We Open Our Mailbag and Let It Breathe

In honor of Queen Elizabeth II's historic state visit last year, we wrote about our visit to some Virginia wineries ("Virginia Vintages That Can Hold Their Own," May 9).

We've since mentioned a number of our other favorite Virginia wines, including Barboursville's Bordeaux-style Octagon and Kluge Estate's sparkling wines and chardonnay-based Cru. We're always interested in tasting the best wines coming out of Virginia, which now ranks as America's fifth-most-prolific wine-producing state, behind California, Washington, Oregon and New York.

I believe it is still true that a sparkling wine can be called champagne only if it emanates from the Champagne region of France. (Please correct me if that is no longer the case.) However, I notice that both domestic and foreign sparkling wines incorporate the word "Brut" on their labels. What does that mean?

-- Sharon Hyde, Lorton

You're right that only sparkling wine made via the traditional method (that is, with secondary fermentation taking place in the bottle) in the Champagne region of France has the right to be called champagne. Otherwise, it can be seized as counterfeit. In fact, there are signs that enforcement of international laws is getting stricter: Last month 3,288 bottles labeled "California Champagne" were seized and destroyed by Belgian customs agents for misuse of the name.

"Brut" means "dry" and refers to a sparkling wine's sweetness level. The levels, in order from driest to sweetest, are: extra brut, brut, extra dry, sec, demi-sec and doux. As non-vintage brut accounts for about nine of every 10 bottles of champagne sold, it's no wonder you're so often seeing it labeled that way.

I'm making cumin-rubbed lamb chops tonight with a garlicky tahini sauce, and spinach and tomatoes on the side. What would be a good wine to drink with this meal?

Karen's wine pick this week is a 2006 Paul Jaboulet A¿n¿ C¿tes du Rh¿ne "Parall¿le 45" Rouge ($13). We thought it sounded like such a great match with the meal you described that Andrew made cumin-rubbed lamb chops at home so we could confirm our hunch. Indeed, the earthiness of the cumin played off that of the wine, while the wine's tannin was balanced by the richness of the lamb.

Andrew's pick this week is a splurge 2005 Ferrari-Carano Alexander Valley Chardonnay ($28). From his first sip, he wanted to taste it with pork and applesauce that would echo the chardonnay's ripe apple flavors. He paired pork cutlets with an unsweetened earthy, organic applesauce, which brought out even more apple fruitiness from the wine.

Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page, award-winning authors of "What to Drink With What You Eat," can be reached through their Web site,http://www.becomingachef.com, or atfood@washpost.com.

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