October brought friends to Bordeaux, one of them an emeritus geology professor from San Francisco. We met Karen and Jay in Ashland, Oregon a few months before heading across the Atlantic. Wine and food, cycling and hiking, and most of all, they are two individuals who desire to explore the world, immersing themselves in all to be had including the… Read more »
As part of his masters degree program, Mark finished a four-month vineyard and winery internship (known as a stage here in France). He worked for Denis Dubourdieu Domaines, the umbrella of five chateaux owned by the family: Château Doisy Daene, Château Cantegril, Clos Floridene, Château Haura and Château Reynon. All are located in the southern area of Bordeaux: Barsac in… 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 »
Here in Bordeaux, harvest is in full swing, as are plums. We started with a variety of Italian Prune plum. The oh so petit and feminine Mirabelle were a treat. Then came the Yellow Gage, followed by a plum that resembles the Santa Rosa Plum. The Japanese or Red Plum was more familiar, as were the Greengage, and now finally… Read more »
Our second day of wine exploration in Burgundy was in the southern part of the Côte d’Or, the Côte de Beaune. For anyone who didn’t read my last post, the Côte d’Or consists of two areas: the Côte de Nuits in the North and the Côte de Beaune in the South. It started with great coffee, more precisely, Café Noisette,… Read more »
Smack in the middle of Burgundy, or Bourgogne as they say in France, you’ll find a small town once occupied by monks. They were skilled winemakers and also established a type of land categorization according to the quality of wine made on the land; it’s still used today. What would those monks think if they knew Beaune is now (hundreds… Read more »
There are so many places to visit in France, especially when one is living here for a short period. An interest in wine narrows the choice but not by much. We chose to explore Burgundy next by way of Lyon. Why Lyon one might ask? Head south and you hit the Rhone, north and end up in Burgundy. Or explore… Read more »
EuroCup 2016 was in full swing when we made it to Asti. Italy played Spain that first night and while wandering the streets once occupied by the Romans, Goths, Lombards and more, frequent bursts of excitement were heard in cafés and bars. Then victory, a massive eruption onto the streets; Italy won this match! Asti is a name I’ll bet… Read more »
It’s great to have friends who do some of the work for you when traveling. It can take hours, even days searching for the spot, the wow place. Then finally an “Ah yes, that’s it”. That’s how we bumped into Camogli. This little town lies on a strip of rocky coastline south of Genoa and north of Portofino (and the… Read more »
Scenario: Trip planned, then just days before we learned of an excellent opportunity causing us to completely change things up. That’s how we landed in Verona, land of Romeo, Juliet, and wine. Purpose: Mark attended the Tenth International Symposium on Grapevine Physiology and Biotechnology. Location: Verona is an easy 1.5 hour train ride from Milan and 1 hour from Venice…. Read more »