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Nightly meal can be
like mini-vacation

Have you ever enjoyed a summer visit to a European cafe, where you were able to order a pretentious meal with some house wine -- two choices, white or red?

There is something special about a simple wine, poured from a carafe, that goes great with a plate of entrecote et pomme frites (steak and French fries) or coq au vin (braised chicken in red wine sauce).

The wine by itself is simple, fruity, light, easily drinkable and enjoyable. When the food arrives, the wine flows down as a nice complement to the meal. After some good conversation, you realize you've finished your meal and your carafe, leaving you with a great big smile on your face and a satisfied stomach.

Does this sound familiar?

It is often hard to duplicate that beautiful, relaxing meal when you return home, because you are in a different environment and state of mind. It is much easier to enjoy and relax when you are on vacation, as opposed to dealing with the idiot driver in front of you, making sure your kids get to practice on time and dealing with our hurried lifestyles in general.

But if you want to try to recreate that relaxing, casual meal, here are some great quaffers -- simple, fruity, easy to drink. They do an excellent job of washing down a good, home-style meal. Hopefully they'll remind you of your last vacation to Europe.

Yvecourt Rouge ($8.99): A traditional Bordeaux blend, consisting primarily of cabernet sauvignon and merlot. Produced by Yvon Mau, one of Bordeaux's finer negociants.

Yvecourt Blanc ($6.99): This is a sauvignon blanc that is light, refreshing and friendly toward food.

2003 Lodez ($6.99): A casual, friendly wine from the Languedoc, in the south of France. Half syrah (dark, peppery, sweet tannins), 30 percent grenache (soft, smooth, fruity and aromatic) and 20 carignan (brambly fruit and depth). Fruity, smooth, with notes of vanilla. Thanks to the screw cap top, you won't need a corkscrew, making this a perfect bottle to put in the picnic basket to go with your roast beef sandwich.

2004 Ted the Mule Cotes du Ventoux ($9.99): A blend of syrah and grenache. Fresh berry fruit aromas and flavors evolve to smoky/spicy elements typical of southern France. Versatile; goes with grilled meats or comfort foods such as pizza and pasta.

2003 Louis Latour Beaujolais Villages Chameroy ($15.50; connoisseur $11.50): As it turns out, 2003 was a fabulous year for beaujolais. Light, playfully fruity and energetic, this wine is a pleasure to drink. Much better in quality than beaujolais nouveau. This is a great sipper by itself or with slightly spicy foods.

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