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French Wine Explorers
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French Wine Explorers on
12/07/2011 9:07 PM
Getting to Beaune is not an easy proposition if you live anywhere outside of western Europe. I am so glad I decided to arrive a day early, catch my breath, and awaken fresh for the gastronomique “workout” that lay ahead. French Wine Explorers, a tour operator specializing in wine tours in France, planned the […]
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French Wine Explorers on
11/30/2011 4:47 PM
Pascale Bernasse of French Wine Explorers has been honored with an enviable spot on the 2011 List of Top Travel Specialists, published by high-end luxury travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler. The annual list by Condé Nast Traveler, the country’s premiere travel publication, represents the world’s finest travel companies, and is ...
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French Wine Explorers on
10/25/2011 7:55 PM
It sounds faddish, applying organic or biodynamic techniques to wine production. Yet, the movement is gradually catching on, and several of France’s most eminent wine estates, such as Chapoutier in the Rhône Valley and the Domaine Leflaive in Burgundy, are adherents. What has attracted them? Some say it is a return to basic ...
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French Wine Explorers on
10/06/2011 2:52 PM
Bordeaux Wines Best Affordable Bordeaux to Drink Now Sometimes it seems that all we hear is the high price of great Bordeaux wines. The Asian market, for example, has lifted the price of Bordeaux First Growths to unbelievable levels. The national television news this week carried the story of a new high for a bottle […]
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French Wine Explorers on
08/01/2011 4:30 PM
Did you ever wonder about those retail store vintage notes, and point scores posted near the bottles? How helpful are these shortcuts? To answer this, let’s go back to basics. (More on our post on “Points are for Ping Pong…”)What is meant by a good vintage, and what do point scores mean? Grapes ...
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French Wine Explorers on
06/24/2011 3:04 PM
Classification of Wines – What does all mean? The idea of classification of wines, and controlling wines from the standpoint of quality, is not a new idea. Centuries ago the Dukes of Burgundy decided that Gamay was an inferior grape, and banned its production. The Pinot Noir grape was planted instead, and is the basis for […]
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French Wine Explorers on
06/06/2011 6:16 PM
Wine Society: Bordeaux and Burgundy How To Gain Entrée Into a Wine Society San Diego is home to chapters of several world-renowned wine societies where swirling, sniffing, sipping and slurping are practiced with aplomb. Members regularly gather celebrating the vine in all its gustatory and intellectual glory. It’s the perfect place ...
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French Wine Explorers on
04/14/2011 8:22 PM
When you are on a wine tour in France and visit a fine wine estate, and the winemaker tells you something of the subsoil, climate and location of the estate, he is talking about terroir. The word probably comes from the French word terre, meaning earth, but now it means much more. The French have […]
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French Wine Explorers on
03/09/2011 8:58 PM
When I was in college, the entertainment budget for my international relations club was so small that once we resorted to serving Sparkling Burgundy. It was dreadful. How times have changed! The French are now producing superior sparkling wines in addition to champagne. Gradually, we are getting to know them. It’s worth the effort. ...
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French Wine Explorers on
02/07/2011 7:07 PM
Louis Latour: Beautiful Burgundy Wines to Try Today There’s no better way to discover Burgundy wine than on a wine tour. While you’re planning your Burgundy tour and waiting in anticipation for your trip, tasting Burgundy wine at a tasting event is another great way to further your knowledge of the region. Louis-Fabrice ...
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French Wine Explorers on
01/31/2011 8:24 PM
Our last blog article featured the great wines of St. Emilion. We continue our journey in the Bordeaux region and head for Pomerol. Pomerol, population 848, is famous for several matters related to its excellent wine. First, the wines have not been officially classified, which is a sort of wine making oneupmanship, for the ...
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French Wine Explorers on
12/07/2010 3:03 PM
Many of our readers know from our blog post Champagne-Why I love this area, that we never tire of Champagne! Bill focuses on non-vintage Champagne for this post, and allows the armchair traveler a tour of the Champagne Wine Region. A recent extensive tasting at Wide World of Wines in Washington, D.C., allowed us to […]
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French Wine Explorers on
09/14/2010 2:57 PM
Care to buy some fine wines before they are even bottled? It is a well known practice, enabling wine producers recoup their costs early. Wine retailers are now sending around notices that wine futures for the heralded 2009 Bordeaux vintage are now available. A wine futures contract locks in a present price for wine to […]
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French Wine Explorers on
08/31/2010 11:40 PM
French Wine Explorers has been named as one of the world’s best wine tours by Travel + Leisure magazine, as well as a dream vacation experience by Wine Enthusiast magazine. Travel + Leisure’s September issue applauds French Wine Explorers for their focus and accessibility to the top wine producers in France and Italy. The company’s ...
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French Wine Explorers on
08/25/2010 6:53 PM
French Wine Explorers has a new Facebook fan page! We hope you’ll join on our French Wine Explorers Fan Page to keep up to date on our news, be the first to hear about tours and specials, enjoy gorgeous photos, and, of course, learn more about France and its wines. Thank you so much to […]
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French Wine Explorers on
08/04/2010 5:24 PM
Bill Shepard, Wine Editor With prices for Bordeaux grands crus wines spiraling out of sight, wine lovers want to get the most for their money. What the French call “le rapport qualité/prix” is more important than ever. One good strategy is to explore the world of second wines now being made by nearly every classified […]
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