Category: French Wine
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Maison M. Chapoutier: Expressing Terroir Through Biodynamics
“Anyone who creates wines must be generous and festive. Without such qualities the creative act is doomed, sterile and vain.” Michel Chapoutier I just returned from a remarkable week in Chile. The focus of the week was terroir: climate, weather, soil. In the Rhone Valley Michel Chapoutier is the benchmark for terroir driven wines. Embracing…
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Spending January in Languedoc Drinking Wine & Eating Cassoulet
Last fall the French Winophiles explored France’s largest wine region, Languedoc-Roussillon. This region lies on the coast of the South of France along the Mediterranean Sea. It is home to a tapestry of soils, varied elevations, largely a Mediterranean climate with some Atlantic influence in the western region, and a wide array of wild scrub…
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The Daily Meal Article: You Should Be Drinking Gewürztraminer from Alsace
Why would you drink an unappreciated grape from an unfashionable wine region? Read my latest The Daily Meal contribution to find out…
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Revealing Roussillon’s Sweeter Side
How often do you enjoy dessert wine? I hope you said frequently. If not, the holidays are the perfect time to welcome this habit into your life. A prominent wine and food pairing rule of thumb is a wine should always be sweeter than the food pairing. When this rule is not followed both the…
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Exploring Cru Beaujolais with #Winophiles
November means Beaujolais. For many when hearing Beaujolais the mind immediately thinks Beaujolais Nouveau. Did you know there are actually three different styles of Beaujolias? Nouveau is released with much fanfare across the globe. It is a fun wine meant to be opened upon purchased and consumed. Beaujolais Villages are offer slightly more depth and…
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Say Yes to Languedoc Wine
According to Karen MacNeil, Languedoc is the land of yes. This could be because the name is derived from a group of languages and dialects spoken in the south of France during the Middle Ages known as “langue d’oc,” oc meaning “yes” in the Occitan language of southern France. Languedoc could also be the land…
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#Food & #Wine Pairing: Les Dauphins Côtes du Rhône
The Roaring 20’s was a time of social, artistic, and cultural dynamism. The US, Canada, and Western Europe were on an economic high. WWI had ended and hyper-nationalism swept the west. France referred to this period as “années folles” or crazy years. Jazz music had awakened a festive atmosphere, igniting the joys of flapper dancing…
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Totally Digging the Jurassic World of #Wine
The world of wine is vast. In fact, it is literally global. Many wine drinkers play it safe; rarely veering off the course of “known,” “safe” wines. This month our French Winophiles group is veering. You may ask how can one veer off the safe, known path in France. Bordeaux, Burgundy, Provence, Champagne, Rhone Valley;…
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Exploring the Wines of Alsace
Sadly, in the 2016 global political landscape nationality is a hot topic. But what if your nationality had changed multiple times in your lifetime? What if you lived with your parents in the same village your entire life without sharing their nationality, only the nationality of your grandparents? There are a handful of locations on…
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How to Celebrate Bastille Day? With French #Wine, Of course!
Every year since 1880 the French celebrate La fête nationale, or French National Day, on July 14. The day is to commemorate both the Storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, and the Fête de la Fédération on July 14, 1790. English speaking countries recognize July 14th as France’s Bastille Day. I cannot think…
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