Chablis Soiree

by Marisa D'Vari on December 4, 2009

Chablis 3
Women at Chablis Event

... so after enjoying Grand Cru Chablis after an excellent presentation on the subject, many of Manhattan's top journalists came to celebrate at the SoHo Grand. Earlier that day there had been an excellent presentation on Chablis wines (read about it here)
 

Sushma Christian
Sushma and Christian

Above you can see one of the wine makers, Christian Moreau of Domaine Christian Moreau, whom I chatted with extensively during lunch. His great grandfather started the winery. Next to him in a stunning blue dress is Sushma Diwivedi, Account Supervisor for Fleishman-Hillard International Communications who orchestrated the event with others and is responsible for promoting Chablis.

World Wine Guys
World Wine Guys

Sushma introduced me to the World Wine Guys Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen (Mike has the goatee) who have a piece this month in Wine Spectator.

Christian and Arnaude Valour
Christian Moreau,  Chablis Connoisseur in red tie, and Arnaud Valour from the BIVB

Many journalists flinted in and out throughout the evening, as well as sommeliers and people in the trade. Below is a picture of Jean-Francois Bordet from Domaine Seguinot-Bordet whose estate had been in the family for hundreds of years.

Jean Francois Bordet
Jean Francois Bordet


 


 



 

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Let’s face it, sometimes reading the back of a bottle of wine is simply not enough. We’ve all had the experience of tasting a wine so incredible we want to know everything about it at once: the name of the grapes, the style of wine, and why it tastes so much more incredible than any other wine we have ever experienced before.

Sure, reading the back of the bottle can explain quite a bit. Yet to quench your thirst for knowledge you have only two realistic choices. First, you can spend quite a bit of time, energy, and money in going to the various wine schools now available to you. Or you can invest in Jennifer “Chotzi” Rosen’s book Waiter, There’s a Horse in My Wine, the first in a series of books my Rosen (see my review of The Cork Jester’s Guide to Wine) and wine-related materials (like novelty card decks).

Does the title strike you as irreverent? Do you prefer titles like Scientific Examination of Soil Types In Global Wine Regions? Well, I can assure you that Rosen would be the first to admit that soil types are of key importance. Yet she is savvy enough to understand the importance of responding to what wine aficionados need to know now. Despite her first-rate wine education, she has the unique ability to translate what may be considered boring wine terminology into everyday language we can all understand.

Now I can describe all the cleverly written, brightly colored stories in this book, yet why ruin your fun? When she visits the Chianti Classico region, for example, she doesn’t bore readers with details about the soil, the specific demands of the appellation (for example, Italy’s strictly controlled DOC and DOCG regions demand a specific percentage of the blend to be the Sangiovese grape, a specific period for maturation, etc.). Instead, she entertains us with stories of three-hour lunches on the terraces of villas overlooking olive groves and the smoldering glances of bare-chested vineyard workers.

I hear you saying "I want a book about wine, not a glossy romance novel." Please understand that Rosen's book is about wine and, yes, she talks about soils and wine maturation and winemaker tools as well. But the truth is that most books about wine viticulture are as boring as reading a hundred pages about the proper cultivation of potatoes. You'll find that the magic of Rosen's art is to tease the reader with a fun colorful story and then explain the essence of a specific region.

Jennifer Rosen was on my radar screen long before Gary Vandnerchuk became a pop icon, so who is to say which of these zany wine entertainers was first to really “demystify” the subject of wine and make it fun and safe for adults to explore without tears. As a wine educator myself, the fun thing about Rosen's book is that it is great for neophytes as well as scholars in that it forces any reader to let go of old, outmoded wine associations. Thanks for this fun, juicy book, Ms. Rosen, and let us know when you too will become a wine show reality star.

 

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Review: Jennifer Rosen’s “Wine Teasers” Card Deck

by Marisa D'Vari3 December 2009

Educators often remark that the best way to learn a new skill is to have fun as you do so. This seems to be the theory behind Jennifer Rosen’s Wine Teasers Wine Game, which is a pack of fifty question cards one can whip out in a moment’s notice to disarm any self-described wine snob [...]

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Book Review: The Cork Jester’s Guide to Wine

by Marisa D'Vari3 December 2009

Curious to learn everything about wine — and have fun doing so? Your local bookstore’s shelves groan with thick, wordy volumes about wine, but if you really want a fun, readable, quick study of wine basics — and to laugh out loud while reading it — look to Jennifer Rosen’s The Cork Jester’s Guide to [...]

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Uncorking Chablis

by Marisa D'Vari3 December 2009
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If you are just getting interested in the world of wine, you are probably wondering how California Chardonnay is different from Chardonnay in other areas of the world. This grape actually finds its fullest expression in the Chablis region of France, about two hours from Paris. And if you have ever ordered Chablis in a [...]

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Wine Review: Blind Tasting Light, Fruity Reds

by Marisa D'Vari3 December 2009
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Light Fruity Reds
"They do all seem so similar!" says a friend, known as the "supertaster," sniffing the mystery wine inside bag #2.

In front of us are three opened bottles of wine, each of their identities covered by sleek silver bags. All we know is that one is a Valpolicella Classico 2007, a Gamay from Touraine, [...]

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Interview with Burgundian Negociant Jean-Marie de Champs of Domaines et Saveurs Collection

by Marisa D'Vari29 November 2009
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Jean Marie de Champs with her Rose Guy Charlemagne Champagne
On a recent visit to Burgundy for the Hospice du Beaune I was so delighted to meet one of its top negociants, Jean-Marie de Champs of Domaines et Saveurs Collection. If you love fine wine – yet have never been to Burgundy – your second surprise [...]

