Two Roads Diverged at a Fondue Pot…And We Chose Both

For some time now, because of its renewed popularity and my warm memories of it from an "innocent" past, I've wanted to do a feature on cheese fondue and the wines that especially enhance it. My first choice (perhaps the road most traveled) was to pair it with whites. After all, many standard recipes for this sporadically trendy dish call for a dry or slightly fruity wine like a Riesling or a Vouvray. But when I asked one of my TableWine colleagues what would be his first choice, he replied, without any hesitation, "Reds." His response caught me off guard, since I was expecting him to suggest a crisp white varietal. (After all, don't all great minds think alike?)

Yet on further reflection, his answer seemed quite reasonable. I had to admit that a spicy red, like a Zinfandel, is usually my preference for serving with a cheese course; so why not with a melted pot of Emmentaler and Gruyere. Indeed, if this dish, which, according to legend, originated in the 16th century, when warring Catholic and Protestant Swiss signed a truce, and one side contributed the bread and the other the cheese, why couldn't we compromise as well. Similarly, since others believe fondue was originally made from left over cheese and bread, I thought a fondue tasting could provide the perfect opportunity to taste a good number of wines we've accumulated over the past couple of months.

These days, fondue, so popular in the 70's along with almost anything else communal, is making a flashy comeback. But although the intensely colored, Danish-modern pot may have been updated with a high-tech stainless steel design, the classic cheese fondue still evokes sweet recollections of sitting round the table with our fellow long-haired friends, listening to the Mamas and the Papas on the stereo and arguing politics.

Few dishes better prove the wine merchant's maxim "Buy on apples; sell on cheese." In fact, if you have a couple of bottles lying around that you wish you hadn't bought, give them a second chance with fondue. Since the fat in the cheese can take the rough edges off a coarse wine or flesh out a thin one, you may be surprised how much better they taste.

Fortunately, the assortment of wines we had on hand was truly first rate. And to be sure that our evaluations were accurate, we tasted all of them individually before sitting down to the table. The recipe we used came from Laura Werlin's The New American Cheese, which we reviewed earlier this year.

So this summer, when you just can't take another backyard barbeque, break out that old fondue pot, put on some golden oldies, and do some California Dreamin'.

1998 Dr. H. Thanisch, Bernkasteler Badstube, Riesling-Kabinett, Mosel Saar Ruwer ($12.99)
Pale yellow in color, this German Riesling has a sweet, honeyed apricot nose with green-apple notes that's really pretty. On the palate, the wine is crisp and off dry, with deep, sweet-apple flavors and also feels a bit unctuous. It's well structured, with good acidity. The finish is lovely and highlighted with honey notes. "A perfect summer wine," remarked one taster. With the fondue, however, it was a little too bright; its fruity flavors provided too much counterpoint for my taste. Although, those who like forward fruit with their cheese might enjoy this pairing. Imported by Winesellers, Ltd. Skokie, IL.

2000 Vina Carmen, Sauvignon Blanc, Valle Central (Chile) ($7.99)
Pale gold in color, this wine has a huge nose that seems to leap from the glass, with pear and gooseberry aromas, as well as some herbaceous notes. Full bodied, it's rich and forward on the palate, delivering grapefruit and pear flavors. This is an old-world style Sauvignon Blanc that foregoes the tropical fruit found so often in New Zealand and California offerings. It's well structured, with adequate acidity for food. Its flavors linger on the palate. The wine has a good finish with grapefruit notes. It was outstanding with the fondue, cutting through the fat of the cheese to cleanse the palate, yet it did not overpower the flavors of the fondue. Definitely a star of this tasting. Imported by W.J. Deutsch & Sons, Ltd., Harrison, NY.

1998 Hope Estate, Verdelho, Hunter Valley ($8.99)
Burnt yellow in color, this Australian wine has a forward creamy nose, with hints of orange blossoms. Medium bodied and dry, it's a little unctuous on the tongue and has a nice mouthfeel. Minerals and apples are the dominant flavors, along with some citrus notes. It has a good finish with traces of sour apples. Well structured, its acidity cleansed the palate and cut through the fat of the cheese. This wine has a crisp autumnal feel and would make a fine aperitif. Imported by Winesellers, Ltd. Skokie, IL.

2000 Georges Duboeuf, Macon-Villages ($8.99)
This textbook white Burgundy has a pale yellow color and a forward nose of minerals and lemon notes. On the palate, it's dry and medium bodied with good acidity. The flavor is predominantly spicy pear. It has a good finish with vanilla and oak notes. It was even better with the fondue, proving the above-mentioned wine merchant's maxim that recommends "selling on cheese." Imported by W.J. Deutsch & Sons, Ltd., Harrison, NY.

2000 Georges Duboeuf, Saint-Veran ($11.99)
Light gold in color, this wine has a restrained, steely nose. Light to medium bodied on the palate, it's dry, with flavors reminiscent of a lemon custard. This wine is not at all complex and has a simple mineral-like finish. Although a fine, neutral Chardonnay on its own, this wine was overwhelmed by the fondue. Imported by W.J. Deutsch & Sons, Ltd., Harrison, NY.

