmudgeon has always enjoyed picpoul, a white wine from southern France made with the picpoul grape that is grown, believe it or not, in the Picpoul region. Which is a weird naming convention even for the French. Picpoul is cheap and food friendly, one of those wines that you can keep around the house in case you want a glass of wine and don't want to have to worry about what you're drinking.
The catch, of course, is that it's difficult to find quality picpoul in Dallas. Those that I've had have mostly disappointed -- either sweet or too citrusy or overpriced. Hence my delight in finding the Font-Mars ($10, purchased), which is everything picpoul is supposed to be. And I did I mention that it's only $10?
It's a simple wine, but not in the way that too many cheap wines are simple, with one flavor or characteristic dominating all. Look for apricot and stone fruit in the front and a very nice stony finish with acid to balance all. I drank it over the New Year's holidays when I wanted something for dinner that wasn't overwhelming, and I was truly surprised at how well made it was. It's one of the early contenders for the 2013 $10 Hall of Fame, and highly recommended.
A personal note: The Wine Curmudugeon does not write about politics here; that's what political sites are for. But I do want to mention the controversy surrounding two proposals in Congress that would limit Interent speech, the SOPA and PIPA legislation. Copyright is one thing, and as a writer I certainly understand that. But free speech is even more important than copyright, especially as the Internet changes the way the world communicates. The New York Times explains what's going on today here. If you'd like to support those of us who believe that SOPA and PIPA are wrong-headed, you can sign this on-line petition.
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