Wine Travel Awards – May I Have Your Vote?
There’s a new wine award this year, The Wine Travel Awards. I must confess, it’s not entirely clear what will result for the winner, but I never hesitate to throw my name in the hat! The awards are organized by the Drinks+ Communication Media Group, surprisingly, headquartered in Kyiv, Ukraine. Who knows what will happen … Continue reading
The Stunning, Rugged Landscape of Priorat and its Wines
Guest Post from MillesimaThis is a guest post from my friends at Millesima. Back in 2017, I won one of the spots in Millesima’s wine blog contest which led to a sponsored trip to En Primeur in Bordeaux. I was so impressed with the people involved, I’m happy to host this guest post on Food … Continue reading
Organic and Carbon Neutral at Champagne Drappier
Champagne Drappier with Ties to Cistercian MonksChampagne Drappier is a moderate size Champagne House located in the Côte des Bar in the village of Urville. The winery is located on the site of a winery and cellar dating back to the 12th century. Early in the 12th century, Saint Bernard of the Abbey at Citeaux … Continue reading
Getting to Know Margaret River through Vasse Felix #WorldWineTravel
World Wine Travel Writers Dream of Australia and New Zealand for 2022It’s 2022, and our World Wine Travel group is off to a new geography for the year: Australia and New Zealand. We’ll be spending the next 12 months studying the wines of these two countries from afar. Along the way, we hope to learn … Continue reading
Bandol – A Provençal Red for the Winter Table #Winophiles
French Winophiles Return to ProvenceOur French Winophiles group has virtually visited Provence on a couple of prior occasions (here and here), but we’re always happy to return. What’s not to love about the beautiful countryside, stellar weather, classic culture and delicious food? This month we’re back with an open invitation to explore any aspect of … Continue reading
Champagne Fleury – Biodynamic in Champagne Since 1989
Champagne’s Southern Section – the Côte des BarOur Champagne tour took us next to the southern reaches of the region, the Côte des Bar. The Côte des Bar is a 90 minute drive south from Reims and Epernay, it’s physically closer to the Chablis region than it is to the northern section of Champagne. While … Continue reading
Snowstorm Grilling with Troon Malbec
Grilling in a SnowstormIn Minnesota, grilling enthusiasts learn to brave the elements. Otherwise, the grill would only get used for a few months in our all-too-brief summer. Like many activities here, one just learns to be ready for the weather. Weighing a nice steak grilled over charcoal outside vs. in the oven broiler (yuch) was … Continue reading
Organic Challenges in Champagne at Moussé Fils
Our third visit in our sustainability focused tour of Champagne led us into the Marne River Valley to visit Champagne Moussé Fils in the village of Cuisles. At Moussé Fils, where we saw for ourselves the challenges involved with organic viticulture in Champagne. Disclosure: Comité Champagne sponsored our press visits for two days in the northern … Continue reading
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
A Classic House: Champagne Pommery
The Nineteenth Century, a Time of Change in ChampagneThe nineteenth century was a time of great change for the wine we know today as Champagne. At the beginning of the century Champagne was a sometimes sparkling, cloudy sweet dessert wine. Initially considered a fault, the English developed a taste for the tingly sensation of the … Continue reading