Burgundy in central eastern France is fabled wine country with thousands of grape growers, hundreds of winemakers, and many shippers.

Not too long ago, shippers dominated export markets. They had the means to buy unfinished wines, sometimes blend them, at other times barrel age and bottle. Needless to say, they could afford to finance foreign travel to open new markets and/or promote their brands.

Today, many grape growers make their wines, sometimes with a little help from consultants, and promote travelling in large groups to distant markets pouring their wines.

Some are great wines, others “interesting, but never dull.

Bouchard Pere et Fils was founded by a Belgian textile manufacturer and merchant who travelled frequently to France to sell. He loved Burgundy so much that in 1731 decided to settle in Volnay and ship wine to Belgium. In the 19^th century, Bouchard expanded to make wine and also stared buying bulk for blending and moved to Chateau de Beaune, where it remains to day.

The company owns 130 hectares on the Cote d’Or  (stretching from Dijon to Chagny, a small village with an excellent Michelin starred restaurant called La Meloise) of which 12 are classified as Grands cru, and 74 premiere crus.

In Burgundy there are 23 regional appellations representing 53 per cent of all vineyards. Most are on flatlands and away from the hills. 30 per cent in village appellations, 15 per cent or 570 vineyards premiere cru (classified vineyards) and two per cent or 33 vineyards grands cru which represent the best terroirs.

In Burgundy the vineyards are classified, whereas in Bordeaux château (estates) reign.

In Burgundy consumers must know about the classification of vineyards and the difference between grand cru, premiere cru, village and regional appellation and take into consideration the reputation of the shipper or winery.

Some unscrupulous shippers buy village quality wines age them to sell as premiere cru, or under brands of their own and classify them higher than they should be at elevated prices.

Chevalier Montrachet is a single vineyard classified as grand cru, and may be marketed by a few shippers as such because it is very small, but Montrachet is a village appellation, not Le Montrachet, a single classified vineyard, made and marketed many growers and shippers.

Meursault is a village appellation, but Meursault Genevrieres is single vineyard classified as premiere cru.

Bouchard Pere et Fils has also a few “monopole” wines which are exclusive to the company and only marketed by it i.e Vigne de l’Enfant Jesu, Beaune Clos de la Mousse, Volnay Fremiets, Clos de la Rougeotte, Beaune du Chateau. In Cote d’Or the prime grapes are pinot noir for reds and chardonnay for white. In Burgundy there are other varieties that can be quite pleasant and flavourful – gamay, auxerrois, aligote, pinot blanc are the main lesser known varieties.

Gamay is predominant in Beaujolais, others in small parcels throughout the region.

The vineyards in Burgundy are finely classifies into small sections making a mosaic of terroirs with countless nuances.

Bouchard Pere et Fils is an ambassador of this diversity, harvesting fruit fro a great number of remarkable vineyards all over Cote d’Or and now also in Fleurie, one of the 10 cru of Beaujolais. The winery is called Villa Ponciago.

Luc Bouchard visits Toronto very year for a tasting;

The highlights of this year’s tasting for me were:

Whites:

Meursault Perrieres, 2008,Premiere Cru, Cote d’Or

Brillaint  light yellow with green tinges. Aromas of pears/apples, floral and whiff of oak. A full bodied wine yet subtle with elegant mineral flavours and long aftertaste.

93/100

$ 47.00

Chevalier Montrachet, 2008, Grand Cru, Cote d’Or

The village of Puligny Montrachet has six grand cru vineyards the largest of which is Chevalier Montrachet (7 hectares).Floral, fruit and toast aromas waft out of the glass. Complex flavours, medium bodied, elegant with good aging potential. A divine wine.

94/100

$ 255.00

Corton Charlemagne, 2008, Grand Cru, Cote d’Or

The village of Aloxe Corton has 12 grand cru classified vineyards. This grand cru offers intense fruit, mineral, and toast aromas. Well-extracted, rich and powerful with personality and excellent finish.

94é100

$ 149.00

Meursault Les Clous, 2007

This village quality Meursault offers floral aromas. It is subtle with fine acid undertones and smooth clean finish.

93é100

$ 47.00

William Fevre Chablis wines.

The company is owned by Mr. Henriot the owner of Bouchard  Pere et Fils

Chablis Bougros Cote Bougerots, 2008

Chablis comes in four quality levels. Chablis Grand cru, Chablis Premiere Cru, Chablis and Petit Chablis.

There are only seven grand cru vineyards. This wine originates in one, and offers depth, extraordinary fruit ripeness, and elegance. Complex flavours in the mouth make it apprpriate with seafood.

91é100

$ 81.00

Chablis Les Preuses, 2008

Alond aromas waft out of the glass. The mid-palate is soft, layered and with fine acid backbone. A superb wines for delicate seafood i.e. Dover Sole Colbert, shrimp in a cream and dill sauce, scallops in dill sauce, and salmon Swedish stye

91/100 $ 81.00

Chablis Les Clos, 2008

Offers fruit (apples/pears) aromas, depth, refinement and elegance. Smooth and enticing texture and minerality and good length.

94/100

$ 93.00

Red wines

Savigny Les Beaune Les Lavieres, 2007 Premiere Cru

Ripe berry aromas waft out of the glass, followed by intense flavours of mushrooms and forest floor. Good acidity and medium body with a long finish. Can be cellared for to five years.

89/100

$ 40.00

Beaune du Château, 2007, Premiere Cru

This property is owned by Bouchard Pere et Fils since 1907. The wine is a blend of 17 premiere cru vineyards.

Perfume aromas, harmonious, soft and elegant.

90/100

$ 39.00

Gevrey Chambertin, 2007

The fruit originates in communal vineyards on flatland, but the wine offers strawberry aromas along with typical forest floor smells. Appealing, fleshy, mouthful with a long finish.

Cellar for two to three years with a potential for five more years.

91/100

$ 45.00

Clos Vougeot, 2007, Grand cru

This enclosed 50-hectare property has more than 70 owners. Some own a few rows. This grand cru classified wines offers fruit aromas, with a hint of spice and oak. On the palate it is refines and elegant with depth.

Superb with roast rack of lamb or veal, hard or semi hard cheeses.

A “meditation” wine.

91/100

$ 169.00

Le Corton, 2007, Grand Cru

From Aloxe Corton’s grand cru vineyard this extraordinary wine smells of ripe berries, forest floor and spice. Well balanced and structured with a long and satisfying finish.

