Organic in Champagne at Vazart-Coquart

Champagne Vazart-Coquart & FilsAfter visiting one of the Grand Marque Houses, our next stop was with a small grower-producer. We met with Jean-Pierre Vazart of Champagne Vazart-Coquart in the Grand Cru Village of Chouilly, not far from Epernay. The family are long-time growers in Champagne, in the early 1950’s they decided to gear up for … Continue reading

Sparkle-up Your Comfort Food with Crémant d’Alsace #Winophiles

French Winophiles Explore Crémant All Over FranceJust in time for holiday celebrations, our French Winophiles are exploring Champagne’s more affordable cousin: Crémant! Scroll down further in the post for a list of links to fellow Winophile posts highlighting Crémant from all over our favorite country. You may find a perfect sparkling wine for your holiday … Continue reading

Touring Champagne with Sustainability in Mind

The Challenge of Growing Grapes in ChampagneThe Champagne region is located at the northern limit of where wine grapes will grow. The climate is classified as cool continental, which means grape growers in Champagne contend with a short growing season with frequent rain throughout the year. The weather brings threats of spring killing frost, hail, … Continue reading

How to Balance Quality vs. Price in Bordeaux Starting with Saint Émilion #Winophiles

French #Winophiles Writers Share How to Find Quality Affordable BordeauxThis month, our French #Winophiles writers are sharing their best advice for finding affordable Bordeaux wines for your holiday table. The very top Bordeaux wines are justifiably famous, but no one would ever describe them as affordable! How then to choose? Scroll down further in this … Continue reading

Embrace the Base of the Côtes du Rhône Pyramid #Winophiles

Embracing the Base of the Rhône PyramidThis month, our French Winophiles are back in a favorite region – the Rhône Valley. The Rhone Valley straddles its namesake river and extends 250km from north to south. The northern section of the wine region is much cooler, with a continental climate. The southern section features a warm … Continue reading

The Jura Beyond Vin Jaune #Winophiles

French Winophiles Return to the JuraThis month, our French Wine Fans are circling back to the Jura. It’s been a while, the last time we featured this region was in 2016. This tiny region is located just east of Bourgogne (Burgundy) leading to the foothills of the Alps. Take a look farther down this post … Continue reading

Alsace Wines Shine with Summer’s Bounty Risotto #Winophiles

French Winophiles Love AlsaceOur French Winophiles writers love Alsace, but it’s been a while since our last official virtual visit. We’re excited to be returning this month with our latest discoveries from the region. Scroll further down in this post for a list of links to all our fellow writers’ posts. Alsace is UniqueTerroir is … Continue reading

Maury Savory and Sweet #Winophiles

Roussillon and MauryThis month, our intrepid French Winophiles are going far under-the-radar to the community of Maury in Roussillon. As if Roussillon isn’t already under-the-radar! Roussillon is located in the far southwest tip of France. It borders on Spain and is surrounded by the Mediterranean and a variety of mountains including the Pyrenées. How’s that … Continue reading

Remembering a Walk in Chablis over Dinner #Winophiles

French Winophiles Love Chablis!This month, our French Winophiles are heading for a virtual visit to Chablis, the northernmost region of Bourgogne (aka Burgundy). Take a look farther down in this post for a list of links to all my fellow Winophiles for lots of great information and ideas for Chablis! Chablis – the Northern Outpost … Continue reading

A Reluctant Look at French Grapes Outside of France #Winophiles

My French Grapes Outside of France Rant Our French Winophiles are exploring French Grapes outside of France this month. I was fully prepared to just skip this month as I’m firmly in the camp of “Does the world really need ANOTHER source of Cabernet Sauvignon?” The “big six” French grapes – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, … Continue reading