Abroad appeal

OK, maybe not. The of-age collegiate travelers may as well bone up on the cultural elixirs of their near future. And for those stuck at home, it can still be a cool glass-by-glass journey.

For the mechanical engineering students headed to Aachen, Germany, wines of Nahe could be a wonderful value-driven selection. Nahe is a small region southeast of Aachen, and while it produces legendary (and pricey) sweet wines from winemakers like Hermann Dnnhoff and Schfer-Frhlich, there are also some tasty off-dry steals out there. Sip on a riesling from St. Antonius, more specifically its Biroth Kreuznacher Kronenberg Kabinett. Its last few vintages have been high-performers for the money, with tasty honeydew melon, ripe apricot and floral tendencies. It should only cost about $11.

If one sees “kabinett” on the label, expect the wine to have some sweetness without being too saccharine. If you are looking for sweeter German wines, look for sptlese or auslese.

Farther south, Lyon, France, also has a set of MSU students headed its way in a few weeks. Boy, did those students hit the jackpot! Burgundy lies to the north of Lyon and Rhone to the south. While pinot noir and chardonnay reign supreme in Burgundy, Rhone wines vary, using 20 or so grapes including syrah, grenache, mourvedre and viognier.

Domaine de l’Espigouette is a consistent Rhone producer for a student’s budget. Its 2012 Cotes du Rhone rouge is nothing fancy, made primarily of grenache, but has a compelling fruity/earthy balance. Its something close to a good mix of spicy/dried cherry flavors, tomato leaf, rosemary and black pepper. At just $14, it’s one of the better wines on the market to pair with college staples like pizza or burgers.

Its 2013 Cotes du Rhone blanc is equally impressive, with well-developed notes of golden delicious apple, honey, brioche, lemongrass and a nice breeziness that feels quite opposite of many cheap California chardonnays.

Speaking of chardonnay, Antonin Rodet’s 2011 Bourgogne comes from an area about an hour’s drive north of Lyon. This $16 wine shows a real brightness, with red apple, green melon and orange notes unencumbered by oak. Dry, medium-bodied and refreshing, this wine is tasty with halibut, trout and sea bass.

For the MSU students leaving shortly for Florence, Italy, this will be an incredible summer. Florence is an obscenely pleasurable mix of wine, art and culture. The winemaking region of Chianti is about 25 miles south of Florence and is a must-see — not only for the wine but for the hairpin turns and postcard landscapes. At just $15, Vignamaggio’s Il Morino sangiovese/merlot blend is a strong introductory wine. The 2012 vintage is sturdy and full-flavored, with a slight clay earthiness but so much of that acid-driven dried cherry and herbs that drinks so well (and quickly) with tomato-based pasta dishes. Villa Vignamaggio advertises itself as the birthplace of Lisa del Giocondo, subject of the famous “Mona Lisa,” but many say she was actually born on Via Maggio in downtown Florence.

This widely contested trivia isnt the only noteworthy romantic detail about the estate. Kenneth Branagh’s 1993 adaptation of “Much Ado About Nothing” was filmed at Villa Vignamaggio. The villa has produced wine since 1404, which is more or less the same era as both the construction of Beijing’s Forbidden City and the childhood of Keith Richards.

There are simply too many wines and too many sub-regions to try and quickly drink your way across Tuscany. But if thirst prevails, look for Teruzzi & Puthod’s Vernaccia di San Gimignano. Vernaccia di San Gimignano literally means wine of the vernaccia grape from the city of San Gimignano. It’s a walled, bucolic city on a hill and features prevalent Gothic architecture. The city is probably the first in Italy to achieve recognition for its white wine production. Teruzzi & Puthod’s 2013 at first seems innocuous, but shows more subtlety in its delicate, lightly creamy profile. Expect some pleasant lemony, apple skin flavors. There’s an element that tastes slightly sunbaked without getting flabby, which practically begs for a cannellini bean and tuna salad. And once again, the price is right at about $13.

All of these values from across the ocean should be manageable to find or order from your favorite independent wine retailers. If not, viable alternatives are out there — even if a round trip flight to Florence is not.

Justin King is the sommelier at the Stand Gastro Bistro in Birmingham, a Williamston resident and a certified sommelier. Tweet him your favorite bottle shots @plonkadvocate or email him at justingking@gmail.com.