92/100

$ 102.00

Recently Bouchard Pere et Fils acquired an old property in Fleurie, Beaujolais. Three wiens were offered for tasting:

Beaujolais Village, 2009, Villa Ponciaga

Offers freshness fruitiness of a true gamay grown on granitic sandy soils of the region.

92/100

$ 17.00

Villa Ponciaga La reserve Les Haut du Py, 2009

Fruity, offering freshness, lively flavours and silky texture. Would complement cold cuts, roast leg of lamb, even roast chicken, and meat casseroles.

91/100

$ 23.00

All above wines can be ordered through R. Woodman Wines and Spirits Toronto.

Private roders take approximately eight weeks to arrive.

For more information contact Jason at Woodman Wines and Spirits

Never miss a post! subscribe via RSS or subscribe via e-mail. Post writer – Hrayr Berberoglu – E-mail – Read his books?   Professor B offers seminars to companies and interested parties on any category of wine, chocolates, chocolates and wine, olive oils, vinegars and dressings, at a reasonable cost.

This sun-drenched Mediterranean island in the Tyrennian Sea just north of Sardinia and west of Tuscany is French territory. Although the name sounds Italian and it is, the native language is closer to Italian than French. Corsica has been administered as a department for well over three centuries. There have been vineyards in Corsica for at least 2500 years, but the natives did not often have the pleasure and leisure to cultivate them. This rugged island was invaded so frequently that its history consists of conquest, revolution and strivings for independence. Hostile invasions and malaria infested shore lands forced the population to retreat inland, preferring a tough existence up in the mountains than having to fight invaders.

The vineyards were planted up in the hills, until 1960’s, when malaria was vanquished; large mechanized vineyards were established, often by pied noirs (French who had resided in Algeria and were forced to relocate after Algeria declared independence) They planted Carginan, Grenache, Cinsault and Alicante all French grape varieties with which they were familiar, although Corsican farmers have always favoured Nielluccio

( thought to be a clone of Sangiovese), Sciaccarello (found only on the island) and Vermentino for white wines.

Pied noirs emphasised quantity over quality and along with local controlling agency’s complacency to enforce laws, quality declined, and insipid wines started to hit markets; this quickly turned against Corsican wines. As a result of huge declines in export sales violence broke out in 1973 and wine scandals were uncovered with serious consequences. Regardless authorities took their time and only in 1983 made efforts to restructure the wine industry and created an appellation controlee law, but still today 50 percent of the production consists of Vin de Corse, Patrimonio (480 hectares), Ajaccio and Calvi (each 200 hectares), Figari (130 hectares), Sartene (170 hectares) are entitled to appellation controlee designation. Today some 70 independent wineries and co-operatives produce and market Corsican wines.

Skalli, head-quartered in Sete on the mainland, better known for its Fortant de France label, is well established in eastern Corsica producing inexpensive, mass-market wines that sell well in France, but not in export markets.

Corsican wines, probably more than anywhere else, reflect the rugged terroir. They are rustic, rough-hewn but charming in their own way, go well with local specialties, and when made by traditional TECHNIQUES, AGE VERY WELL. White Vermentino can also be great is fruit is sourced from high-altitude vineyards inland.

Corsicans like their wines and landscape are complicated. Their culture is both distinct and fragmented, each valley and town has its own dialect, its own cheeses, its own specialties, its rustic wines and yes, even its own vendettas.

When both Sciaccarello and Grenache are judiciously selected and blended the wine can be fine, but fails to age. Sciaccarello grows well on the granitic soils on the southern and western parts, like Sartene and Ajaccio, the latter of which is Napoleon Bonaparte’s birthplace.

Niellucio does well in the heartland and around Porti Vecchio in the south. Independent wineries created the Patrimonio wine class emphasising traditional grape varieties and growing region. These are generally fine wines worth tasting and consuming even though all tend to be robust and require some cellaring.

Muscat, a popular grape around the Mediterranean basin, thrives in Corsica and may be vinified dry, off dry, or sweet, but always with high alcohol and fruit-driven.

One style of wine that traditionalists shun – rose can be delightful here.

Grenache and Niellucio, a naturally tannic grape, when vinified expertly can be outstanding, refreshing, and show spiciness to complement charcuterie and grilled fish.

Corsica offers a range of wines, styles and eccentricity, but only those of Patrimonio wineries stand out. Co-operatives stick to quantity and hope that they can wine markets over by low prices.; something unlikely to happen

Corsican wines have not been exported to any large extent to North America in the last 25 years, but you can expect to see some full of vigour in the coming years. These forthright, sometimes earthy wines of character and individuality are worth a try/

Recommneded wineries:

Clos Capitoro, Domaine de Pratavone, Alain Courreges, Domaine Comte Peraldi, Orenga du Gaffory, Domaine Leccia, Antoine Arona, Clos Marfisi, San Quilico, Clos de Bernardi, Pastricciola, Dzomaine de Terracia, Domaine de Catarelli, Domaine de Tanella, Domaine Fiumicoli, Felix Andreani

Never miss a post! subscribe via RSS or subscribe via e-mail. Post writer – Hrayr Berberoglu – E-mail – Read his books?   Professor B offers seminars to companies and interested parties on any category of wine, chocolates, chocolates and wine, olive oils, vinegars and dressings, at a reasonable cost.

Driving north from Marseille on the Mediterranean coast my friend and I were enjoying the beautiful scenery of vineyards and the majestic Rhone River.

The rugged, sun-baked soil brown with shrubs here and there seemed to prepare us for the Rhone valley, famous for its red wines. But the region also produces some memorable white wines, like Beaume de Venice, St. Joseph, viognier based wines, and Chateau Grillet.

Coming from the south, the famous Cotes du Rhone appellation is Chateauneuf du Pape deriving its name from the summer residence of Popes in the 12^th century.

The heavy, heady, velvety, and full-bodied red wines of the region are world famous. What only a few seasoned wine connoisseurs know is that there is also a white Chateuneuf-du-Pape. It can be an excellent wine in the hands of caring winemakers.

After tasting a number of wines in the region and fine lunch in of the many restaurants in town, we decided to visit Chateau Grillet further north.

Chateau Grillet may be visit by appointment only.

When we finally arrived at the château after passing the towns of Cornas, Gigondas, Tain Hermitage the son of the owner Mr. Neyret-Gachet was waiting for us.

