A Fall Day in Beaujolais #Winophiles
The French #Winophiles Pay a November Visit to Beaujolais Beaujolais is one of those enigmatic French wine regions. Well known for Nouveau Beaujolais, most wine lovers know almost nothing else about the region and the wines. Join our French #Winophiles group as we delve into the wonders of the Beaujolais! I recently had the opportunity … Continue reading
My Kingdom for a Bresse Chicken – French #Winophiles
French Winophiles Invade the Jura Have you ever had a wine from the Jura? Do you have any idea where the Jura is? You’re not alone, it’s one of the lesser known winegrowing regions in France. In fact, the wines are so spotty in their distribution, our #winophiles group had another region choice if they … Continue reading
Quick Weeknight Meal: Cod Packets with Graves – #Winophiles
Graves on a Weeknight I usually prepare in advance for our #Winophiles group. Study the region, find a recipe, purchase the wines, prepare the meal on Sunday, work on the post during the week, post on Saturday morning, then chat. I was all set this week with Jura wines, right on track. Wednesday I realized … Continue reading
Foie Gras & Steak for a Right Bank Bordeaux – French #Winophiles
French #Winophiles Continue to Explore Bordeaux Our French #Winophiles group is in the middle of a 3 month extended virtual tour through Bordeaux (links to all the other posts are further down this page). Last month, we started on the Left Bank. This month, we jump over to the Right Bank, to explore similarities and … Continue reading
Left Bank and Lentils – French #Winophiles
French #Winophiles Visit Storied Left Bank Bordeaux Our French #Winophiles group will be hanging out in Bordeaux for the next few months (if it could only be real!). This month, we are focusing our efforts on the Medoc and Haut-Medoc AOC communities. You can link to all our posts farther down the page. The AOC … Continue reading
Can You Taste Dirt? Soils & Sancerre
Tasting the Dirt There’s lots of discussion in print and online these days about terroir, soils and location vs. winemaker and who or what is more important. Do flinty, seashell filled soils produce mineral wines? I can assure you there are no actual stones in your wine. Here’s the important question: Can a regular person … Continue reading
The Red-Headed Stepchild of Sancerre #winophiles
The End of the Road for the French Winophiles Loire Valley Tour All good things must come to an end, but what a finish! Our virtual tour of the Loire Valley has taken us inland all the way to the towns of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume. The climate here is fully continental, with no moderating influence … Continue reading
Paris Oyster
Paris Oyster Julie’s cousin, Kay, an American who married a (wonderful) French Banker has explained French Culture to us as an iceberg: 10% visible, 90% invisible, as we are learning, so true. Your first step to understanding French culture can be gained by a delicious visit to a tiny restaurant in Paris. Now, let’s visit … Continue reading
My Love-Hate Relationship with Loire Whites – French #Winophiles
Warning: This is a rant, but it does have a happy ending. I hope you’ll read on. One-Two Punch Knocked Me Out In preparing for our French Winophiles virtual visit to Touraine in the Loire, I was hit by a double dose of love-hate for Loire Valley whites. First, I must say two things: I’m … Continue reading
Easy Spring Dinner with Pommes Gratin and Chinon – French #Winophiles
French Winophiles Take Touraine by Storm Continuing our virtual cruise up the Loire river, we’re picturing those fairytale castles as well as all the vineyards we’d like to visit. Moving inland, the main wine grapes remain Chenin Blanc for white and Cabernet Franc for red. However, we also start to see Sauvignon Blanc coming into … Continue reading
