Border-line tastes reveal best values by Darryl Beeson For the 3rd year in a row, “Burgundy Best Buys” were chosen by a select group of panelists who convened in New York City in April of this year. This prestigious group of wine aficionados blind tasted a diverse array of outstanding wines from Burgundy’s acclaimed 2004 and 2005 vintages and then chose their favorites - all retailing between $15 and $35. A perfect balance of reds and whites were selected for their superior quality and extraordinary value from a region mistakenly thought to only produce expensive wines. The panel of experts included Bernard Sun, Burgundy spokesperson and corporate beverage director for the Jean-Georges Restaurant Group; Louise Owens from the Park Cities and co-owner of the Windmill Lounge; Patrick Fegan from the Chicago Wine School; and Wes Marshall from The Austin Chronicle. Louise Owens added, “This tasting provided us with a unique opportunity to taste superior quality Burgundies which offer the consumer incredible value at prices everyone can afford. This year’s twenty-one Burgundy Best Buys will please the palate and won’t burn through your whole paycheck either."   White From $15 to $24.99 Bourgogne, 2004, Faiveley (Wilson Daniels LTD) $17 Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune, 2005, Château de Santenay (Glazer’s Wholesale Distributing) $20 Chablis, 2005, Domaine Christian Moreau Père & Fils (Frederick Wildman & Sons, LTD) $20 Pouilly-Fuissé, 2005, Maison Louis Latour (Louis Latour Inc) $19 Pouilly-Fuissé, Domaine de la Collonge , 2005, Gilles Noblet (Chicago Wine Merchants) $22 White From $25 to $35 Santenay, Les Terrasses de Bievaux , 2005, Domaine Jacques Girardin (Chicago Wine Merchants) $25 Santenay, Clos de Malte, 2004, Maison Louis Jadot, (Kobrand Corporation) $25 Chablis, 2005, Faiveley (Wilson Daniels LTD) $29 Chablis 1er Cru, Fourchaume , 2005, Jean Marc Brocard (Louis Glunz Wines) $31 Mercurey, 2004, Château de Chamirey (Frederick Wildman & Sons, LTD) $31 Beaune 1er Cru, Beaune du Château, 2004, Bouchard Père & Fils (Henriot, Inc) $34 Meursault, 2005, Labouré-Roi (Palm Bay Imports) $35   Red From $15 to $24.99 Bourgogne Pinot Noir, Signature , 2005, Maison Champy (Fine Vines/Calice Wine Company) $15 Bourgogne Pinot Noir, 2005, Maison Louis Jadot (Kobrand Corporation) $20 Chorey-lès-Beaune, 2005, Maison Joseph Drouhin (Dreyfus, Ashby & Co) $20 From $25 to $35 Savigny-lès-Beaune, 2005, Domaine Rapet (Glazer’s Wholesale Distributing) $30 Mercurey 1er Cru, Les Champs Martin, 2005, Domaine Adelie (Eagle Eye Imports) $29 Mercurey, 2004, Château de Chamirey (Frederick Wildman & Sons, LTD) $31 Mercurey, 2005, Château Genot Boulanger (Glazer’s Wholesale Distributing) $35 Marsannay, Grandes Vignes, 2005, Domaine Bart (Glazer’s Wholesale Distributing) $30 Gevrey-Chambertin, 2005, Labouré-Roi (Palm Bay Imports) $32 Great Texas Border Hotel Recognized La Posada, the historic hotel on the banks of the Rio Grande in Laredo, Texas, has been named the “Best Hotel” by the Texas Department of Transportation’s travel counselors as a result of their Texas Travel Industry Association (TTIA)-sponsored study tour of South Texas. The hotel was also presented with TTIA’s “Best Dinner” award for its refined Tesoro Club restaurant, singled out for its Sunday Champagne Brunch and dinner, and for exceptional customer service. La Posada recently completed an extensive $15 million makeover that combines the hotel’s historic Spanish influence and colonial architecture with floor-to-ceiling renovations. “We are very proud of our hotel, especially with the renovations, and are delighted to be recognized by the State of Texas’ travel industry,” said Gene Belmares, La Posada’s Director of Sales & Marketing. La Posada, located at 1000 Zaragoza Street in the historic district of downtown Laredo, offers authentic Spanish contemporary design, furniture by local artisans, fine artwork, and luxurious finishes throughout. While the original 1916 façade remains the same, the hotel’s reconstruction runs the gamut from a newly-designed lobby and contemporary Spanish public spaces, to beautifully-restored guestrooms with elegant interiors, spectacular courtyards and grounds, and updated technology throughout. For hotel reservations, contact the hotel directly at 956-722-1701 or toll-free at 800-444-2099. For additional information or to book online, visit www.laposadahotel.com. For more great wine suggestions, click here Do you have any questions, comments or suggestions? Email: jwdineline@aol.com Copyright © 1998 Inter Active Media Solutions. All Rights Reserved. The interactive components of this site require that you use a current browser version of Explorer; be sure to maximize your window out so you can see the entire page. This page was created by Inter Active Media Solutions.