Cochem on the Mosel – More Than Riesling
Picturesque Cochem in the upper Mosel Valley is a perfect place to rendezvous with friends and explore Riesling. That’s what we did on a recent trip with an added hike to the Cochem Castle.
Category Archives: Adventures
Rosado and Sardines – A Perfect Match
Fresh sardines grilled with lemon and garlic or stuffed are tasty. We reach for our favorite pairing, a Spanish Rosado wine. Here’s a perfect summer recipe to try them both.
Epic Napa Valley Adventure
We recently spent a few days in Napa Valley on a California trip to visit friends and family. After two years in living Bordeaux, what a fabulous and interesting experience being back in Northern California. Our amazing vacation rental was cozy and relaxing, close to Oxbow Market and CIA at Copia, and the base of the Silverado Trail, situated perfectly for a stay in Napa.
Malbec and the Terroir of Doña Paula
Argentina is Malbec country. Head to Mendoza and the Uco Valley where it thrives in a variety of soils and temperatures. This is where Doña Paula is located, and where viticulturist Martin Kaiser studies terroir.
Sweet Secret of Barsac – Château Doisy-Daëne
Sauternes is a sweet wine appellation south of Bordeaux that includes five small villages. One of them, Barsac, is a sister AOP and home to Château Doisy-Daëne and many other producers. Fantastic wines are produced with modest prices. An area to check out if you’re new to Sauternes style wines.
Wine Exploration: Uruguay
The deep colored Tannat grape is thriving in Uruguay. With naturally high acid and a slant towards firm tannins, it’s fruity (cherry, plum and brambly berries) with sometime notes of spices, earth and floral. The signature grape of Uruguay, it was brought to the country in the 19th century by the Basque born immigrant Pascual Harriague and often called the “Harriague grape”.
Basque-ing in the Sud-Ouest: Wines of Irouléguy #Winophiles
Great French wines are found in the Basque. Most people think of Spain when they hear the word Basque. But a little known fact is 15% of the area lies within the South of France, where the coastal towns of Biarritz, Bayonne, and St-Jean-de-Luz entertain sun worshipers and surfers while just inland Hendaye in the Pyrénées foothills captivates hikers. The… Read more »
Vinitaly Extravaganza
A few weeks ago Vinitaly was our destination in Verona. We previously attended a few wine events in California but nothing compares to Vinitaly. What an experience! A HUGE wine conference with thousands of vendors (4,270 exhibitors from 30 countries), it’s one of the largest in the world. Knowing where things are located will keep you from wandering aimlessly. It’s… Read more »
Italy for the Holidays
December 2016. The question is whether to go to Italy for Christmas? With plenty of good reasons, there’s nothing holding us back. We decided to swap countries this holiday. Here’s a recap. Our first stop was Padova (or Padua) in north eastern Italy. Located in the Veneto wine region 30 minutes south of Venice by train, we hooked up with our… Read more »
Coteaux de Quercy Road Trip
The “Sud-Ouest” of France frequently presents us with surprises. We had no idea it’s a major area for truffles, that zen master Thich Nhat Hanh built his Plum Village there, or that the Dordogne Valley contained prehistoric cave paintings and medieval everything. Our rental even had a herd of alpacas. Exploring the wine region of Cahors with friends was the… Read more »