Eauvain Beaujolais

A round young wine that can’t concentrate. Elastic body with an acrobatic, almost chewable bosom. The finish evokes mink, kerosene and low satire. Toothsome and juked up with pepper, this Beaujolais is two-thirds woodsmoke, one-third brioche. Can easily be paired with Chopin or Satie, but does not mix well with Dutch conductors. Youth must be served.

Domaine Gravure Medoc

This is a witty sometimes hilarious wine with an afternote of two cherry trees planted too close together. Very Mademoiselle Magazine. It holds the strong nuance of cigars with side notes of suntan oil and figs. It is like the neighbor down the street with the gravelly voice and smoky good looks. You don’t see him every day but when you do then oooh baby.

Maison Vigniot Sancerre

Thin but delicious like rain. This straw-yellow white smells of clean laundry hung to dry on a Paris balcony. Think walking barefoot among geese. Think tangerine, bouquet of peat moss, nuance of re-reading Chekhov. You’d better like wine because this costs money.

Chateau Somnambulé Sauternes

There is no fluff stuck to this knife. This wine is the Brigitte Bardot of Sauternes, perfumed with marine minerals, nickels and anise. It has an intelligent bloom, bedroom eyes and an oceanic finish. Goes well with cheese, carpentry and any extended drought. Guaranteed to improve your French pronunciation.

Callous-Saumille Bordeaux

Big bells are ringing in this. Here is a full-blooded wine, promiscuous and rich in after-rush. Its come-hither bouquet evokes chestnuts and late September. Its nose is true brunette, authentic and nutsy. The cinnamon finish is long, like all the next day long.

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Sarah J. Sloat grew up in New Jersey, and after university lived in China, Kansas and Italy. For the last 15 years, she’s lived in Germany, where she works for a news agency. Sarah’s poetry has appeared in Diner, Third Coast, Pedestal Magazine and DMQ Review, among other publications. Her favorite poets include Norman Dubie, Pier Giorgio di Cicco and Vasko Popa.