IGP Pays d’Oc
This week’s Wine of the Week is something a little bit different. This wine features the grape Marselan, which I imagine is probably a grape most people haven’t had the chance to taste before. Marselan is a fairly recent cross between two grapes that I know almost all of you are [...]
ChardonnayAOC Beaujolais
It is possible that some of you did a double-take looking at this wine – Chardonnay from Beaujolais? Yes, while Beaujolais is synonymous with red wines made from the Gamay grape, the region does also make some terrific white wines from Chardonnay. After all, Beaujolais is situated very close to the Mâcon, [...]
Grenache/ SyrahAOC St Chinian
The appellation of St. Chinian is located in the Languedoc in the South of France and it includes the vineyards of approximately 20 villages that are located to the north of Beziers. The Maison l’Aiglon is made from a blend of Grenache and Syrah grapes that come from vineyards that have [...]
AOC Burgundy
Since yesterday was Presidents’ Day, it seems like a good time to highlight the Josephine Dubois Grande Reserve Pinot Noir as this week’s Wine of the Week. Elegant and balanced with both earthy and fruity flavors, it is a lovely example of the delicate, balanced wines that can be found in the Burgundy [...]
Syrah, Grenache, MourvèdreAOC Languedoc
Although the name of this winery (Mas Belles Eaux) doesn’t specifically translate into a romantic saying (it refers to the freshwater springs on the estate), I think the use of the word “Belles,” which means beautiful, is close enough to make this a worthy pick for Valentine’s Day.
Mas Belles Eaux was formed [...]
Vin de Pays d’Oc
I have to admit it, I did actually think about waiting one more week before I featured this particular wine as the Wine of the Week. But since there are some people out there who do actually like to celebrate Valentine’s Day, it did seem like it might be just [...]
Grenache-Syrah AOC Côtes du Rhône
If you look at changes in the wine industry over the last twenty years, one of the biggest differences you can find is that there has been a shift in our understanding of blended wines. Since here in the US we have grown accustomed to seeing the name of [...]
Cabernet Franc AOC Chinon
Chinon is located near the city of Tours in the Loire Valley. It might be a city you remember from high school history class as the place where Joan of Arc persuaded the Dauphin (later King Charles VII) to accept the French crown and defy the English in [...]
AOC Burgundy
This week’s Wine of the Week is Maison JJ Vincent’s “JJ” Chardonnay. The JJ stands for Jean-Jacques Vincent, the winemaker for Chateau Fuissé, a well-regarded property in Burgundy that has been in the Vincent family for five generations. In addition to making wines from his family’s 80 acres (found in Pouilly-Fuissé, [...]
Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, and CinsaultAOC Côtes du Rhône
I don’t know about you, but my week has had a less than sensational start. With a storm predicted for my area, my son’s school was canceled ahead of the snow. Well, hours later (and very close to the end of the school day) we [...]
AOC Mâcon-Charnay Chardonnay
Happy New Year! For our first Wine of the Week of 2011, I thought we would start off with a wonderful white wine from Burgundy. The Le Clos Saint-Pierre Verget hails from the Mâcon, a beautiful area in the southern part of Burgundy that produces ripe and flavorful Chardonnays. [...]
AOC Corbières Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Carignan
To help keep you warm this week while you might be home enjoying some vacation time, I’ve selected the 2007 Blason d’Aussières as my Wine of the Week. Hailing from Corbières, an appellation in the Languedoc, this wine has rich flavors of black raspberries, cherries and a [...]
Vin de Pays d’Oc
In case you are looking for a last minute stocking stuffer for the Ed Hardy fan in your life, I thought I would highlight this wine, the Ed Hardy Cabernet Sauvignon. While the Ed Hardy label is better known for clothes, the owner of the brand, Christian Audigier is seeking to change [...]
Ugni Blanc/Colombard Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne
Wines from the Southwest of France are a fascinating bunch. The Southwest refers to all of the wine districts in the south western portion of France except for the wine regions of Bordeaux and Cognac. This includes AOCs such as Cahors, Madiran, Iruleguy and [...]
