What's Going On in the World of French Wines

On Monday I attended the annual Institute of Masters of Wine Champagne tasting in New York. It has been quite some time since I’ve had the opportunity to taste so many Champagnes all at once and it truly was an amazing experience. While these wines are a bit more expensive than the wines we normally discuss here on the blog, I did find three that I thought were worth a mention for the next time you are looking for a special (and truly delicious) bottle of Champagne.

The first wine that really knocked my socks off was the Ayala Brut Zero Dosage (around $45). This is a Champagne made from a …

Eric Asimov has a very interesting article in last week’s New York Times about Bordeaux. I think his columns are excellent and thought-provoking. This one, entitled “Bordeaux Loses Prestige Among Younger Wine Lovers,” is no exception.

In the article Asimov asserts that “While the drop stems from far more competition in the lower-priced market, it also reflects a shift in the demographic of Bordeaux aficionados. For young Americans in particular, Bordeaux has become downright unfashionable.”

Wow – now that’s a statement that makes me stop and think, especially about the “unfashionable” part. What exactly makes a wine unfashionable and who dictates what wines are “in” or “out”? And more …

I was asked the other day if I give the wines I chose for the Top 50 list points. When I said that I don’t like using a point system, the natural follow-up question was “why not?”

It’s a good question and a valid one. Most wine critics do like to use some sort of rating system, something that, I’ll be honest, I tend to shy away from. There are all kinds of esoteric discussions around wine ratings which usually end with the argument, well, people just seem to love them. And it is true – we do love ratings and they can have their place. Restaurants get stars, movies get …

For the last several weeks wine has been slowly but surely been amassing in my dining room. It’s a good thing we haven’t been thinking about throwing a dinner party right now because there would be no room for anyone to eat.

Why all the wine? Well my #1 priority these last few weeks has been to assemble my Top 50 French wine picks. It’s a hard job, but someone has to do it. Actually, I’ll be honest – tasting is a hard job (but no, I don’t expect any pity). It is very different from drinking wine and doing it properly involves focus, stamina and a really good spitting technique. …