Château Grillet is a two-hectare property and the only vineyard in all of France with its own appellation. Overlooking the mighty Rhone River, the terraced vineyards are beautiful to look at and one can understand the reasons for their delicacy, rarity and value.

Unlike most other appellations in the Cotes du Rhone Chateau Grillet is planted to one grape variety: viognier. It produces 9000 – 10,000 bottles a year and one wine only.

The vines are at least 25 years old, most much older yielding wines of depth, elegance and amplitude few others can match. The yields are low (five tones per hectare) and this partially explains the reason of excellence. Researchers traced back the origins of viognier to the Dalmatian Coast in the Adriatic Sea, which seems plausible, given the fact that the vine likes sunny climates to yield it best.

Chateau Grillet wines are aged for a minimum of two years in small 225-litre casks and generally contain 15 per cent ABV, although one can hardly detect the distinct smell of alcohol. This is mostly due to the high extract level of the wine.

The wine is so famous and there are so many wine enthusiasts wanting to visit the property that management offers no tasting. If you wish to taste the wine you must buy a bottle and they will serve it.

This is unique in France, for that matter anywhere else in the world, but given the small production and extraordinarily high demand the management sees nothing wrong with this policy.

In 2008 the owner decided to sell a bottle of 2005 and after decanting the golden coloured, unctuous wine he poured a glass of the brilliant wine emanating peach and apricot aromas. In the mouth, the wine revealed its true attributes – smooth, full bided and multidimensional evolving from fruitiness to elegance and balance. The finish was long and satisfying.

Chateau Grillet seems to be more famous outside of France than within. Thousands come to visit from Japan, the U S A, Australia and elsewhere, but only a few French.

Curnonsky (a famous French food and wine critic) wrote in the 19^th century that Château Grillet wines smelled of violets and earth! He went as far to compare the wine of the chateau to the venerable Chateau d’Yquem in Sauternes, Coulee de Serrant in the Loire Valley and Chateau Chalon. How these wines can be compared remains a mystery since Chateau d’Yquem is very sweet, Chateau Chalon and Coulee de Serrant dry. But then again wine styles change over time, according to prevailing tastes of the public. This applies only to wines that can be altered in both taste and texture.

Regardless Chateau Grillet is a unique wine in its own right.

In fact after tasting a bottle we decided to buy two bottles and after driving to Champagne then Alsace and through Switzerland to Italy the wine was still in excellent condition.

An impromptu tasting of some Italian wines and Château Grillet in a famous wine producing town in Italy proved that the wine is incomparable. Both bottles were empty in a few mintes.

Never miss a post! subscribe via RSS or subscribe via e-mail. Post writer – Hrayr Berberoglu – E-mail – Read his books?   Professor B offers seminars to companies and interested parties on any category of wine, chocolates, chocolates and wine, olive oils, vinegars and dressings, at a reasonable cost.

These days North Americans have developed an unprecedented appreciation and consumption of these elegant and flavourful chocolates. Several artisan producers invent new taste sensations, shapes,  fillings and textures to entice consumers.

Chocolates, as we know it, is a Spanish invention. In fact, before conquistadors set foot on Aztec lands, no European knew about cocoa. Aztecs used cocoa beans as currency, and also made a bitter drink from these beans believing them to have aphrodisiac qualities.

Spaniards were intrigued with cocoa. They brought the plant to Europe and planted it, but, coca being a tropical tree, succumbed to the perils of the continental climate.
After several tries, Spanish confectioners were successful in producing an edible chocolate by combining sugar, cocoa, and cocoa butter. The Dutch, Swiss, and Belgian confectioners perfected production techniques. The French ever the gastronomic genius, developed a taste for dark chocolate and employed several manufacturers to satisfy demand.

Valrhona, in the village Tain l’Hermitage, in the Rhone Valley, has been producing chocolates and couverture since 1922, and enjoys a worldwide reputation for its dark, deeply flavoured chocolates.

The company has two divisions – consumer and trade.

The consumer division is reputed for its generic and single plantation chocolates. The grand cru line offers intensity, flavours of nuts, fruits, and elegance. Then there are several blends of coca butter content at different levels i.e 33, 40, 66, 70, and 85.

Cocoa fro Palmira bars originate in Venezuela, Apamakia from Madagascar, and Gran Couva from Trinidad, all of which are dark and display the characteristics of the soil and climate of the estate.

There are also blends with pecan, orange; the temptation line worth a range of spices and nuts.

The bigger division produces couverture chocolates for the restaurant and artisan chocolatiers.

Valrhona spends considerable funds to train pastry chefs in different countries including the U S A, Canada, Russia, Lebanon, Japan and China.

Recently, the travelling pastry chef of Valrhona was in Toronto to demonstrate recipes that he in conjunction with other pastry chefs invented.

He used a revolutionary chocolate concentrate (Coeur de Guanaja), Nyanbo from Ghana at 68 per cent cocoa butter and many other delectable Valrhona products.

All tasted memorable. They were intense and visually highly attractive.

Lentia, represents Valrhona couverture chocolates in Canada importers of fine foods for the trade and consumer products by a company in Montreal,

Valrhona bars are sold in high-end grocery stores across the continent and are well worth the price.

Never miss a post! subscribe via RSS or subscribe via e-mail.   Post writer – Hrayr Berberoglu – E-mail – Read his books?

The Mosel River winds for 544 kilometres from its source in the Vosges Moutnains of France, where it is called Moselle. Over the centuries the Mosel has carved thourh rock and slate to create one the world’s greatest terrois for white wine.

The Riesling wines produced here are known for their delicacy, aromas, low alcohol, vibrant acidity, crisp freshness, elegance and refinement.

Riesling, without the shadow of a doubt, is the best white wine grape of Germany, and arguably, of the world. Some wine critics maintain that of all grapes Riesling expresses terroir best and German winemakers always say that fine riesling is made in the vineyard and not in the winery.

Germany has 13 wine growing regions, but only two of worldwide fame – Mosel and Rheingau.

For my money, Mosel is slightly better than Rheingau when it comes to finesse, delicacy and aromatics.

The winding Mosel, after incorporating Rivers Saar and Ruwer at Trier, is not only beautiful, but offers incomparable vistas of vineyards and landscapes on which to plant vines. Many are on steep slopes, where only nimble humans can navigate up and down. At the end of each harvest, many hours are spent to lug was earth up on the slopes. While in many flatland vineyards 400 hours of labour suffices to tend one hectare throughout the year ad harvest the fruit, in the Mosel approximately 1800 hours are needed pending the location.

