Tag Archives: france

Rhone Valley Rasteau Cru – A New Generation Wine With Duck Confit #winophiles

Rasteau AOC cru confit de canard food wine pairing

This is not any wine. Nope… nor a regular duck confit dish. Prepared with potimarron and duck from a local producer, the dish and Rasteau AOC wine combo could be one of our favorites.

Biodynamic Bordeaux – Nobody’s Perfect But The Wine Is Fabulous

chateau de monfaucon petillant bordeaux sparkling wine

Dawn Jones-Cooper bought a 3.5 hectare vineyard in 2005. It’s in Entre-Deux-Mers, about 40 minutes east of Bordeaux. Right away, she learned the extent of neglect and disease in the vineyard. She tore it out, planted barley and applied comfrey. She is one of dozens in Bordeaux practicing Biodynamic agriculture. In fact, producers in wine regions around the world are… Read more »

Obscure French Rosé Wines – Drink Now

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French rosé wines provence

Many styles of rosé come in mass-produced and boutique quantities, the later are more difficult to find. Both are good, but it’s the obscure French rosé that excites me.

A Bordeaux Producer To Watch, Head to Pomerol

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Château de Sales Pomerol AOC Bordeaux

“Let her sleep, for when she wakes, she will shake the world.” ~Napoleon Bonaparte If you visited Bordeaux chances are you made it to the right bank. There you’ll find several famous appellations vying for attention including Pomerol, the smallest of Bordeaux’s most esteemed. And in this AOP (Appellation d’Origine Protegee) where there are several families who own and run… Read more »

Making Great Wines in Languedoc-Roussillon #Winophiles

domaine mirabel loriot blanc

Although some wineries have difficulties, and challenges exist in the south of France due to competition with Spanish bulk wine, Languedoc-Roussillon area vintners are producing wines well worth the search at amazing prices.

Vinexpo Bordeaux 2017

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vinexpo bordeaux 2017

Vinexpo is coming to Bordeaux July 18 through the 21st of June. So what is it and what’s it about? Here’s a quick read with a fun video at the end. Vinexpo is: an international brand established in 1981 specializes in major event and exhibition development in the wine and spirits sector, organized by and for people in the trade… Read more »

Coteaux de Quercy Road Trip

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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 »

Up To His Elbows In A Wine Internship

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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 »

Wine Time in the Country

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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 »

Lingering in Lyon (and the Rhône)

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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 »