And the days of Summer continues yeah!! We had a hot front last couple of days with temps going up to 33C or 91F and now mild in 27C or 81F ! , now it seems we are heading for more heat by Sunday in France. Anyway, always good to bring the best of Wine news of France. First ,thanks to all my readers and/or followers! We have done quite a bit of work around the house, and still some more until September , Oh yeah, the wines of France are just super simply awesome and a great tradition. Often imitated, some time equaled ,but never surpass! Let me give some news shall we; hope you enjoy it as I.
In 2021, Loire wines recorded historic performances internationally, in particular thanks to white wines and sparkling wines. The Loire Valley wines broke all records on international markets, both in volume (606,000 hectoliters) and in value, with 373 million euros in sales. The progression is clearly up: cellar outputs increased by 13.9% compared to 2020, while turnover jumped by 24.2%. Big winners, white wines and sparkling wines particularly appeal to foreign customers, especially American consumers. According to the Wine Trade Monitor 2021, a study conducted by Sopexa (my diploma is from them) to anticipate the evolution of wine sales in eight countries two years from now, whites from the Loire Valley rank first among the most anticipated vineyards in the United States, first world market, and second out of all the countries covered by the study, As for the bubbles, they particularly appeal to those who want a festive moment, without necessarily having the means to open a bottle of Champagne, If, until now, Germany was the flagship market for the Loire bubbles, with a strong market share in exports, the United States is clearly developing in this market. Overall, exports of Loire wines to the United States recorded the strongest growth in 2021, with + 32.7 % in volume and + 40.3 % in value ! I told you so ,my home wine region Loire does it well ! Sopexa webpage : https://sopexa.com/en/about-us/
The Eisenhower residence, a Champagne refuge, Right in the city center of Reims, the headquarters of the American general at the signing of the Armistice has just been renovated to accommodate the guest house of the Charles Heidsieck, Piper Heidsieck and Rare brands. An ideal base for a wine tour. At Boulevard Lundy, many Champagne houses such as Krug, Veuve Clicquot, Roederer, Taittinger have their private mansion to receive their prestigious guests, At 17 Boulevard Lundy, the Hôtel Mignot mansion, a freestone building from the quarries of the Meuse, combining neoclassicism and Art Deco, built between 1911 and 1913. From the large Art Deco glass roof which sets the tone from the entrance to the ballroom with its columns and its neoclassical chandelier to the general’s smoking room, the impression that everything has always been there is constant. Thus, with its woodwork, its leather armchairs, its travertine table and its bookcases, the latter brings together all the codes to transport the visitor to 1945, in the world of Dwight David Eisenhower. this 1200 m2 mansion offers eight bedrooms spread over two floors. To this must be added, at the back of the residence, a small garden fitted out with a summer pavilion embedded in a rose garden and white-flowering undergrowth. Webpage : https://www.residence-eisenhower.com/en/
Minuty, King of Saint-Tropez ! And one of house favorites, This is a family property since 1936, present internationally in more than 100 countries, Minuty is one of 23 properties among the narrow circle of classified growths in Côtes de Provence. On the public side, Minuty is a huge cellar of sale and tasting. Since Minuty 281, a delicate cuvée of Grenache with aromas of white flowers in its two-tone transparent and Pantone blue bottle, the collection of screen-printed bottles, Minuty M, in limited edition is a must for summer tables.Indeed ! Webpage : https://minuty.com/
The Commanderie de Peyrassol is a must, we love it and another house favorite. Located on the foothills of the Massif des Maures, between the Mediterranean Sea and the Verdon, the estate has nearly 850 hectares of oaks, olive trees and scrubland surrounding a vineyard of more than 90 hectares in AOP Côtes de Provence. Walking through the vineyards and the remarkable gardens, you can admire an exceptional collection of contemporary art in the open air… ! Webpage : https://www.peyrassol.com/
And the ever present love of Americans for France is even in wines too, Chris Paul, the famous basketball player of the Phoenix Suns, NBA star and double Olympic medalist fell in love with rosé and he came to let it know at the Château Saint Maur in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez. Because the basketball champion is now the financial partner and brand ambassador of La Fête du Rosé, a Côtes-de-Provence imagined by entrepreneur Donae Burston (also an American) , and developed by the Saint-Maur team. Donaé Burston discovered rosé from Provence when he celebrated his 30th birthday at the Nikki Beach Club on the beach in Saint-Tropez. This former Moët Hennessy employee who had already worked for fifteen years in the luxury wine industry (Dom Pérignon, Moët & Chandon, Clicquot, Hennessy, Armand de Brignac) fell in love with rosé and started to develop it more widely on the American market in order to change its image as a summer wine drunk mainly by women. La Fête du Rosé was first distributed on the East Coast (Miami, New York), Atlanta, and California before taking a new step when Burston benefited from the assistance program for black entrepreneurs initiated by the Constellation group, a company who is a major American producer of alcoholic beverages, La Fête du Rosé 2021 is 37% Grenache, 30%, Cinsault, 24% Syrah supplemented with Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, Rolle and Mourvèdre, cold macerated for a wine with notes of forest fruits, English candy and sea spray. For the first time, it was accompanied by La Fête du Blanc 2021 in IGP Méditerranée with 70% ugni blanc, 20% colombard and 10% rolle and from the 2022 harvest, La Fête du Rouge will see the light of day. Webpage : https://www.lafeterose.com/
