What's Going On in the World of French Wines

Well, it took me a day longer than expected to get home (it’s a long story involving a nine hour delay in Charles de Gaulle airport), but I am finally back in North Carolina and getting caught up on email, work and, of course, laundry!  And if you have posted a comment or emailed me a question, don’t worry – I will be responding to you very shortly – I had some email issues while I was abroad but now that I am home things have been resolved.

When I last posted to the site, I think it was right before my last day in France when we visited the Jura, and I wanted to just add a few comments about that part of the trip.  The Jura is France’s smallest wine region and it produces some of the most unique wines out there.  I was really impressed both with the wines and the sheer dramatic beauty of the region.  It is definitely an area I recommend exploring and I fully intend to return.  It only takes about an hour or so to drive from Burgundy to the Jura, so if your next trip includes a stop in Burgundy, I would suggest considering hopping over to the Jura for a visit too.

While I am still trying to digest some of the things I saw, ate and drank, there were a few standout moments that I thought I would share with you.  There was one hotel that I really wanted to mention – it was not only absolutely beautiful, but the food was simply spectacular.  The Le Vert is located near the village of Mauroux (in the AOC of Cahors) and their website can be found here: www.hotellevert.com/english/english.html.  I also want to take a moment and thank all of the winemakers we visited on the trip – their gracious hospitality was greatly appreciated.  I’d mention them all by name, but I want to wait until the vlogs are ready so I don’t spoil all the surprises we have in store!

One final thought for today…It is always an interesting experience to visit France and this trip was perhaps the most unusual one I’ve taken.  Traveling with a group of French people really made me think about some of the interesting cultural differences there are between Americans and the French.  One of the biggest (of course) had to do with food.  I have to admit that when it comes to meals, I’m frequently of the opinion that grabbing something fast is a good way to go.  But time and time again on this trip I was reminded of how important it is, even when you’ve had a busy day of work, to sit down and have an actual meal.  Even with all of the food I ate on the trip (and wine and dessert were usually included) my clothes were looser rather than tighter by the end of the trip.  When I stopped to think about it, I think the lack of snacking and the fact that I actually ate lunch and dinner (as opposed to skipping them or eating something quick and unhealthy) were the reasons why.  So as hurried and harried as we might be, I think I am going to attempt to take a tip from my French friends and try to be a bit better about savoring my meals.  Of course I think I might try to eat a bit earlier in the evening than my friends do (starting dinner at 11pm is a little bit late for my taste), but what’s life without a bit of compromise?