AOC MadiranTannat, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon
This week’s Wine of the Week from winemaker Pierre Laplace comes from the village of Madiran, which is located in Southwest France. Madiran has been an area of wine production since Roman times and is known for having soils that are an unusual mix of limestone and clay punctuated by [...]
Sauvignon BlancAOC Sancerre
After several days of Thanksgiving leftovers and one too many pieces of my Great-Aunt’s pecan pie (it was really yummy), I am ready for a week of light (and healthy) meals. Even though the weather might be imploring me to go the comfort food route, I’ve set up a menu for this week [...]
AOC MaconChardonnay
Many years back, I remember attending a tasting that was called “A, B, C! Anything But Chardonnay!” The tasting was part of a backlash against the popular style of Chardonnay at the time – full-bodied and heavily oaked. At the time I remember feeling a little guilty for [...]
AOC Côtes du RhôneGrenache-Syrah
As the temperature starts to drop and it becomes clear that fall is heading into winter, my palate begins to change too, and I find myself craving things like hearty soups, stews and casseroles. When it comes to pairing wines with these types of meals, one appellation that I find very reliable [...]
Pinot noir AOC Alsace
As much as I love Halloween, it also signifies the kickoff to the craziness that is the holiday season. I know that right around the corner lurk shopping lists, grocery runs, parties and lots of stress. Of course one of the things that I think a lot [...]
Vin de Pays des Cotes Catalanes85% Carignan, 15% Grenache
I’m very excited for this week’s wine of the week for many reasons, including the fact that I will soon be visiting this part of France. The winery Mas Lavail is located in Maury, a small town in the area of Roussillon in the south [...]
ChardonnayAOC Etoile/Jura
The Jura is a beautiful and bucolic small wine region located east of Burgundy. I had the immense pleasure of spending a little bit of time there this summer while I was in France. Many of the producers there are very small, but they are working hard to get their wines [...]
AOC BordeauxMerlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon
I thought it was pretty funny when I realized that this week’s Wine of the Week is a Bordeaux Rouge after last week’s Wine of the Week was the Mouton Cadet Bordeaux Blanc. But after thinking about it a bit, I decided what better way of discussing [...]
AOC Bordeaux Blanc Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle
While Sauvignon Blanc has gained in popularity with wine lovers over the last few years, somehow the white wines of Bordeaux (which contain this grape) have been a bit overlooked. Bordeaux Blanc is a category of wines that is often overshadowed by reputation of the red [...]
Chateau du Cedre AOC Cahors
I had the opportunity to visit the beautiful town of Cahors this summer and was amazed not only by the beauty of Southwest France, but also by the high level of quality I found in the wines.
Grape-growing in the Southwest of France dates back to the [...]
AOC ChampagneNon-VintageHalf-bottle
Last month I attended a Champagne tasting organized by the Institute of Masters of Wine. The opportunity to taste so many different Champagnes was very exciting and it reminded me again of how fascinating I find sparkling wines.
While there are a lot of different sparkling wines in the world, there is [...]
Vin de Savoie AbymesAOC Savoie100% Jacquère
Recently I have heard from a number of sommeliers that they have noticed an upswing in interest in some of France’s smaller and more esoteric wine regions such as the Savoie and the Jura. In light of that, I would like to introduce you this week to a [...]
Henry FessyAOC Régnié
To help us usher in September (and our recovery from the Labor Day vacation), this week’s Wine of the Week is the delightful 2009 Château des Reyssiers from the Beaujolais cru of Régnié. I mentioned the cru of Régnié in a post from two weeks ago. It is a fairly young [...]
AOC Pessac-LéognanSauvignon Blanc
The Chateau Coucheroy is made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes that are grown on a gravel and chalk outcropping in the appellation of Pessac-Léognan in Bordeaux. The wine is fresh and lively, but with a slight roundness as it was aged partly in barrels and partly in tanks. This combination creates [...]