Although costs are higher than elsewhere in Germany and in most other regions of the world, Mosel wines cost on average much less than others products. This is because in the past insipid and inexpensive Mosel wines were exported, and millions still think these libations sweet and cloying.

Actually, Mosel wines range from off dry to sweet, but all are balanced, low in alcohol, are aromatic and refreshing. They contain sufficiently high levels of acidity to render then refreshingly light, and never too sweet.

On both banks of the entire Mosel River there are vineyards pending on aspect of the location.

The best single vineyards on the Mosel are located in the Middle Mosel stretching from the town of Bernkastel to Urzig. In this section the river, the best and most famous vineyards are located. i.e.

Leiwener Klostergarten
Trittenheimer Laurentiusberg
Trittenheimer Apotheke
Trittenheimer Altarchen
Piesporter Goldtropfchen
Burglayer Kappelchen
Burglayer Gunterslay
Burglayer Rosenberg
Wintricher Grosser Herrgott
Brauneberger Juffer
Bernkasteler Graben
Bernkasteler Schlossberg
Bernkasteler Doctor
Bernkasteler Bratenhofchen
Graacher Himmelreich
Graacher Domprobst
Zeltinger Himmelreich
Wehlener Sonnenuhr
Urziger Wurzgarten

These vineyards of excellence are based on three factor; climate, mineral-rich slate and volcanic soils, and age of vines.

They constitute the building blocks of fine wines. There are many wineries in the Mosel region. Some have vineyards and buy grapes from growers; others rely exclusively on the fruit of their properties.

The best known and reputable wineries are: J J Prum, A S Prum, Dr Loosen, Dr H. Thanisch, Pauly Begweiler, Wegeler, Egon Muller, Zilliken, Markus Molitor, Max Ferdinand Richter, Selbach-Oster, Studert-Prum, Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt.
Dr. Loosen is one fo the best and most reswpected wineries int eh reigon with single-vineyards in bernkastel, Graach, Wehlen, Urzig, and Erden.

In Bernkastel, the vineyard is called Lay, the soil of which is mostly slate, but heavier and deeper than in Wehlen and Graach. The vineyard is on a gentle slope, and produces richly textured, assertive wines.

Graacher Himmelreich faces south and west, and contains deep soils. The wines combine elegance and a rustic strength with mineral undertones, which contribute to their cellaring potential in successful vintages. Spatlese and Auslese quality level wines of this vineyard can be cellared for decades.

Before modern watches were invented all along the Mosel River sundials were located atop the vineyards. They were the public clocks that one can still see in some Middle Eastern countries for the benefit of the population, who cannot afford to buy a watch.

The best locations were always where the sun shone the longest and most intense. Naturally, these happened to be the best vineyard sites as well.

There are only few sundials (Sonnenuhr in German) left along the Mosel.

Wehlener Sonnenuhr has 65 hectares of steep, slate covered slopes that face southwest. The slate absorbs the sun’s heat and keeps radiating after sunset. This single vineyard enjoys Grand cru status among Mosel single-vineyards.

It has very thin soil, and the purest blue slate of any vineyard in the region, ad which is responsible for the minerality, along with a delicate and crisp acidity that balances the white peach and lemon aromas. Wehlener Sonnenuhr from selected plots is aristocratic and elegant.

Urziger Wurzgarten is extremely steep and leis in a bend of the river resembling an amphitheatre. The wines are exotic with aromas of tropical fruits, and earthy. The soil is red volcanic and is covered with slate.

Erdener Treppchen is so steep that steps had to be carved to facilitate workers’ movements. The iron-infused, red-slate soil produces muscular and complex wines with intense minerally finish. They should e bottle-aged for a few years to achieve their flavour potential.

Dr. Loosen’s Erdener Treppchen wines are marketed in kabinett, spatlese, auslese, beerenauslese and eiswein quality levels.

Erdener Prelat measures 1.75 hectares and yields some of the best wines of Mosel. The vineyard faces south and the soil is composed of red slate, yielding wines of unequalled power and nobility. The location and the river ensure exceptional ripeness in every vintage. Quality levels marketed by Dr. Loosen are auslese and above.

NOTE: Dr. Loosen is involved in a joint venture with Château Ste. Michelle in Washington state that produces phenomenally aromatic, elegant and deeply flavoured Eroica Riesling.

Never miss a post! subscribe via RSS or subscribe via e-mail.   Post writer – Hrayr Berberoglu – E-mail – Read his books?

