When my parents were newlyweds, they moved to Paris, and within a couple weeks, their older French neighbors invited them over for dinner. Looking forward to making local friends, my mom brought them an armful of fresh flowers, and my dad wore his best suit and tie. But then something strange happened…
The neighbors went down to their wine cellar and returned with two bottles. “This wine is for us,” they said, pointing to an expensive vintage. “And this is for you,” they said, gesturing to a cheap table wine. My perplexed parents nodded along, and the couple explained that the complex wine would be wasted on them. “Your palates won’t appreciate it,” they said.
Three decades later, that night has become a favorite family anecdote, so, in honor of my cheap-wine-swilling parents, I decided to scout out a great inexpensive French wine in Chicago—more specifically, at Lush Wine & Spirits, a charming shop in University Village.
“Are expensive French wines better than cheapies?” I asked the woman at the counter. “Do you get what you pay for?”
In France, many of the fancier wines are designated as A.O.C. wines, she explained: “They can be fantastic, but the winemakers have to follow laundry lists of regulations. They must use only certain grapes, harvest on a specific day each year—Chateauneuf-du-Pape even has a rule that no flying saucers can land on their fields!” But the table wines and country wines are more casual and have fewer rules, she said: “So the cheaper wines can be playful; the winemakers have fun and try new things,” she explained. “It’s exciting.”
She recommended a juicy red—Pere et Fils Syrah-Grenache—and a Chateau Haut Sarthes Montravel, a refreshing white that tasted like peach, pear and melon. They were delicious with food and even the labels were beautiful!
(And, you know, I think those old neighbors just actually have approved.)
(Photos by Joanna Goddard)
