March 8, 2019

DOMAINE CHIGNARD “Les Moriers” Fleurie Beaujolais 2016

(Beaujolais, France) $26

Recently my old friend Kevin Zraly and I debated whether great cru Beaujolais could be the wine of the future. (He thinks so). I’m less convinced … unless most cru Beaujolais becomes as extraordinary as this dynamite Chignard Fleurie—a wild phantasmagorical swirling energy field of fruit and minerals. Outrageously floridly juicy and yet savory and complex at the same time, this is a serious wine (at the terrific price of $26). And like all of the top cru Beaujolais, it’s born in rocky granitic soils. Some wines completely upend your assumptions. This wine changed mine. (Ok Kevin, score one; but we’re not done yet). (12.5% abv)

92 points KM

Available at Vivino.com

The classic Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich once had a “cousin.” Was it:

A. Peanut Butter and Grapes

B. Jelly and Chocolate Chips

C. Peanut Butter and Mayo

D. Jelly and Spam

Peanut Butter and Mayonnaise, now largely forgotten, was once as popular a pairing as PB & J. During the Great Depression, people were looking for high-calorie combinations of protein and fat. Meat and dairy were expensive and consuming enough energy could prove difficult. Thus, the combination of peanut butter and mayonnaise on white bread was born and became a staple in Southern households in the United States. For the next 30 years or so, the PB & M was a favorite in many American kitchens, perhaps because adding mayonnaise to the era’s rustic, coarse nut butter may have been key for spreadability.

“Saying you had a bad vintage of Napa Valley wine is like saying you had a bad truffle.”

—Robert M. Parker, Jr.

DOMAINE CHIGNARD “Les Moriers” Fleurie Beaujolais 2016

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