The valley of the lower reaches of the mighty Loire River is a veritable garden of wines.
Loire, a lush green valley, was at one time, playground to courtiers, French nobility, kings ad queens.
Many aristocrats built chateaux to entertain their friends and concubines. Many of these lavishly built chateaux are today museums, and/or hotels or alternately wineries.
Although Loire is France’s largest river, it cannot be used for navigation. It is shallow and there are too many islands in it. This lovely region produces a wide range of wines – red, rose, white, dry, off dry, sweet, and sparkling.
Some go well with simple fare, others are just for quaffing, yet others are worth of gastronomic meals and a few lend themselves beautifully to desserts.
The personality and character of Loire wines change with geology, and geography.
Nowhere is the saying “wine is liquid geography” as true as here.
The river runs through the chalky hills of the Paris basin and “old rocks” of the Massif Armoricain.(Massif is a topographical feature of a mountain mass generally formed of rocks more rigid and older than those surrounding it. Massifs range in size from a few, to hundreds of square kilometres), Loire has four distinct sub-regions: Touraine, Saumur, Anjou and Sancerre.
It is amazing how a substantial variety and styles in Touraine, Saumur, and Anjou derive from two grape varieties – chenin Blanc and cabernet franc.
The chenin blanc is known as pineau d’Anjou.
In Sancerre, sauvignon blanc reigns supreme, but one must not forget the delicious muscadet wines grown close to the Atlantic Ocean. Chardonnay is found everywhere, and there is a substantial acreage of gamay, malbec, and pinot noir.
Touraine is home to appellations Vouvray, Montlouis, Chinon, Bourgeuil, Amboise, Azay-le-Rideau, Coteaux du Loire and Jasnieres.
Wines range from dry to off-dry, rose and light reds, and the soil yellow tuffeau to argillaceous chalk.
Saumur has long been noted for its sparkling wines produced by the methode champenoise, but sold at less than half the cost of champagne. Saumur sparkling wines are light, soft, fruity, and fun to enjoy. They don’t cellar well, so drink them within a year or two of vintage.
Veuve Amiot brand is particularly famous and recommended.
Anjou here the terroir consists mainly of cretaceous chalk, clay, and schist. The best reds come from cabernet franc, roses cabernet sauvignon, gamay and cot.
The wines of Savennieres, Coteaux de l’Aubance, Coteaux de Layon, Bonnezaux, Quarts de Chaume and Coteaux de la Loire are particularly appreciated by connoisseurs.
Bonnezaux and Quart de Chaume enjoy elevated status for their sweet wines made from chanin blanc and which trend to be perfumy, and long-lived.
Muscadet is found just below, in gardens east of the city of Nantes. Chenin blanc and cabernet franc are replaced by muscadet and other grapes. Here Muscadet de Sevre et Maine, Muscadet de Coteaux de la Loire, and Muscadet Cotes de Grand Lieu stand out.
Here the granitic soil yields outstanding dry wines that go best with steamed mussels or light seafood.
Muscadet sur Lie is another unique specialty since the wine is kept on its lees for at least six months, but most winemakers keep it for one year, and then bottled. Sur lie wines must be consumed shortly after bottling and possess a yeasty aroma akin to freshly baked bread.
Sancerre contains 2500 hectares of vineyards planted to sauvignon blanc and pinot noir (25 per cent). This sub-region has three soil types; stony limestone with little soil, flinty (silex), and clay limestone (argilocalcaire), each of which gives a different taste to the wine.
Most Sancerre is made in stainless steel tanks, but a few top class are barrel fermented and barrel aged briefly. Sancerre wines display a typical sauvignon blanc grassiness, gooseberry and grapefruit aromas.
Red and rose Sancerre made from pinot noir are light and fruity, but must be enjoyed shortly after bottling, and ideally with food.
Loire wines represent excellent value, are versatile and deserve the attention than they receive.

Never miss a post! subscribe via RSS or subscribe via e-mail.   Post writer – Hrayr Berberoglu – E-mail – Read his books?

Beaujolais, a light red wine vented exclusively using gamay, has delighted millions. It is, when well made and from a successful vintage, enchanting, easy-to-drink, uncomplicated, and goes with many different foods.
You can enjoy a glass in between meals, with meals, snacks, sandwiches, in short it as a versatile wine.
There are many styles of this popular wine:
Cru Beaujolais from 10 recognized villages
Beaujolais Village from 35 classified villages
Beaujolais from a vast area in southern part of the region
Beaujolais nouveau
The last category of the hierarchy becomes ubiquitous upon release the third Thursday of November every year regardless of harvest date.
Beaujolais nouveau (literally new Beaujolais) is made from hand-harvested grapes during the same year.
Winemakers employ the carbonic maceration technique to produce this light wine that never “sees” the inside of a barrel.
Carbonic maceration involves placing whole bunches in an enclosed tank with a false bottom. A small amount he grapes is crushed, placed in a container and pushed into the bottom shelf of the tank. During the fermentation, the carbon dioxide that is given off cannot escape, and circulates among the bunches above. This creates an intracellular fermentation of berries. They swell, and their skins become almost translucent. After two to three days the grapes are crushed and an ordinary wine making formula is followed.
When the fermentation stops, the wine is rested for a few days, and then filtered; subsequently the malolactic fermentation us induced by increasing the cellar temperature. During this process half of the harsh malic acid is converted to mild lactic acid rendering the young wine more enjoyable.
Beaujolais nouveau is released everywhere in the world the same day. This involves air transportation of bottles to distant markets, and trucking them to Paris, Brusselles, Amsterdam and other important consumption locales.
About 50 per cent of all Beaujolais is made in this fashion and generates quick cash for vignerons, while creating a lot of publicity for the region and is eponymous wine.
The L C B O imported eight nouveau-style wines, five from Beaujolais, one from Languedoc, and two from northern Italy and will release them to 400 stores beginning November 19.
As a wine writer I have tasted all, and recommend the following:

Beaujolais- Village, J. Drouhin, France
Very appealing both aromatically and from a flavour perspective. It is with solid acid-backbone, appealing texture and long aftertaste.
$ 14.95

Beaujolais- Village, G. Dubeouf, France
Purple colour, as all young red wines. Smells of red berries, is medium-weight and finishes well.
$ 14.5

Novio Vino Novello, Mezzacorona, Alto-Adige, Italy
Appealing fruit aromas greet your nose. Medium-bodied, with some depth. A “juicy”, very enjoyable wine with a long aftertaste.
$ 9.95

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Tourists visiting small cities and towns in France become watch with fascination people carrying baguettes under their arms in specially designed bags or on their bicycles carriers around noon in time for lunch at home.
French, except in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Strasbourg and other major cities go home for lunch. Life literally stops in small-town France from 12 – 2 p m.
Baguette is France’s standard bread provided by neighbourhood bakeries, each of which has its own “secret” recipe. In Paris, bread aficionados travel across the city to obtain their regular baguette from their favourite baker, something unimaginable in Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, or new York. Even so called “foodies” don’t contemplate to travel for five minutes to go to their favourite baker. Yet there is a lot to be said about tasty bread!
The baguette, France’s pain ordinaire, is a slim, long crusty, fragrant, nutty bread that can be eaten universally with café au lait, butter and jam, with fondue, cheese, and to mop up sauce from the main course plate.
French bakers perfected the formula in 1921 for the discerning palates of Parisians. This is light leavened bread with a specially created yeast strain, baked in a steam-injected oven. Previously, baguette dough was started with sourdough starter and baked in standard, conventional ovens that were incapable of baking a crusty baguette.
Bread is as symbolic to France as beef to Britons. During World War II, bread quality in France was less than acceptable. After the war French bakers intent to sell quantity rather than quality, started churning out super white, fluffy (airy) but tasteless bread.
Soon the population, who remembered the taste of properly baked baguette before the war had money in their pockets, started demanding for tasty bread. Artisan bakers, always eager to maximize profits, started churning out white, crisp, chewy and flavourful baguette with proper ingredients now readily available.
Artisan bread making requires the best flour available. Saskatchewan wheat has all the qualities baguette bakers want, and yet only few cities in North America boast outstanding bread. It seems white sandwich bread still rules!
Fortunately the young, well-travelled and gastronomically adventurous generation exposed tasty bread in their European travels know and care enough about taste and the taste of bread they eat.
Ace bakery, a runaway success with Torontonians, proves the point.
French bakers also sell other regional breads developed over centuries including ficelles, Petit Parisien and epi de Charente just to name a few.
But none has the ubiquity of baguette.
The only disadvantage, if we can call it a shortcoming of baguettes is it gets stale within six to eight hours but ingenious French cooks invented pain perdue, and excellent specialty to finish a fine meal or start the day.
Italian balers are well known for their calabrese, ciabata, olive breads, Tuscan country loaves just to name a few.
German bakers take pride in producing German rye bead, pumpernickel, bauernbrot.
San Francisco sourdough enjoys an excellent repuatio9n, but only a few artisan bakers care enough to produce fine quality.
Middle eastern people have always valued their breads and produce an endless variety. In all villages and cities, local bakers enjoy popularity over other trade people seldom can.
Persian flat bread flavoured with herbs, cheeses and olive oil sell well in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver whenavailable. Enterprising Iranian émigrés run successful bakeries.
Of course Armenian sesame seed flavoured lavash is a class act only a few other breads can match.
All of the above are available in any of the stores in Toronto, and for that matter any large urban centre in North America.

