| ce, where Sauternes originated around the Bordeaux | | | | wines such as Riesling or Viognier can also be used. |
| village of that name, this type of white wine is | | | | Right here is as good a point as any to explain still |
| always semi-sweet. In America, most Sauterne is | | | | another puzzling term you find on some American |
| quite dry. In order to supply a Sauterne as sweet as | | | | Sauterne labels: "chateau." |
| the French but to avoid labeling it | | | | This one began about a century ago, when the only |
| sweetAmerican vintners have adopted another | | | | way California vintners could sell their wines in |
| French term. They call it "Haut Sauterne." | | | | eastern markets was to put counterfeit French labels |
| The French will emphatically deny the existence of | | | | on them. One such widely imitated label was that of |
| the French wine "Haut Sauterne." A letter from the | | | | the most famous of all French Sauternes, the |
| Inotitut National des Appellations d'Origine des Vins et | | | | Chateau d'Yquem. A certain wine made from |
| Eaux-de-Vie reads, in part: "Concerning Haut-Sauterne, | | | | Sauvignon Blanc, called Chateau d'Ygrec, is one dry |
| we have no idea how it came to be used. There is | | | | white wine that is not produced in every vintage. |
| no such name in France, only Sauternes, name of a | | | | As the years passed, California wines gradually |
| village and of a wine produced in the delimited area | | | | achieved recognition for quality in their own right, and |
| around this village. Haut means high. It is used in | | | | the California wine acquired a somewhat more |
| geography to designate part of a village or region | | | | informative label as "California Chateau Yquem." But |
| higher than the other one. . ." | | | | following the repeal of prohibition the United States |
| Wines from the Sauternes region are similar to | | | | Government summarily outlawed the use of all |
| Mourvedre or are generally sweet, white wines made | | | | foreign proprietary names on American wines, and |
| with the Semillon grape variety, with lesser amounts | | | | "Yquem" was the principal casualty. |
| of Muscadelle and Sauvignon. What adds to the | | | | What did the California vintners do? Deprived of |
| mystery is that French vintners do indeed ship to the | | | | "Yquem," they preserved "chateau." So now, when |
| United States wines labeled "Haut Sauternes." | | | | you see "chateau" on a California wine label, |
| Be that as it may, the French pronunciation of "haut" | | | | immediately preceding the name of the vineyard, it |
| is, of course, "oh," as in O'Leary or O'Reilly. Most | | | | does not refer to anybody's feudal castle. All it |
| Americans, however, including the vintners who make | | | | means is that the wine in the bottle is an |
| "Haut Sauterne," pronounce it "hot." This might | | | | extra-sweet California Sauterne, or a red version of a |
| account for an experience reported by a man in | | | | Dolcetto or Port. |
| Sausalito, author Eugene Burns. | | | | This whole semantic nightmare about sweetness was |
| Burns and his wife were flying home from the Orient | | | | climaxed with a paradox during the 1940's, when the |
| on a Japanese airliner. It was Christmas Eve. When | | | | so-called "kosher" Concord grape wines appeared on |
| time came for dinner on the plane, the kimono-clad | | | | the national scene. For these products are made |
| stewardesses brought out a surprise for the | | | | syrupy sweet by massive additions of sugar. Here |
| passengers. It was a complete holiday dinner, including | | | | the United States Government was faced with a |
| turkey and all the trimmings. With it they served | | | | problem, because the quantity of sugar the "kosher" |
| glasses of Sauternepiping "Haut"! | | | | producers used was more than the federal |
| Hot or mulled wines are most often red; Merlot or | | | | regulations allowed any wine to contain, unless it was |
| Barbera wines are commonly used. However, white | | | | called "imitation. |