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Aquitaine: Bordeaux, Perigord, and Charente
Occupying the prime grape-growing regions along the Atlantic coast, Bordeaux and Charente make the very most of their terrain. Bordeaux is the world's largest producer of high-quality red and white wines, thanks to the fertile valleys of the Garonne, Dordogne, and Gironde rivers. The reds are distinguished by the use of the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grape varieties; the whites, by Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Muscadelle. Such famous wineries as Mouton-Rothschild and the Chateaux Margaux, Lafite, and Latour are to be found there, in addition to dozens of others. Just to the north, beside the Charente river, grow the grapes from which Cognac and Armagnac are distilled. This process, developed during the 17th century, was originally intended to reduce the cargo tariffs due on wine exported to England and Holland. The plan was to cook the wine down to reduce the volume, transport it, and reconstitute it at the other end. Instead, they discovered that boiling wine created something worthwhile in itself. Bordeaux, and especially the capital city that gives the region its name, is considered one of the gastronomic highlights of France. Atlantic seafood forms the basis of many local specialties. Oysters and mussels are plentiful. Eel is prepared in a number of ways -- the full-grown are simmered into a soup called bouilliture, and baby ones (pibales) are served sautéed with garlic. The lamb from the town of Pauillac is renowned. In Charente, which shares Bordeaux's cuisine, the town of Echiré produces exceptionally rich butter, over 83% fat, as compared to the 78% that is standard in America. Wild mushrooms -- cèpes -- grow in the Charentain forests, which also yield a fair share of truffles. The truffle is the elite local specialty, especially the Perigord black truffle, which is found in the region along the Dordogne (as well as in Languedoc and Provence). These ebony-colored, potent-flavored fungi are unearthed from around the roots of the forest trees, where they hide quite out of sight. Traditionally, they were harvested by leaving the search to pigs, to whom their scent was irresistably similar to that of a female of the species in heat. These days, dogs are more popular truffle-snufflers. They're willing to lead their handlers to the source in exchange for a treat -- and they have little interest in the truffle once it is found. |
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