AOC Marsannay Rosé
This week’s Wine of the Week is a beautiful gem of a rosé wine from the village of Marsannay in Burgundy. Marsannay, the northernmost AOC in the Côte de Nuits, is unusual in that it produces whites, reds and rosés. Interestingly, the majority of rosé that is produced in Burgundy is [...]
2008 Domaine du Cros AOC Marcillac
A good number of you might be a little perplexed by this week’s Wine of the Week. After all, it isn’t from a very well-known wine region and it is made from a grape that probably only a few of you have ever heard of, much less tasted. [...]
AOC Cotes du Rhone
This week’s Wine of the Week comes from J. Vidal Fleury, which was founded in 1781 and is the oldest continuously operating winery, grower and négociant in the Rhône Valley. It has been owned since the 1980’s by the Guigals, one of the Rhône Valley’s most well-known wine families. This [...]
AOC Fitou
Fitou is one of the oldest appellations in the Languedoc, having been granted appellation status in 1948. It is an all-red wine appellation located in the arid foothills of the Pyrenees to the south of Corbières, right on the border of the Roussillon region. There are a mixture of soil types that [...]
Vin de Pays d’Oc
When it gets this hot outside, there are few grapes that I find as refreshing as Sauvignon Blanc. Crisp acidity and loads of citrus fruits make for a wine that always seems to make the thermostat seem 10 degrees lower. There are only a handful of places in France where [...]
AOC Beaujolais- Villages
All too often the wines of the Beaujolais region are dismissed for not being “serious wines.” On many occasions I wonder what that really means – and why the idea of not being serious is considered such a put-down. Of course maybe that’s just me. After all, I love [...]
Chardonnay
It seems only appropriate that we start this week off with a bit of bubbly. After all, if you are a Spain (football) fan, you probably did some celebrating yesterday (and you might even still be doing some celebrating) and if you are a Francophile, you will most likely be looking for something to celebrate [...]
Grenache and SyrahCotes de Provence
I have just recently spent some time in Provence and I can attest to the fact that the region is as pretty as the pale pink color of its rose wines. And equally pretty, I’ve always thought, is the label of Domaine Houchart. I was at the domaine last [...]
Les Grands Chais de FranceMerlot-CabernetAOC Bordeaux Superieur
I’ve just spent the last few days in Bordeaux and so the wines of this region are very much on my mind (and my palate). Right now, everyone is talking about the 2009 vintage, which is quickly earning praise as one of the great vintages. Those wines [...]
Chenin BlancAOC Vouvray
I am pretty excited as this week I will be in the Loire for a few days as we put together some videos for the blog. We are going to pay a visit to the town of Vouvray and I am really looking forward to it. I have been to the Loire [...]
Cave du Mont Tauch Grenache, SyrahAOC CorbieresMont Tauch
As I mentioned last week, now is the perfect time for drinking rosé and this week’s Wine of the Week is an excellent and affordable example. The L’Ancien Comté is a blend of Grenache and Syrah, two grapes that are considered particularly well-suited to the production of [...]
AOC BurgundyKobrand Corporation
The wines of Jadot are always easy to spot. All of the Jadot wines bear the same distinctive yellow label with a decorative frieze highlighted by an image of Bacchus. I’ve always liked the small face Bacchus, the god of wine, at the top of the label. It reminds me [...]
AOC AlsaceW.J. Deutsch & Sons
One of my earliest wine trips, back when I first started studying wine, was to Alsace and Germany. All of the reading I had done prior to the trip had not really prepared me enough for how picturesque Alsace truly is. I was there during the summertime and one [...]
90% Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains, 10% White ClairetteAOC Clairette de DieBaron Francois
If you have ever wondered what kind of wine to serve with fresh spring and summer fruits, then look no further than the Cuvee Imperiale from La Cave de Die Jaillance. This wine, which comes from the Clairette de Die AOC in [...]
GamayAOC Beaujolais
Beaujolais is an underappreciated region – it is often overshadowed by neighboring superstar Burgundy and all too frequently consumers don’t look past Beaujolais Nouveau to see what else is produced. But slowly and surely Beaujolais has started to really come into its own. The wines are gaining more and more attention as [...]
Will, Brooklyn, NY
