Imagine yourself in Ampuis in 1781.  This is a tiny town in the Northern Rhone, famous for its red wine made from Syrah and white from Viognier. Joseph Vidal-Fleury, the founder of Vidal Fleury, was an important grower and negotiant. Today this is the Rhone valley’s continuously operating winery. Since the 1980s Vidal-Fleury has [...]

  “Welcome!” says Jeremy Steimer in perfect English, looking very fresh and crisp on this hot sunny day with his well-pressed shirt, light hair, and cheerful smile. We shake hands in the M. Chapoutier Caveau (showroom), a gorgeously decorated place where the special soils of Michel Chapoutier’s vineyards can be seen behind a glass case. [...]

Ah, Syrah! Do you prefer it young, fresh, and juicy with expression? Or sophisticated, well-rounded, yet seductive all the same? One of the best things about living the vida loca wine life is that there are so many helpful “enablers” all around you, feeding into your literal thirst for wine knowledge. Take wine store clerks, [...]

Domaine de Clairefontaine is a charming restaurant and apparently luxurious hotel in the N. Rhone. We rushed here after a visit to E. Guigal, terrified we would miss the last seating and miss one of the last opportunities for a Michelin rated lunch as we had in Arles. The hotel is actually in the middle [...]