EAST COAST PALATE

    If you are going to holiday parties and want to bring a bottle that impresses the pants off your epicurian friends, look no further!  This bottle was $16 and is worth every cent!
   Knowing that '07 was a strong, hot vintage throughout the Rhone valley in general, I grabbed this bottle from a Montgomery County beer/wine/liquor store just because I haven't had many Lirac wines.
   Lirac is a town, and AOC (now AOP), just across the river from the famous Appellation Châteauneuf-du-Pape.  For some Wiki-definitions, follow the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lirac_AOC.   
    The intense heat in that part of the southern Rhone allows the grapes to attain a ripeness that creates a blend of body and fruitiness in the wines of the region.  This particular Grenache-based wine I find muscular, but not overly tannic.  Its red cherry and tar aromas are accompanied by subtle smells reminiscent of soy sauce and teriyaki, making me think that the allstar pairing of the year would be a glass of this sumptuous wine and a platefull of bulgogi...
    Which makes me think... What would YOU serve with Korean barbeque??