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French Winophiles Explore French Wines as Gifts
This month, our French Winophiles are exploring French Wines as gifts. Did you receive a French wine over the holidays? Did you give one? Do you wish you would have received one? This might seem a bit late, but there are lots of gift giving opportunities in a year: birthdays, anniversaries, hostess gifts, housewarming. You might find a few hints worth saving. Take a look here, and look further down in this post for links to all my French Winophiles buddies for their ideas!

Picking a Wine for your Wine Geek Friend
In many ways, picking a wine for a serious wine enthusiast (aka “wine geek”) is easy. With just a bit of thought, the recipient will love your gift; much better than a pair of socks… You might want to do just a bit of homework. Do they have a favorite region, even if it isn’t France? Many wine regions around the world specialize in their version of well known grapes popularized in France. Does your friend love Napa Valley Cabernet? Try a wine from Bordeaux. A good local wine shop staff member will be able to steer you to something in your budget. Not all Bordeaux is super expensive!

Here are a few thoughts:
– Wine geeks love under-the radar-wines. Look for lesser known regions or sub-regions. No need to spend $$ on a Châteauneuf-du-Pape, look for Gigondas or Vacqueyras. They are just a short distance away with many similar characteristics. Try a Cru Beaujolais, wines from Moulin-à-Vent or Brouilly. Going really deep? See if you can find a wine from Loire Volcanique! Wines from Alsace are less well known in the US, they can offer great value and excellent drinking.
– A wine shop staff member may be able to help you find a lesser known winemaker from a popular region. These wines can be excellent and a bit more affordable.
– Wine enthusiasts have a growing interest in sustainability. See if you can find a wine from a favorite region which is certified organic or biodynamic. Find a certified organic Champagne, your friend will be thrilled!

If you were looking for me….
– I love under-the-radar regions, lesser known producers, and I have a strong preference for organic or biodynamic wines. Growers who are passionate about their vines and preserving the health and heritage of their vineyards also rate highly. The wines I’m showing in this post are from Bourgogne (Burgundy). Bourgogne wines are well known and expensive. At least the famous villages are. If you look in the lesser known areas, you can find super wines at closer to earthly prices.

Domaine Sylvain Pataille
Sylvain Pataille is right up my alley. He farms vines in Marsannay, until recently little known in the wines from the Côtes-de-Nuits. His vineyards are certified organic since 2008 and he farms using biodynamic methods. In the cellar, he uses indigenous yeasts and only uses a small amount of sulfur at bottling. While there is no such thing as an inexpensive Bourgogne wine, his wines are more reasonable than many.

Sylvain Pataille Marsannay Rouge AOC 2021 (30 € in Dijon, $45-50 in the US) 13% abv
Eye: Pale ruby
Nose: Medium plus intensity aromas of ripe cherries and strawberries, fresh rosemary, rosemary stems, thyme, cinnamon
Mouth: Dry, medium-plus acidity, medium minus silky tannins, medium minus body, medium alcohol, medium plus finish. Flavors echo the nose with the non-fruit flavors being a bit more prominent.
Observations: Light on it’s feet, this wine isn’t shy with aromas and flavors with a nice balance between fruit and earth. Very nice intensity for village level Bourgogne wines.

Domaine Sylvain Pataille Bourgogne Aligoté 2021 (19 € in Dijon, $29-35 in the US) 12% abv
Aligoté has always been the unheralded white grape in Bourgogne. In recent years, vignerons have paid more attention with where the vines are planted, yields and general care of the vines. Aligoté wines are generally bright and refreshingly acidic in contrast with their more famous Chardonnay counterparts in the region.
Eye: Pale lemon
Nose: Medium plus intensity aromas of lemon, pear, chalk, baby powder
Mouth: Dry, high acidity, medium minus body, medium alcohol, medium finish. Medium plus intensity flavors following the nose with lemon, pear and chalk impressions up front. The wine isn’t salty but gives a bit of saline impression.
Observations: Bright, refreshing acidity with bright fruit. Brings a ray of sunshine to a cold winter day in Dijon

2024 French Winophiles
The French Winophiles are a group of independent writers with a common interest in France and French wine. I have been participating since 2017! Most of us participate in a number of groups, and the work of multiple posts per month has started to take its toll. In 2024, we have combined our groups and will be taking turns between the 4 groups with a common monthly 2nd Saturday chat. French Winophiles posts are scheduled in Jan, May, Sept. Other groups you might see include Italian Food, Wine and Travel, World Wine Travel, and Wine Pairing weekend. We hope you’ll continue reading and chatting with us!

Winophiles Share their French Wine Gift Ideas
Take a look below at gift ideas from fellow Winophiles. Care to hear more? We’ll be chatting on Threads, Saturday 12 January at 11am EST. Go to Threads and search for winophiles. We’ll be looking for you!

• Camilla of Culinary Cam shares “A Red Blend from the Slopes of ‘The Giant of Provence’, Slow-Braised Venison Stew, and Merci“.
• Terri of Our Good Life says “Thank You for the Bordeaux! Plus the cassoulet we paired with it“. 
• Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm is “Celebrating a New Wine Collaboration with a Bottle of Cahors gifted to me from Family visiting from France“.
• Jeff of Food Wine Click tells “How to Gift a Wine for Your Wine Geek Friend“.
• Linda of My Full Wine Glass tells of “A Gift to the Planet: Biodynamic Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley“.
• Susannah of Avvinare is “Drinking Aged Bordeaux from Chateau La Mission Haut Brion“. 
• Gwendolyn of Wine Predator is doing double duty with “Birthday Wishes, Gifts: Cassoulet with Cotes du Rhone from Domaine du Pegau, Maison Sinnae, Famille Ravoir” and “The Gift of Wine and A Gift of Wine: 2019 Famille Perrin Cotes du Rhone Reserve with Cassoulet“

Shhh! The Wine I Received for the Holidays
My son and I are both sherry fans and he knows I have a special “guilty pleasure” spot for cream sherry. Sherry is not easy to find in France, so his gift took some doing! Just not from France.