A View of Northern Rhone’s Saint-Joseph through Three Wines #Winophiles

French Winophiles Explore Wines of the Northern Rhone This month, our Winophiles group is traveling (virtually of course) to the Northern Rhone. Less than an hour south of Lyon by car or train, the vineyards hug the Rhone river as it travels south to the Mediterranean. The chief grapes in the North are Syrah for … Continue reading

Wine 201: Going Deep

Guest Post from Jeff’s Son, Peter, in Dijon France Hi everyone, Jeff’s son Peter here stepping in with a guest column today! This post may or may not have been written as a friendly challenge to my dad, but I do hope it can be useful to others as well. (click on any photo below … Continue reading

Bold Women from Bordeaux….and Minnesota!

Bold Bordeaux Women and Bold Minnesota Women Wrapping up Women’s History Month this year is a complicated affair. The month started with a big promotion in New York City: “Strong Women Make Big Bordeaux Bottles”. A group of women winemakers and winery owners came to New York to promote a fun side of Bordeaux by … Continue reading

A Stroll Around Saint Emilion with a Visit to Les Cordeliers #Winophiles

French Winophiles Highlight Crémant de Bordeaux and Other Crémant Wines Crémant refers to any French Sparkling wine made in the Methode Traditionelle, outside the Champagne region. There are Crémant wines made all over France, such as Crémant de Bourgogne, Crémant d’Alsace, or Crémant de Loire. Our goal this month was to track down a Crémant … Continue reading

Aligoté Emerging from the Shadows #Winophiles

French #Winophiles Highlight God Forsaken, Forgotten, Under-the-Radar Grapes This month, our French Winophiles are looking under the rug and in the closet for those forgotten, ignored, or neglected French grapes. Take a look at our findings by scrolling down in this post for a whole list of links to some great finds. If the subject … Continue reading

French Wine 101: Taste for Yourself #Winophiles

French #Winophiles Offer Advice for Newcomers to French Wine Our French #Winophiles group is kicking off 2020 with a round of advice for newcomers to French wine. Take a look further down in this post to links to a whole list of ideas. Are you a newcomer? You’re sure to find an approach which appeals … Continue reading

Preview for French #Winophiles: Newcomer’s Guide to French Wine

Introduce a Newcomer to French Wine Imagine this: you and a friend enter a wine bar with an exceptionally deep and broad selection of By The Glass wines from around the world. Your friend tells you they would love to learn more about French wines but they don’t know where to start.  How would your … Continue reading

Vouvray Pairs with Cream #Winophiles

Loire Valley White Wine Roller Coaster I love white wines from the Loire Valley. There is such variety as you travel from the central vineyards with Sauvignon Blanc, out to the middle Loire for Chenin Blanc, and finally crisp Muscadet as you get out to the coast: perfect for the oysters nearby. There are many … Continue reading

Preview to French #Winophiles Vouvray Virtual Visit

Discover the Many Faces of Vouvray with the French Winophiles Vouvray is a French Wine region located in the Loire Valley. The wines are made exclusively from the Chenin Blanc grape, but they can take on many faces. Do you like sparkling wines? Do you like your white wines bone dry? Ever care to enjoy … Continue reading

Rasteau and the Côtes du Rhône Quality Pyramid #Winophiles

Winophiles Invade the Southern Rhône This month, our French Winophiles group studies the wines from Rasteau, one of the Cru designated villages in the Southern Rhône. Join us as we virtually travel to the south of France and enjoy with wines of Rasteau! Look further down in this post for links to all my fellow … Continue reading