Archive

August 16, 2020 9

IS ROSÉ A SERIOUS WINE?
REVISITING MY THOUGHTS ON THE SUBJECT

New York, New York August 9, 2020 – During the long, hot days of Augusts past, coveted pink wine from Provence flowed so briskly that the greatest source of anxiety among millennials from the City was that supplies would dry up in The Hamptons, just a short ride on the Jitney from Manhattan where I write now. In 2014, I recall my daughter... [...]

July 23, 2020 25

À TABLE! CHÂTEAU BARBEBELLE AND GÉRARD ISIRDI COME TO THE TABLE TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT PANDAS, THE POST-INFECTIOUS AUTOIMMUNE BASAL GANGLIA ENCEPHALITIS THAT TOOK THE LIFE OF ALEX MANFULL

The above title would be (more) unwieldy if I included all the names of the friends, family, and strangers who have contributed... [...]

May 24, 2020 2

Cassis: A Timeless AOC

Cassis is the most beautiful AOC (appellation d'origine contrôlée) in France: the vineyards cling to the slopes of a magical amphitheater that plunges towards the shimmering Mediterranean. The Phocaeans (ancient Greeks from Asia Minor) must have been enchanted with these slopes when they first saw them 2,600 years ago. And they did well to plant them to the vine. The perfect exposure, dry and nutrient-poor soils and the cooling Mediterranean... [...]

May 10, 2020 7

Hermitage – the finest manifestation of Syrah and Marsanne

Standing guard with a fabulous view looking south over the Rhône Valley is the magnificent hill of Hermitage, crowned by the famous chapel of St Christopher.

Geologically, the hill was part of the right bank Massif Central until the Rhône River burrowed its way to the west, ensuring Hermitage as the only granitic terroir... [...]

April 26, 2020 25

THE INTRIGUE OF LOURMARIN’S DOMAINE DE LA CAVALIÈRE AND ITS NATURAL WINE

In August, the tiny villages of Provence swell with visitors from around the world. In Lourmarin, the charming Luberon village where luminaries like Henri Bosco, Albert Camus, and... [...]

April 19, 2020 0

A Roundup of Some Lovely 2019 Rosés

My 2019 schedule for tasting was so well laid out…. WineParis, Prowein, AIR Provence, Vinitaly, as well as numerous local tastings…. What could possibly go wrong?

But there is always a silver lining, and, in many ways my tasting this year has been much more focused. Tasting 183 Provence rosés for Decanter magazine just before lockdown and receiving (at home) a number of rosés to taste from around Languedoc have shown that the 2019 rosé vintage is excellent. [...]

April 12, 2020 0

DOMAINE DE L’AMAURIGUE CELEBRATES ITS 20TH VINTAGE

It’s been 20 years since Domaine de l’Amaurigue released its first estate-bottled vintage. To mark that special occasion, Jean-Marie Quef, winemaker and director of the domaine, created a special cuvée of rosé made from only the best and oldest parcels of the property, including their 55-year-old Grenache vines. There was just enough rosé to fill 4000 elegant... [...]

April 11, 2020 3

Easter Monday Brings Omelets and Rosé Chez Nous

Twenty years ago, in April 2000, we were tooling along the Canal du Midi with five friends. We rented a barge – a péniche -- and slowly cruised from Toulouse to Argens-Minervois, each of us taking turns behind the wheel and in the galley kitchen. Easter coincided with this trip and we produced a fabulous lamb dinner with all the trimmings to celebrate that occasion. The next day, we made omelets.

We learned from someone during our market explorations that the Monday after Easter was also a holiday and that post offices, banks, stores, and most other businesses would be closed. Called Lundi de Pâques or, in English, simply Easter Monday, it is primarily a day to relax. We were unable to establish any religious significance, but we did learn that the French in the south of France make omelets on Easter Monday. Et Dieu sait while in France, we wanted to do what the French...

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April 4, 2020 5

Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food
The Governor

Big. Bold. Luscious.

Those are the first three words I used to describe my first taste of Gourverneur Saint-Auban Rouge from Domaine de la Citadelle. We had it last week paired with Seared Lamb Medallions with a Tamari-Ginger Glaze. To see the recipe... [...]

March 29, 2020 10

WINE PARIS 2020 FROM THE VIEW OF A PROVENCE WINE WRITER

It’s a sobering thought that Wine Paris was the last major international wine trade event in 2020. Over two months ago. Virtually every producer with whom I spoke said that the next stop was to be Prowein, scheduled... [...]

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