1999 Georges Duboeuf, Pouilly-Fuisse ($17.99)
This white Burgundy has a golden straw color and a huge nose of vanilla and butterscotch with floral notes that's absolutely beautiful. Medium bodied, it delivers heady butterscotch and pear flavors along with good acidity. It has a rich, unctuous mouthfeel and a fine, long finish with touches of butterscotch and oak. Nicely structured, this wine was outstanding with the fondue and complemented the food, as did the Kirsch in its preparation. Another star of this tasting. Imported by W.J. Deutsch & Sons, Ltd., Harrison, NY.

2000 Vina Carmen, Reserve Chardonnay, Maipo Valley ($16.99)
Light gold in color, this Chilean Chardonnay has a mineral and nut nose with some hints of orange blossoms. Medium bodied, with a crisp entry, it delivers dry, buttery flavors of pears that linger on the palate. It also a great long finish with hints of cedar and nut oil. It was enjoyably assertive with the fondue. "It doesn't miss a beat," commented one taster. Imported by W.J. Deutsch & Sons, Ltd., Harrison, NY.

1999 Sauvion, Vouvray ($9.99)
Pale straw in color, with hints of green, this classic Vouvray from the Loire has a nose of mint and honey, with a touch of mustiness. Medium to full bodied, it's quite forward on the palate and delivers honey and green-apple flavors. The wine is well structured and has good acidity for food. The finish is rather curt, yet clean, with some spice notes. It was good with the fondue, where it showed some citrus notes that cleansed the palate. Imported by W.J. Deutsch & Sons, Ltd., Harrison, NY.

2000 Santa Julia, Merlot, Mendoza ($6.99)
Opaque ruby in color, this Argentinean Merlot has good, long legs. It has a forward nose of cherries and chocolate. On the palate, it's medium bodied and dry, offering spicy cherry flavors enveloped by soft tannins. There are some tobacco notes as well. The wine has a nice mouthfeel, and the finish is sweet and lingering. Although it added some depth to the fondue, along with some fruity counterpoint, it really would go better with red meats, which would cut through the cherry flavors. Imported by Winesellers, Ltd. Skokie, IL.

1998 Paitin, Sori' Paitin, Dolcetto D'Alba ($18.99)
Deep purple in color, this wine has long, long legs. The nose is rather hot and has bitter-almond and violet aromas as well as some hints of smoke and cherries. On the plate, it's dry and medium bodied, providing forward, black-cherry flavors. It's well structured, yet still somewhat tannic, and the fruit flavors linger on the tongue. The finish is long, with bitter-almond flavors. This classic Dolcetto would, in my opinion, have been better with a plate of dried meats like prosciutto or bresaola. Imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY.

1999 Philippe Teulier, Domaine du Cros, Marcillac ($9.99)
This wine from the south west of France has an opaque purple color and big, long legs. The nose is huge and smoky with aromas of chalk, blackberry, and crushed black pepper. On the palate, it's dry with jammy fruit flavors of plum and spicy black pepper. There's a little chalk as well. It has a good finish dominated by black pepper. This rustic wine, although good with the fondue, would have been better with a fruit-and-cheese course or a plate of air-cured meats. Imported by Wine Traditions Ltd., Falls Church, VA.

2000 Hope Estate, Shiraz, Hunter Valley ($12.99)
Deep ruby in color, this Australian Shiraz has long, slow legs. The nose is huge and thick and doesn't stop, with aromas of licorice, tobacco, and cedar. A taster commented that one could enjoy this wine just by sniffing it. Medium bodied, it's elegant on the palate and delivers gobs of cherry, plum, and spice flavors that tease the palate. The finish is long with chocolate and cherries. One of our tasters thought this wine retailed at twice the price. It was outstanding with the cheese fondue. Definitely another star of this tasting. Imported by Winesellers, Ltd. Skokie, IL.

1999 Stonehaven, Shiraz, South Eastern Australia ($8.00)
This wine has a ruby color and good legs. It has a fruit-forward nose of cherries and a touch of spice. Medium bodied and dry, it offers flavors of black cherry and white pepper. The wine is nicely structured, with fruit and tannins in good balance. It also has a good, dry cherry finish. It was a little too biting for the fondue and would have been much better with grilled meats or sausages. Imported by Excelsior Wine & Spirits, Old Brookville, NY.

2000 Vina Carmen, Reserve Grande Vidure-Cabernet Sauvignon, Maipo Valley ($14.99)
Opaque and deep brick-red in color, this wine has long legs and a forward, hot nose of green bell pepper and cassis, along with a touch of spice. On the palate, it's medium bodied and has a silky feel and provides smoky bacon and wild-cherry flavors together with some chalk notes. The flavors linger on the tongue. This wine is well structured, with balanced fruit and tannins as well good acidity for food. It has a nice cedar finish. This wine combined beautifully with the fondue. One more star of this tasting. Imported by W.J. Deutsch & Sons, Ltd., Harrison, NY.

Parting Note:

At the conclusion of this tasting, our tasters' roads diverged once again. Some of us thought that a cheese fondue was a perfect summer dish that could be made a little more contemporary if served with a plate of grilled vegetables; others believed it would be more appropriate for an autumn evening, accompanied by a plate of dried meats like prosciutto. I'll let you choose your own direction. Just enjoy.

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