NOTE: Unbleached organic wheat flour, (12 ½ % protein not to hard is best), pure water with as little as possible chlorine, yeast and salt are the only ingredients for baguette.
Long fermentation lasts up to 15 hours, a short high-speed mix and a second mix of 2 ½ minutes at a little slower rate gives good results. Over mixed dough is fluffy, but results in an airy product. Then the dough must rest, formed and baked. Forming itself is an art form only few accomplished bakers master well.

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Provence, located on teh Mediterranean coast adjacent to Italy has been inhabited since Palaeolithic times (2 ½ million – 10 000 BC) mostly because of its mild climate and fertile soil.
Archaeologists discovered Neolithic sites (a.k.a New Stone Age starts 9500 and comes to an end 7500 years later) dating back to 6000 BC in Marseille, which was founded by trading classical Greeks from Phocea (today located in Turkey and called Foca). The Greek name of Marseille was Massilia.
The history of Provence is tumultuous as many kings, emperors, and fiefs were interested in exploiting both the land and its population
From 200 BC to 500 AD the senate of the Roman Empire directly from Rome governed Provence: Christianity arrived in the third century.
Provence offers beautiful scenery, the most famous of which is the garrigue, composed of soft-leafed scrubland, mostly found on limestone soils around the Mediterranean, along with juniper tress, lavender, sage, rosemary and wild thyme. In Provence, Occitane is the common language derived partially from Latin. The soft and diffuse light attracts painters and artists. Cannes, one of the cities of the region, is the site of world famous annual film festival.
Nice and Marseille are the two other important cities along the coast are well worth visiting while staying in the region. Marseille with its diverse population, (many inhabitants came from Algeria) and its markets, bustle with almost oriental commotion, shouts, traffic and trade.
Inland of Provence, life is more leisurely and decidedly less expansive. Here the visitor can actually witness how the true Provencal lives.
You can rent a house at a reasonable cost, and make daily excursions to Nice, Cannes, Marseille, and even Aix-en-Provence, all of which are beautiful and highly interesting.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the English nobility used to spend winters in Provence and there are still architectural remnants of this era to be admired in Nice and/or Cannes.
Provence is famous for its perfume industry, mainly due to the availability of flowers. Over time, inhabitants perfected essence extraction techniques, and the town of Gers is the centre of the industry.
Provence is famous for its food, Here olives, olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, seafood (rouget, loup de mer, sardines , rock fish, sea urchins, octopus) lamb, goat, chickpeas, fruits ( particularly melons from Cavaillon), vegetables, and herbs reign supreme.
Boillabaisse consisting of onions, tomatoes, fennel, saffron, sage, laurel, white wine or cognac, a mixture of Mediterranean seafood including langouste (spiny lobster), not to be confused with lobster (homarus americanus) is a specialty every visitor ought to experience at least once. “Honest” and well-prepared bouillabaisse is expensive but well worth the expense. Then there is ratatouille, a rich vegetable stew wich originated in Nice, escabeche, poached fish marinated in vinegar, olive oil spices and herbs, brandade de morue, creamed crushed cod fish, olive oil, milk, garlic and tomatoes and sometimes truffles, rouille, mayonnaise with crushed garlic, soupe au pistou, fish soup flavoured with basil, daube Provencale, beef stew with herbes de Provence, fougasse, round, flat bread with holes, and olives and nuts, la pissaladiere, invented in Nice is a square pizza-like finger food made with puff pastry, and callison, a cookie from Aix-en-Provence.
As you can see, the cuisine is rich and varied.
Provence also grows a lot of grapes. There are three wine producing regions Cotes de Provence, Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence, and Coteaux Varoisien. Each has several sub-regions – Bandol, Cassis, Bellet, Palette, Les Baux de Provence. This region is famous for its rose wines which complement the cuisine well.
For those who like exotic alcoholic beverages, pastis flavoured with liquorice and herbs is highly recommended. There is nothing better, and refreshing than a pastis on the rocks with a little water on a hot day while relaxing in a sidewalk café and watching the world go by.
There is no shortage of sites in Provence, Paul Cezanne’s studio in Aix-en-Provence, V. van Gogh painted in Arles and where he cut his ear, the castle in Les Baux de Provence, the city of Avignon, the former papal summer residence and towering medieval palace, the Pont d’Avignon (26 km. Eat of the city) is an engineering marvel of Roman building art (it is still in good condition), Gordes, the prettiest town in Luberon, and the set of Peter Mayle’s A Year in Provence.
Bon voyage.

Getting there: You can fly from any major European city to Marseille, and from North America via Paris, or London, or Frankfurt/Main.
There are excellent TGV (Trains de Grand Vitesse) connections from Paris to Marseille or you can fly to Paris, rent a car (Renault achat rachat programme recommended) and drive via Burgundy to Provence

Never miss a post! subscribe via RSS or subscribe via e-mail.   Post writer – Hrayr Berberoglu – E-mail – Read his books?

Wine enthusiasts who seek to unlock the mystery of terroir must start with Burgundy. Here growers and winemakers, mostly monks in medieval times, created exquisite wines that express the very spirit of the rocky soil from which they have coaxed for over 1000 years.

