This is a relatively new series I am doing as realise my blog was all about travels, sports but not about the food and wine we as a family enjoys so much. I am the wino in the group and have the last few years teaching my boys the art of wines, they are enthusiastically joining me! Proud of our traditions, and moving on in life. Therefore, here is my latest wines news of France!!
How do you know if a wine is good to drink? Well here are some tips from yours truly,
If a wine smells more of dust, cellar or floorcloth than fresh grapes, there is no doubt that it is corked. TCA (trichloroanisol), the molecule responsible for the famous “cork taste” interferes everywhere, from the cellar and contaminates the bottles. Only one solution: the sink. And do not keep it especially for a sauce, under penalty of making a double failure.
Yellow or even orange for a white wine, dull or brown for a red wine: as with fish, color can sometimes be a good indicator of freshness. A wine in great shape, even if it is a few years old, should be bright and with a clean complexion.
A mid-full or low-full bottle of wine is likely to lack freshness at best, in the worst case to be oxidized.
The cork is removed but there is a bad smell of mold and humidity. It’s a bad sign, but give the wine the benefit of the doubt and aerate it for a few minutes before writing a cross on it. If there is a cauliflower smell, it is probably a wine that has been altered by UV rays, a defect also called “light taste”.
You remove the lid, and there, bad surprise, the cork is damaged, oozing or on the contrary very dry, cracked. Worse: it crumbles as soon as you want to pierce it with your corkscrew. The specter of poor preservation then passes before your frightened eyes. Warning: in the case of an old bottle, the cork may be damaged, but the wine is sumptuous!
Keeping an open bottle of wine: Close it well, immediately after serving, If you have a pump to empty air the bottle, that’s ideal. Once the air is evacuated from the bottle, you will be able to keep it for two to three more days in the fridge. Place it in the refrigerator Cold preserves food, especially wine. Do not forget to take it out 30 minutes before serving so that it slowly rises to the desired temperature. Avoid any source of light, Recycle it into wine vinegar or in cooking,
So thinking of going into the wine trade ? I did it for a while but continue in finance later on after got two diplomas from France and Spain on wine connaisseur, Here is the trade,
Winemaker. He is a recognized agricultural craftsman in France. He differs from the winegrower, because he is a more complete worker. Indeed, the winemaker participates in all stages of the wine-growing activity, unlike the winegrower who is only present at the start of production. Generally, he is responsible for a plot of vines.
Oenology is the science of wine and therefore the oenologist is the expert. Like a sociologist or an economist, he/she will disseminate his science to make known and help understand his discipline.
The sommelier is the other wine professional and expert. He knows the name, the year and the glass to use for each bottle he/she opens.
The salesperson in wine is better. For anyone with a business background and a passion for this beverage, this is the perfect profession.
Closer to the average customer, the wine merchant is one of the people behind the events of your life: birthdays, retirement, parties, chill evenings…
Lawyer specializing in vine and wine law, Also called lawyer of the wine sector, he is the other expert in wine, but on the legislative aspect. This specialization implies that the lawyer likes or is interested in wine in general. Go for it!
The 2018 vintage is considered exceptional, especially in the prestigious Saint-Emilion appellation. Here are my favorites:
Château Fontenil, Fronsac, A carmine border underlines the black and opaque color of this pretty wine with a nose of raspberry and cherry. Ample, harmonious, the wine from the first sip immediately makes you want to come back with avidity. The lovely fruity, juicy, salivating acidity ardently compensates for the power and volume highlighted by fine, racy tannins. A delight.
Château Hostens- Picant Cuvée Lucullus 2018 Sainte Foy de Bordeaux , It offers itself to the eye in a dark cherry color, opaque with purple reflections. On the nose, warm, the fragrances of ripe and stewed black fruits prefigure the voluminous mouth, full of flesh and crunch, full-bodied, energized by a juicy, saline finish, relayed by cocoa notes after aeration. Decant it before enjoying it young.
