Tag: France
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Burgundy: The Taste of Terroir
The glories of Burgundy. A land rich in history, wine and food. You have heard me say there is no separation of church and wine. Though viticulture and wine consumption began long before Christianity, the church played a key role in the global spread of vineyards and the use of wine in celebration of the…
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A Passion for Terroir: Côtes du Roussillon AOC
I have said it before and I will say it again…. I dream of sitting in a café in the south of France enjoying a wonderful glass of French wine with a delicious French meal. Alas, I have not yet been to the South of France. Nestled along the Gulf of Lion in the Mediterranean…
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Can Italian #Wine Be Cru?
What does “cru” mean to you? The Oxford Dictionary recognizes cru as “a vineyard or group of vineyards, especially one of recognized quality.” It is a French wine term traditionally recognized as the past participle of the verb “croitre” (to grow), meaning growth. Cru is tied to the French sense of terroir as a place…
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Celebrating Loire Valley #Wine
Hhmmmm…. (to the tune of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer) You know Champagne and Alsace and Bordeaux and Languedoc; Rhone Valley, Burgundy, Beaujolais and Provence; but do you recall the most under-rated French wine region of all? Loire Valley wine region is as beautiful as can be, and if you ever saw it, you would…
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All That Sparkles is Gold
No wine in history has spawned such poetry as Champagne. Even though Dom Pérignon did not invent Champagne he was certainly among the first to poeticize it by exclaiming to his fellow Benedictine monks, “Come quickly I am tasting the stars!” Since the 17th century the world has been in a love affair with Champagne.…
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Fall into Languedoc AOP for Great Food and Wine Pairings
I enjoy cooking. I like to cook year round but I particularly like the flavors and colors of fall cuisine. I prefer to use as many fresh ingredients as possible in my cooking but living in an urban area most of my fresh ingredients come from the local super market. However, I do have a…
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Separation of Church and Wine?
How well do you know world history? How well do you know history of the Christian tradition? How well do you know the history of wine? Why am I asking you these questions? Because historically there is no separation of church and wine. We know that the first vineyards predate Christian history by hundreds of…
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Discover the Patchwork Wines of Languedoc
I dream of sitting in a café in the south of France enjoying a wonderful glass of French wine with a delicious French meal. Alas, I have not yet been to the South of France. Nestled along the Gulf of Lion in the Mediterranean Sea, Languedoc – Roussillon is magical. Wild and expansive Mediterranean landscapes,…
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Iconic Winery Retrospective: Maison Trimbach
Is Stuart Pigott correct when he claims in his book Best White Wine on Earth, that Riesling is the best white wine on earth? It may not be the best but it is certainly high up on the list. Winefolly states, “Riesling wine has emerged as the most collectible wine among top connoisseurs and sommeliers…
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Wines of Southwest France with #Winophiles
It’s August and time for another stop on the French Winophiles tour. This month we visit the lesser known region of Southwest France. I will tell you the secret of Southwest France upfront: if you love Bordeaux but prefer not to pay Bordeaux prices then you will love the wines of Southwest France because the…
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