Terroir is the combination of soil and climate, but we must never forget that mankind contributes a lot to taste, texture and intensity. A wine farmer can prune to get a yield of 10 tones per hectare, or five tons. The taste of the fruit of the two will differ a great deal.

Then there are other contributing factors – slope, vineyard’s orientation, altitude, pruning, green harvest, shoot positioning, harvest time, selective harvesting, sorting of harvested fruit, crushing, fermentation, aging, blending, and filtration or not.

Each wine of pedigree should tell us something about the earth that we will otherwise not know, and it is not something visual, but you can taste it.

Burgundy soil, and the Burgundians do it!

Burgundy is a relatively small wine-producing region with eight sub-regions, i.e Chablis, Cote de Beaune, Cote de Nuits, Maconnais, Cote Chalonnaise, Haute Cote de Nuits, Haute Cote de Beaune, and Beaujolais.

Chablis produces exclusively white wines using chardonnay only, and a sauvingon blanc de St Bris.

Chablisienne rarely age their wines in barrels.

Cote de Nuits is revered for its well-structured and log-lived pinot noirs. The vineyards are steeper, and more easterly facing therefore absorb sunshine for longer periods.

Cote de Beaune is famous for its delicate fruit-forward pinot noirs suitable for mid-term aging. They represent good value.

Cote de Beaune is better known for its world famous whites i.e Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, Batard-Montrachet, Chevalier-Montrachet, and Montrachet, just to name a few.

Cote Chalonnais produces still red and white wines, but has become more famous for its sparkling wines – Cremant de Borugogne.

Haute de Beaune and Haute Cote de Nuits produce fine wines, but only from well-tended vineyards with low yield, and in the hands of quality oriented winemakers.

Beaujolais is best known for its light, quaffable red wines vinted using gamay grapes. In most cases consumers consider Beaujolais a completely different class of wine.
Burgundy wines have always been expensive, and many merchants and wineries have tried different techniques to increase yield, and/or got involved in fraud.

In Burgundy the name of the producer and his/her integrity are paramount to receiving quality. These people refuse to sell inferior vintage wines under their label, and sell it off in bulk to those who care less.

Now there are several young, university-educated Burgundians who either inherited vineyards or work for well-established wineries or are devoted to making wines that truly express the characteristics of the terroir. Michel Caillot, Nicolas Potel, Jean Durup, Michel Poitout both from Chateau de Maligny, and Chartron et trebuchet are only a few that come to mind.

Chartron et Trebuchet is a small negociant house that cares about quality as much as any winemaker.

Bouchard Pere et Fils, L.Latour, are very old and reliable negociants, and some own famous vineyard sites, but also buy grapes or wine to process further.

Here are some Burgundy shippers and wineries well known for their integrity.

Chablis:
Domaine Christian Moreau, Jean Marc Brocard, Domaine Laroche, Louis Michel at Fils, Domaine Simonet-Fevbre, Domaine William Febvre, and Jean Sebastien Dauvissat.
Burgundy – Cote d’Or:
Rossignol-Trapet, Doudet-Naudin, Patrick Javillier, Remoissenet, Frederic Magnien, Marc Colin, L. Jadot, Prince Florent de Marode, Domaine Tapenot-Merme, Domaine Geantet-Pansiot, Domaine Henri Gouges, Domaine Robert Arnoux, Domaine Laflaive, Domaine Thierry et Pascal Matrot, Domaine Guy Roulot, Domaine Marc Morey et Fils, Domaine Guy et Thierry Amiot, Domaine Joseph Drouhin, Bouchard Pere et Fils, Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, Domaine Michel Caillot, Domaine Tortochot, Domaine Vincent Gerardin, Nicolas Potel, Comte de Vogue, Michel Picard, and Chartron et Trebuchet.

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Most consumers in other parts of the world hardly ever see a bottle of Savoie wine since the majority of the production is consumed by tourists from Switzerland, Germany, Benelux states, Scandinavia and locals.

This mountainous region south and west of Geneva has less than 1700 hectares of vineyards. The majority of Savoie wines (66 per cent) are white. The vineyards are widely dispersed; in the flatter more sheltered parts of the region.

Savoie wines display aromatic characteristics, are medium bodied, relatively low in alcohol and meant for food. They are acid-driven mainly because of the altitude of vineyards and cool climate.

Appellation d’origine controllee was granted in the 11940’s.
The prolific jaquere is the most popular grape variety followed by rousette (a.k.a altesse), chardonnay, and roussanne (a.k.a Bergeron).
For red wines, growers prefer pinot noire, and mondeuse, which is said to be related to refosco in northern Italy. Mondeuse goes best with local, flavourful semi-hard cheeses.

Crepy, Seyssel, Roussette de Savoie, Abymes, Apremont, Arbin, Chignin, Cruet and Montmelian are appreciated by those like to enjoy fine, nuanced and light wines.

Savoie was originally comprised of parts in Italy, and Switzerland; today treh region is within France. The history of Savoie is turbulent and goes back to the Frankish Kingdom of Burgundy, int eh 10th century. After the collapse of this kingdom, Rudolph III, King of Burgundy, created the House of Savoy, in 1003. It has become the longest surviving dynasty in Europe.

It is a beautiful, rugged region and relies mostly on agriculture and tourism.

Regardless, France occupied Savoie in 1792 and again in 1815. After many small battles between Italy and France, the Treaty of 1860 was signed to annex the region to either country, pending the results of a plebiscite. France won and now administers it.

It is a tourist region in winter for skiers, and in the summer for hikers and those who enjoy the purity of mountain air.

Chambery, just south of Savoie is famous for its flavourful vermouths.
In addition to wines mentioned above, Mousseux de Savoie and Pettilant de Savoie are produced as specialties based on chardonnay.

Small amounts fo Abymes, Seyssel, ansd Crepy are exported to Switzerland, the U k, and the U S A.

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We have been a weekend in Paris and we tried to see as much as possible in the short time, so it has been a lot of walking. This is the road map we followed on day three:

We started again at the Eiffel tower and look NO queue!! Then again it is one hour until opening (09:30). The queue was formerly starting so we had about an hour in it, but then again we were among the first 20 people in it.

We took the elevator up to stage 2 and took a lot of pictures and admired the view.

As we were in the queue to the Eiffel Tower and the sun rise we know it would be a hot day with temperature up against 30 degrees Celsius. The route for today was to take the Metro to Les Halles and just walk around.