A leading player in Burgundy with the Bouchard Père & Fils houses, in Chablis with William Fèvre, in Champagne with Henriot, but also in Oregon (USA) with the Beaux Frères estate, the Maisons et Domaines Henriot group still wants to draw the quality of its wines towards the top . Today, we see a growing interest in vintage champagnes, rare champagnes. There are arguably more gourmet consumers than party consumers than before. A trend ? Yes ,webpage : https://www.maisonsetdomaineshenriot.com/en/maisons-terroirs/
The sister of five-time Ballon d’Or winner (football/soccer) Cristiano Ronaldo is to launch her brand of Champagne. The cuvée called “The 777 Goals” developed specifically in honor of this football star, pays tribute to his brother who celebrated the 777th goal of his professional career in May 2021, This cuvée was produced by the Clément Victor Champagne house in Janvry, near Reims. It is made from a blend of equal parts Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the 2016 vintage. A very luxurious cuvée in a limited series numbered from 1 to 777, i.e. 777 bottles. The precious bottle delivered in its tin case is paid for at the golden price of 1777 euros…oh yeah !! webpage : https://champagne-elma-aveiro.com/the777goals/
A visit, tasting or a wedding as one of my friends did a while back and now even better, The Château Marquis de Terme offers 2 rooms: the cellar room which can hold 150 people with a view of the barrels or the Parc room with 50 seats with its pretty light and view of the castle. Château Marquis de Terme en Margaux is a Grand Cru Classé 1855, located at 3 route de Rauzan – 33460 Margaux – Cantenac
webpage: https://chateau-marquis-de-terme.com/workshops-and-visits/?lang=en
More than 1,100 hectares in production, a wide range of wine which is sold both abroad and in France, substantial stocks of Armagnac, the eau-de-vie which is making a comeback… Despite the bad weather, the Domaine Tariquet estate is doing well. An up and coming wine n our house for apéritifs nice, Another success to the credit of the Grassa family, located two km from Eauze, in the Gers. The Tariquet range includes around ten white cuvées, two rosé cuvées, and one sparkling cuvée. Today, Tariquet has 1,125 ha in production, i.e. an average of 9 million bottles bottled each year (for a turnover of 35 million euros) without purchasing grapes outside. Webpage : http://www.tariquet.com/default_uk.asp
It all started with Auguste, the great-grandfather of Jean-Claude Mas. In 1892, he bought his first vineyard: 9 hectares of vines located not far from Saint-Pons-de-Mauchiens, in the heart of the Hérault department. He established, without knowing it, a line that would lead, nearly 110 years later, to the creation of Domaines Paul Mas. It took off really by 2000, on the 35 hectares developed the family estate. In 1992, Jean Claude met Giorgio Grai, one of the greatest Italian oenologists, who taught him the art of blending. A decisive encounter for what followed , From a trader, he moved on to a manipulative trader to master the entire production chain, then he started buying vineyards, The Domaines Paul Mas now represent 850 hectares in ownership, spread over 15 estates, 30% of which are organic. They extend from the Gard department to Perpignan, in the Pyrénées-Orientales. Added to this are 1,500 hectares of vineyards in partnership with winegrowers, In Montagnac he created On the Côté Mas, a large sales cellar, a gourmet restaurant and two comfortable suites, One of the wines I am following lately, very good value/quality wise, webpage : https://www.paulmas.com/en/
Two great losses I have followed over the years have passed away RIP
Claude Taittinger died last Monday at the age of 94. Managing Director of the family business from 1960 to 2005, he was able through his vision to support the prodigious development of the brand internationally for nearly half a century. the son of Pierre Taittinger, founder of the House of Tattinger, webpage ! https://www.taittinger.com/brut-reserve
The death of Ricardo Bofill on Friday, January 14 2022 at the age of 82 following complications linked to Covid-19, has left the international community of architects in mourning. He was one of the first to bring design into the universe of great wines, by designing the underground cellar of Château Lafite Rothschild in 1987. The whole is an impressive sanctuary of 4000 m2 that can accommodate up to 2200 barrels. The tour de force is all the more remarkable in that the cellar was dug under the vines and not seen from the outside, Any “spectacular signature”, thus being part of the culture of discretion dear to Lafite Rothschild. Inaugurated in 1987, this cellar paved the way for many Bordeaux properties which have since called on other renowned architects to design and dress their technical installations. Webpage on Mr Bofill profile ; http://www.spainisculture.com/en/artistas_creadores/ricardo_bofill.html
webpage of Lafite Rothschild : http://www.lafite.com/en/chateau-lafite-rothschild/
There you go folks, a wonderful page on the wines of France. Sorry and my condolences to the families of Mr Tattinger and Mr Bofil, knew the first one in person at a salon in Paris in the Palais Brongniart. Hope you enjoy the post, even better the wines with moderation; this is a tradition….
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 