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French Wine Explorers


St. Emilion Identity Crisis

Source: Decanter.com Saint-Emilion classification ditched March 17, 2009 Rebecca Gibb The 2006 Saint Emilion classification will be scrapped, the French Court of Appeal has ruled. A judgement claimed the system was unlawful in July 2008 and an appeal by the eight promoted properties, the Saint Emilion Wine Board and the INAO was ...

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Finally a food and wine pairing widget worth waiting for!

Food and Wine Pairing Like a Pro Which wine tastes best with pork chops in a maple glaze? Does rosemary-marinated grilled halibut invite red or white wine? Are there also great food pairings for beer, spirits, cocktails, coffee and tea? To answer these questions and thousands more, the web site NatalieMacLean.com now offers a new ...

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La Maison Bord’eaux: Yquem, Cheval Blanc…Bord’eaux?!

La Maison Bord’eaux under new ownership Pierre Lurton probably has one of the most envied jobs in in the wine world–he is President of two of Bordeaux’s top properties: Cheval Blanc, First growth of Saint Emilion and Château d’Yquem, first growth Superior of Sauternes, the top dog of the 1855 classification in ...

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Wine-themed activities in St. Emilion

  From June 13th to Septembre 23rd Exhibition Exhibition “The Jurade of Saint-Emilion, 1948-2008” Collegiate Cloister From May 1st-3rd Open doors in the Saint-Emilion wine estates Open door days in the Saint-Emilion, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, Lussac Saint-Emilion, and Puisseguin Saint-Emilion appellations. June 19th, ...

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Bordeaux Chateaux: A view of Bordeaux Prestige from one of our guests

A Visit to Two Great Bordeaux Chateaux Subject: Bordeaux Prestige Tour day 3 Pessac-Leognan and Sauterne. It is a pristine spring day in Bordeaux. There’s not a cloud in the sky. The grape vines are happy as they gather sunshine and nutrients to flower in early June, and so am I! Our first stop this […]

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Champagne France Region: How to Discover This Sparkling Area

Champagne France Region: How to Discover This Sparkling Area We made a last minute decision to go to Champagne France Region for the holidays-secretly, for selfish reasons, as Pierre’s family was gathering in Soissons, close to Reims.  I couldn’t resist the urge to go, so we packed up our family and set out for our […]

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Now is a great time for travel, time for a Champagne Sojourn

I am not one for air travel (or any travel) during the holidays.  But I was inspired this year to bite the bullet, and go with the family to the Champagne region for the Christmas holidays. This may be one of the best times to travel to Europe.  The Euro is at a respectable level […]

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The Gift of Wine

Giving the Gift of Wine Here’s a great list of suggested wines as gifts for the holidays, with different price points to match your budget.  This very informative gift list is written by Sheri Sauter Morano, Spokesperson for Wines of France. While out running the other day, my friend Jill asked me for some advice […]

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Visiting the Champagne Region, Part 2: Grower Producer Champagnes

There is another side to the Champagne region which offers a different experience and deserves equal attention from visitors who are truly passionate about champagne. This is the world of artisanally-produced grower champagne. While the large champagne houses buy the majority of the grapes they need from growers to produce their ...

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Visiting Champagne France

Champagne…the word itself conjures up images of effervescence, luxury and celebration! It’s the drink of choice for the most memorable moments in our lives…marriages, promotions, the passing into a new year. With this in mind, visiting Champagne France, for many, is like taking a pilgrimage to this unique place where dreams are made. ...

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Champagne With Chips! – Pairing Wine and Food

Natalie MacLean gives a fresh perspective on breaking the rules when pairing wine and food. You really can drink wine with just about anything, according to a new web site devoted to food and wine pairings. Zinfandel with your Tex-Mex? Not a problem. A little Chardonnay with your fried chicken take-out? Delicious. Pinot Noir and […]

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Fake Wines: How Bordeaux Producers are Beating Imposters

Fake Wines: How Bordeaux Producers are Beating Imposters In recent years winemakers have been paying increased attention to wine bottles. Why? to better protect against fake wines. As the value of Bordeaux’s top wines continue to rise so does the danger of counterfeiting. This leads the châteaux to go further than before in defending ...

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Gigondas Wines: Tasting at Chateau du Trignon

Chateau du Trignon: Gigondas Wines I only had a half day to spend with Olivier visiting estates, so I knew that we had to maximize our time together. I wanted to get two distinct impressions of terroir in the Southern Rhone Valley, and Olivier set up visits and tastings at Chateau de Trignon and Domaine […]

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Avignon France: Hotels to Consider

Hotels in Avignon France During my short stay in Avignon France for the wine and culinary tourism conference, I managed to see and/or experience six hotels in the region, most in Avignon, with a couple outside of Avignon. Here’s a brief recap of some hotels to help you get a feel for accommodations in the […]

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Popes Palace Avignon, France: Private Experiences

The Popes Palace in Avignon, Private Experiences and Tours In Avignon, at the Popes Palace, we continue our wine and culinary tourism conference, and today is dedicated to meeting as many wine and culinary tour suppliers as physically possible in one day-under one roof. The trade show is represented by regional and local tourist ...

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Chateauneuf du Pape, Chocolate and Chateaux: Day 2

Chateauneuf du Pape, Chocolate, and Chateaux We heed the early morning call and start our day at a local chocolate factory.  The business has been around for several years; this is a new venture which combines a learning element to chocolate making. I start with wine and chocolate pairings class. Our sommelier and resident ...

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