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 southern 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 south west… Read more »
Buying wine is like buying chocolate. They both have a world of flavors and attributes to consider. Do you want fruity or deeper earthy tastes? Belgian? Dark or milk? 85%? Then you navigate labels- Costa Rican, single origin, fair trade? You decide on a bar but see local producers as you head to check out. So many choices. The same… Read more »
To understand Bourgogne it helps to understand its regions; a few offer excellent value wines. Saint Aubin is one in particular. Bourgogne (referred to as Burgundy in many countries) is long and narrow. The whole of Bourgogne runs from the town of Auxerre in the north (the land of Chablis) to just south of Mâcon, (north of Lyon in the… Read more »
Pineau des Charentes is a complex fortified wine with a sophisticated sweet side. It’s about the mingling of grape flavors with Cognac characteristics. People say it’s fresh, sweet and fruity but for me there’s more. It’s deep layers of complex flavor that promote discussion: bright to bruised apple, ripe apricot and fig, light spice, and vanilla nuttiness. Some have floral… Read more »
There are food and wine pairings so singular, it’s hard to stray from them. Like chèvre and Sancerre in France, tomato sauce and Sangiovese in Italy, or paella and Tempranillo in Spain. Once you partake, the flavors are etched in your mind. They meld with the people and place. I’ve caught myself reminiscing…remembering that meal, that wine, that town. There’s… Read more »
With a 2,000-year winemaking history and now exporting just a portion, there’s an alluring mystery to Corsican wines. This French island, which is close to Italy and claims to be neither, is as mysterious as it’s grapes. I didn’t know much about Corsica, let alone it’s food or wine, until the French Winophiles group chose a virtual visit to the… Read more »
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 »
A dessert style wine implies it’s for dessert. Who named it that anyway?!? I’m here to tell you they aren’t just for dessert, they pair brilliantly with savory and salty snacks and dishes. Many sweet wines are fascinating. I say “many” as some are mass produced sweet wines with nothing but sweetness. I’m talking about those that see botrytis (noble… Read more »
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 »
Have you ever been asked to do something out of the blue your gut pulls you towards? Something that makes you turn inward and think? A “wow, OK, this is not what I had planned for” kind of deep thought? Adventure, wine, the unknown pass through your mind. Yet, you don’t pause; there is no doubt in your mind, you… Read more »