We did pass the Pompidou Centre. Because it was so hot and that this was our third day we decided to take it short, so we ended up with about 4 km totally + an hour in queue at the Eiffel Tower. Here ends our Paris walkabout and we do hope you have enjoyed reading about it.

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We have been a weekend in Paris and we tried to see as much as possible in the short time, so it has been a lot of walking. This is the road map we followed on day two:

We started at the Eiffel Tower again this day and the queue was as long as the day so we decided again to try next day and even earlier. We took the Metro/Train to the Montmartre area and did some walking there.

This map is approximate the way we walked and we started the day with a 2 km long route.

When we came up from the Metro the Moulin Rouge was just ahead of us. And we started to walk up the Rue Lepic.

We went past a botcher.

And a cheese store.

And the famous area with all the painters.

And up to the Sacré Coeur.

Walking part 2.

We took the Metro to the Arc de Triomphe and started walking down the Champs-Elysees.

As you can see we have walked a bit.

And there still is a long way too go.

Finally at the Louvre and the queue was reasonable so we went inside.

And of course we did some walking inside the world’s largest museum.

I am really glad we did got too see the famous Mona Lisa.

And we sow an African exhibition.

Totally we did walk about 8-10 km the second day. After the Louvre visit we went back to the hotel and relaxed the rest of the day.

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We are going for a trip to Paris, France me and my wife. This is my Christmas gift for my wife and it is also a 5 year wedding celebration. This will be our first trip to Paris and even France ever so this is very exciting.

We are staying at the hotel Le Marquis which is near the Eiffel tower; I do hope we can see it from the room. I know from experience that it will be a lot of walking through the streets this weekend, because we do like to see as much as possible in the short time. I will bring my camera and take a lot of pictures so there will be much blogging posts with picture from Paris next week. And to all my EC card droppers: I will have a break from dropping, so this will be a time to see who cares to drop back.

We are planning to take some time at the Montmartre and I do hope the weather will be with us. We must visit the Eiffel tower, but I’m not sure we will go to the top due to our fear of heights. Notre-Dame is a must and I really like to see Mona Lisa, but I am uncertain about the queue at the Louvre so this is on hold.

We are also looking forward to good food and wine and hopefully we will bring you some reviews of a restaurant or two. The airplane is leaving Gardermoen, Oslo at 08:00 am tomorrow and we have an hour drive to get there so we must get up early, but this will be for fun.

Wish us good luck!

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Chatel Delacour Chateau de la Cour 2003.

This is Bordeaux wine the way we like it. It is full-bodied, round and with a long aftertaste. It has a little tight taste with good tannins and a little dirt in the aftertaste. We did like this very much and it fitted well to the entrecote we had for dinner.

Have you tasted this or another wine, you are welcome to add a dice/review in our wine guide
Winesworld.

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Modern winemaking started to take root only in 1980’s, but today this region’s wines are as good as any from the New World. Prices are reasonable.
Young winemakers of Midi and Provence are creating exiting wines with supreme individuality, character, and refinement.
Roussillon, adjacent to Spain, favours carignan, grenach, syrah, mourvedre, cinsaut and lladoner pelu varieties. There are also many hectares of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc in the cooler parts of the region.
All these grapes ripen well, ad yield robust, aromatic, spicy wines to complement hearty food, for which the region is well known.
Corbiere is a large and rugged appellation using mainly the same grape varieties as Roussillon produces full-bodied, dark and flavourful red wines suitable for beer, roasted root vegetables, sausages and game stews.
Minervois located inland, is known for its full-bodied, “forest floor” and garigue-smellig red wines. All small of ripe red berries and are recommended with hard, ripe cheeses, steaks, meat-sauced pastas, and pizzas.
St Chinian, just east of Minervois, is relatively small but produces crisp, elegant, flavourful wines reminiscent of Bordeaux.
Fougeres is another small but important region, producing deeply coloured, rich and spicy wines reminiscent of Cotes du Rhone.
Languedoc as an appellation was established in 2005, but has been producing wines, mostly red, for centuries. Today a limited amount of white wine is also produced. Languedoc wines are concentrated and balanced.
Bandol is a small appellation just east of Marseille, the main port of southern France.
The wines are dark in colour, full-bodied and deeply flavoured.
Provence s best known for its rose wines, but also produces cellar-worthy red wines.
Here are some wines you may want to try:

Château Calissanne, 2006, a blend of grenache, syrah, cabernet sauvignon, packed with aromas of raspberries, leather, coffee, and wet stones. A refreshing wine.
061283 $ 17.95

La Bastide Blanche, 2006, Bandol
Mulberry, plum and blackberry aromas waft out oft eh glass of this full-bodied and tannic wines. Cellar-worthy for three to five years, but you can decant it and enjoy with medium rare cooked steaks.
Occultum Lapidem, 2006, Domaine de Bila-Haut
A FINE WINE MADE BY CHAPOUTIER, THE FAMOUS COTES DU RHONE WINERY. FULL-BODIED, RICH AND SUPPLE.
643239 $ 19.95

LE GRAND PENCHANT ROUGE, 2007
DRY, INTENSE, VERY FLAVOURFUL AND WELL-STRUCTURED.
061267 $ 17.95

TERRASSES DE LA MOULIEN ROUGE, 2007
RICH ON THE PALATE WITH DARK CHOCOLATE FLAVOURS, AND VERY LONG FINISH.
103648 $ 13.95

ESPRIT DU SUD ROUGE, 2007
DRY FLORALFRUITY, VERY ACCESSIBLE.TRY IS WITH CASSOULET, A TYPICAL FRENCH MEDITERRANEAN STEW.
104919 $ 15.95

Guest Writer – Hrayr Berberoglu E-mail or interested in his books?.

Domaine du Vieux Lazaret 2006.

The Domaine du Vieux Lazaret is the largest estate in Chateauneuf du Pape and covers over 250 acres (1.0 km2) in 35 different parcels, with consequent complexity of soil types. Modern winemaking techniques, along with rigorous selection, are employed in this area to produce wine. The Quiot family has owned vineyards in this region for over 200 years.

It is still a round and good wine, with great distinctive fruity taste and medium body. We still miss a little more structure in the wine, but all over it is a pleasant acquaintance.

Have you tasted this or another wine, you are welcome to add a dice/review in our wine guide
Winesworld.

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