Originally they were the least-expensive wines bought in bulk and poured by-the-glass at a hefty profit margin in restaurants. Many house wines nowadays reflect pride of the chef, sommelier, or restaurateur and a commitment to quality. These wines say something about the establishment.
Do you have a “house wine” at your home? A wine on-hand, chilled and ready to pour when friends drop by. Your go-to wine? A wine of good value, reasonably priced yet still somewhat unique, special. A wine that isn’t on every supermarket shelf, but still handily available. An enjoyable wine that is equally suitable on the patio or at the dinner table paired with classic foods…
Our Current House Wine
Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc Belleruche 2009 M. Chapoutier
Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc is made predominantly from Grenache Blanc with its herbaceous, apple and pear aromas. Smaller amounts of Clairette and Bourboulenc balance the wine. The Bourboulenc grape gives Belleruche Blanc its sprightly acidity, which pairs wonderfully with salads dressed with vinaigrette and lemony seafood dishes. Grilled fish and goat cheese with sliced pears are also stellar pairings. $10.79/bottle after the 10% off on 6-bottle discount.
Braille embossed on the labels.
Established in 1808 in France’s Rhone region, Maison Chapoutier has been passed from father to son to grandson. All of their wine labels have been embossed in Braille since 1996.
Maurice de la Sizeranne (1857 – 1917) President of the Association of the Blind in France and owner of the famous La Sizeranne vineyard in Hermitage, was blind since age 9. He was the inventor of the first version of abbreviated Braille. M. Chapoutier’s trademark pays tribute to this man while making sure their wines are accessible to people who are blind. The Braille label provides the following information: M. Chapoutier, Appellation, Name of the Wine, Vintage, Color.
Wines with Signature, the expression of M. Chapoutier taste. A will to avoid developing a “typical taste” or set style. One the contrary, a permanent objective to work on differences in tastes, to bring out the specific tastes provided by each local terrior and wine. This is how we cold sum up the Chapoutier Estate quest, which has been present on the Rhone Valley since 1808.
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How sweet to read this, we are in the process of enjoying wines to select a house wine. I love the thought of having a house wine and I see by the comments I am not the only one. My mom is visiting so at the moment we are enjoying moscato and champagne. have a gret weekend!
Can I live with you? I wander through Trader Joe’s and always bring home a different wine to try, I always tend towards a white, but I do love my Oregon Pinot Noir!
Fun and fascinating posting – I wonder if your wine is available here. We do have some mighty fine wine stores so shall check. I have never seen a braille label. Loving that. The photos are (as usual) so inviting, I just want to snatch a glass from the screen. But I will make do with my fridge where a lovely Pinot Bianco is waiting and – we are fickle. We change with the seasons… and the sales.
Your photos are so beautiful I almost didn’t read the post. I wish I was sitting at your table.
Thank you for the great post. The Belleruche sounds wonderful. I’ll be on the lookout for it and hopefully will be get to try it.
Thanks again,
Joanne
We like to experiment with wines, so we don’t have a “house wine”. But I guess our house wine would be regional California wines from our travels. Oregon has great pinot’s. And I love champagnes, yum.