Discovering Bordeaux through its intimate history with wine is the subject of a new tourist route which has just been inaugurated, in 24 stages over 3 km, with the bonus of 20 must-see wine places.« Sur les traces du vin à Bordeaux » or in the footsteps of wine in Bordeaux is the promise of this new walking route to be taken independently, which invites visitors to immerse themselves in the culture and trade of wine, whose historical traces are present a little city wide. It is in this spirit that the Bordeaux Métropole Tourist and Convention Bureau has just published an illustrated map which invites you to explore the traces of wine in Bordeaux that are at once historical, fun and epicurean. During a walk of about two hours, visitors are thus invited to discover the city from the Bordeaux Wine Interprofessional Council (CIVB) to the Cité du Vin to see, listen and understand how the culture and the wine trade have punctuated and shaped the Port de la Lune for centuries. Along this illustrated map , visitors can follow the 24 stages of the 3-km route, which reveal the winegrower’s soul of the city. And to punctuate the experience with a tasting stop, many addresses (cellars and wine bars) are referenced along the route, but also elsewhere in town. On the back of the map, the 20 must-see places of wine are to be discovered independently, accessible on foot or by public transport: monuments, museums, heritage or wine castles… The map “in the footsteps of wine in Bordeaux” is available ( in French and English version) at the shop of the Tourist Office webpage: https://www.visiter-bordeaux.com/en
This other map refers to three cycling routes designed by Bordeaux Métropole to follow on an online map, which invite you to crisscross the urban vineyard and push the doors of a few castles. Departing from Blanquefort station, these three loops of 9, 23 and 29 km lead to Château Dillon, Château de Malleret, Château Paloumey, Château D’Agassac, Château Ségur, Château Saint-Ahon and Tonnellerie Nadalié , webpage: http://https ://www.bordeaux-tourism.co.uk/cycling-vineyards-routes
The Vignobles du Sud-Ouest take a small step towards wine tourism, a big step to build the Europe of wine by integrating the Cultural Routes of Europe. The first followed the paths of Santiago de Compostela, they are now around fifty, will have as their theme women novelists or fairy tales. The South-West is the first wine-growing region to join the “Iter Vitis, Les Chemins de la Vigne” network ,The recognition of an entire wine-growing region like the South-West with so many identities and diversities, a true continent of wine with more of 200 grape varieties including 130 indigenous, will offer more opportunities to build the Europe of Wine, to highlight all the elements of the vineyard, to bring together actors who are committed to the wine heritage but also cultural and landscape, The Iter Vitis, Les Chemins de la Vigne all the appellations of the wine-growing area (16 AOP and 12 IGP), more than 500 ha between the Atlantic Ocean, the Basque Country, the Pyrenees and the Massif Central, straddling Occitanie and Nouvelle Aquitaine regions, Iter Vitis webpage: https://www.itervitis.fr/en/iter-vitis-france/who-are-we/
The vineyards of the southwest or vignobles du Sud-Ouest webpage : https://www.vignobles-sudouest.fr/us/
Something very old since my times in the States, but many still do not know of the inheritance of French know-how in American wines for the cost and the easier introduction, The Californians Opus One and Vérité, the Chilean wine Almaviva from Mouton Rothschild and Concha y Toro,(glad visited both wineries and direct with MR! ) more recently the champagne Clos des Goisses from Philipponnat… What do they have in common? All have chosen the place of Bordeaux to ensure their distribution throughout the world. Three centuries is the time it took Girondin merchants to weave their web for the export of Bordeaux wines. Today, they are in contact with nearly 10,000 importers on all continents For the past year, 104 prestigious brands from vineyards outside Bordeaux have been marketed via Bordeaux, When in 1997, Mouton Rothschild entrusted the place pf Bordeaux the fate of his Almaviva cuvée, produced in Chile with Concha y Toro ,and then, in 2004, Opus One, its Napa Valley vintage created with the Mondavi,(visited as well !) this strategy remained exceptional. And there are many more today just check Michel Rolland,,,
History has retained the date of July 14, commemorating the storming of the Bastille as the starting point of the French revolution. Wine under the Ancien Régime (monarchy) was indeed subject to unfair taxes at the entrance to the city. These were not proportional to price, but to quantity. From these taxes were born the guinguettes located on the outskirts of the city. On Sundays, the workers came to spend the day there to drink untaxed wines. Since the public authorities needed revenue, the revolutionaries waited until 1791 before abolishing these grants. In the 18C, wine remained expensive, and the common people did not drink it daily. He was therefore little accustomed to drink, and tolerated its effects all the less well. Also, when the revolution ransacked the institutions, then emptied the cellars, the alcohol quickly went to its head. Disinhibition then became general, giving free rein to exactions, And as the world turn we still have on the label with moderation !
There you go folks, another wine episode of my belle France! The wines of France that is, superbe, sublime, wonderful, gorgeous, enjoy without moderation but accompanying a meal, family table just perfect. See you in the vineyards of France.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 