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Wine Review: Tasting Wines of BlackStone of Sonoma County

by Marisa D'Vari29 November 2009
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Blackstone Merlot
Sometimes I get so caught up in my studies of the Old World I discover it has been months since I’ve sipped wine from the new world, especially California. Winemaker Gary Sitton of Blackstone Winery in Sonoma sent me some of his new releases …

The Pinot Noir 2007 ($20) is rich and expressive [...]

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Newly Released Zinfandel from Mazzoccop

by Marisa D'Vari29 November 2009
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Mazzocco New Zinfandel Releases
Talented winemaker Antoine Favero was kind enough to send his two newly released Zinfandels, both from Dry Creek Valley.

The 2007 Zinfandel from Smith Orchard Reserve
Near opaque purple, this wine has a nose of what I think of as a "purple perfume," along with some smoke, chocolate, mocha, super dark ripe fruit. [...]

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Review: Party Brunch at Bagatelle Restaurant in NYC

by Marisa D'Vari24 November 2009
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Bagatelle Restaurant
"I hear this place is like a nightclub during Sunday Brunch," a celebrated wine writer told me as we awaited festivities relating to a celebration of Beaujolais Nouveau, taking place just that minute at the Bagatelle restaurant in Manhattan’s trendy Meatpacking District. "People dancing on the tables, and all that."
"A club at lunch …" [...]

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For Guests: How to Choose a Thanksgiving Day Wine for Your Host

by Marisa D'Vari22 November 2009
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“Oh, how thoughtful!” says your host, looking at the bottle of wine you hold in your hand.
You stand there, in the doorway. Is that smile forced, you wonder? Or is it overly sincere, one of those “I so lucked out with this guest’s gift” types of grins?
Either way, you are offering what you think is [...]

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Tasting Wine from Frei Brothers

by Marisa D'Vari21 November 2009
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Ah, the New World!

I’ve just received box of wines from this winery and since my wine studies have been so Old World focused, always delighted to receive California wines. Here are some tasting notes. 
Frei Brothers Reserve Merlot 2007 Dry Creek Valley
Smooth and rich, with rounded flavors of plums ripening in the sun. Very balanced acid [...]

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Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau Media Lunch

by Marisa D'Vari19 November 2009
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Flower Children
"I’ve never seen so much flower power in my life!" said one guest at the "Peace, Love, Beaujolais Noveau" event that took place at the ultra hip Bagatelle restaurant on 13th street.

Flamboyant and outrageous, this hippie-era themed press "happening" and lunch has been going on for 27 years between Bill Deutsch, Mr. Georges Duboeuf [...]

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Discovering the Pleasures of Burgundy Wine During the Hospices de Beaune

by Marisa D'Vari18 November 2009
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                                   Streets of Beaune
 
Here we are at Hospices de Beaune in the beautiful city of Burgundy, one of the oldest and most prestigious wine auctions in the world. It was created in the Middle Ages, the city’s solution to helping the poor and ill. Today the auction is managed by Christie’s and attracts a glitzy [...]

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Tasting Fun at Hospieces de Beaune Auction

by Marisa D'Vari18 November 2009
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Chocolate and Wine — A Perfect Match
Do you like chocolate? If so, you may be curious to know that it pairs very well with wine — especially wine from Burgundy. Here I am, on the kind of gray overcast day that makes the charming city of Beaune even more mysterious, about to attend a chocolate [...]

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Tasting Macari 2007 Dos Aguas from Long Island

by Marisa D'Vari18 November 2009
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Choosing That Special Bottle From a Wine Store Tasting …
2007 Dos Aguas

So who would have thought Bordeaux in Long Island? The trend for creating Bordeaux style varieties is not new — Chile may have been the first, California a market leading second, and now Long Island is getting into the act.

I first tasted Macari at [...]

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Hospices de Beaune Weekend: Part 1

by Marisa D'Vari18 November 2009

Nellie Blau Picard in center
Have you ever wondered what it is like to attend the oldest and possibly most prestigious wine auction in the history of the world? Well, I am right here at the center of action in Burgundy at the festivities leading up to the Hospices de Beaune auction.
I just finished a fantastic [...]

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Discovering Beaune

by Marisa D'Vari14 November 2009
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 “One of the challenges in the region is creating international awareness that wine from Burgundy can be enjoyed every day, not just for special occasions,” explains a representative from the region. And it’s true – though Burgundy is known for its Grand Cru wines that sell for tens of thousands of dollars a case and [...]

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Q & A about Burgundy with Peter Wasserman of Becky Wasserman Selections

by Marisa D'Vari11 November 2009
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Burgundy France
So I am off to Burgundy tomorrow to partake in the celebrations surrounding Hospice de Beaune in Burgundy, France, quite possibly the longest running wine auction in the history of the world. Funds raised are used to support the hospital (known as the Hôtel-Dieu) which received its first patient on 1st January 1452. In [...]

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Discussing Grand Cru Chablis with Laurent Drouhin

by Marisa D'Vari11 November 2009
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Laurent Drouhin
Ever wondered how to define the difference between Drouhin Vaudon Chablis Grand Cru Vaudesir 2008 and Drouhin Vaudon Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 2008?

Laurent Drouhin with Honora Horan (center) and Harriet Lembeck at a walk around tasting of the 2008 vintage from the Drouhin family.
At the tasting, I chatted with Mr. Drouhin and suggested [...]

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