I’m excited to once again visit Le Sources de Caudalie during En Primeur, a gorgeous luxury resort with a top restaurant and healing, relaxing spa about thirty minutes from the main city of Bordeaux. (You can read my previous posts about the spa, the restaurant, the resort, and its founders Florence and Daniel Cathiard [...]

One of the benefits of being a Master of Wine student is an “introductory” trip to Bordeaux, where students have the opportunity to meet the winemakers and learn more about the region. In preparation for En Primeur 2012, I scanned my computer for some old notes from this visit. They are replicated here. Chateau LaGrange [...]

Very soon I will visit Chateau Cordeillan Bages! It is an 18th century chartreuse house converted into a luxury hotel and restaurant, where Michelin starred Chef Jean-Luc Rocha’s inventive cuisine, is paired with the wines of Chateau Lynch-Bages and perhaps another winery owned by the Cazes family, Château Ormes de Pez in Saint-Estèphe. As much [...]

Very excited to visit this first growth Chateau in Sauternes, which is located on the high ground near the villages of Bommes.  As a first growth it is ranked first in the 1855 classification … yet the oldest stones cut from quarries in neighboring Citron date from the 13th century. Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey has an interesting [...]

“This is absolutely fantastic!” a guest exclaims, entering the ground floor reception area of the famous Clos de Vougeot and seeing handsomely uniformed waiters pouring tastes of the region’s finest red and white wines. Everyone here is thrilled to be invited to the Union des Maisons de Vins de Bourgogne event which features the world’s [...]

Fabulous 11th edition of the Grands Jours for trade and media in Burgundy. This was my 3rd time at the event (which takes place every two years) and involves tasting the wines of various regions each day of the week. For example, Monday’s event took place at the Maison des Vins de Chablis et du [...]

Fabulous two days of tasting at Diva Beaune, a small event in conjunction with the Grands Jours de Bourgogne where small producers as well as major names and brands poured wine. I discovered many talented small producers here. Didier et Jean Louis AMIOT Domaine Robert AMPEAU et Fils Domaine Marquis D’ANGERVILLE Domaine ARLAUD Père et [...]

  … so this is a quick post as I am SLOWLY talking about the fabulous producers I met at the Vertical Tasting in association with La Paulee in San Francisco organized by Daniel Johnnes. It was a super expensive and exclusive event, yet I felt like I had to experience it … … and [...]

“Wine and art … it’s everywhere!” This is the refrain of every wine lover (and art lover) dazzled by the “perfect pairing” of wine and art, ranging from sleek, jet-set art events such as Art Basel in Miami to new multi-million dollar wineries around the globe. Henri Lurton, owner and winemaker of the Second Growth [...]

In October we visited the Languedoc — our “base” was Agde, a town with 2,600 years worth of history where the River Hérault and the Canal du Midi meet the Mediterranean. From the 5th century BC, the Phocaeans developed this town into a trading station between Marseille and Spain, which expanded in the fullness of [...]

So now after two and a half days of drinking $$$$ of very fine champagne (as a guest!) I am back in New York and looking for something slightly more affordable for Christmas. At Le Bernadin last week, sommelier Aldo Sohm (who won best sommelier in the world competition and is always winning new ones) introduced [...]

  Bruno Paillard is an increasingly popular brand, and the first time I heard about it was during a week I spent as AXA’s guest for winning a competition related to the Masters of Wine programme – it was the wine served in the very elegant ‘drawing room’ of Chateau Pichon-Longueville before dinner. The other [...]

  One of the highlights of a very impressive trip to Champagne was an excellently conducted tutored  tasting of “base wines” at Champagne Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, followed by a “fantasy lunch” at l’Hotel du Marc, a very private, incredibly lavish, Proustian mansion owned by LVMH, complete with beautifully-attired servers and of course the best champagne. [...]

  Drive up to the home/winery of winemaker Francis Boulard — who makes some of the finest Champagne I have ever tasted — and you will see a modest farmhouse, colorful children’s toys in the large driveway, and … a trampoline.   The farmhouse had been purchased by Francis, his wife, and daughter/winemaker Delphine after [...]

Ah, Bollinger … Established in 1829 in Ay, France, it’s almost impossible to know the magic of this incredible Champagne house until one has experienced a tour led by M. Cristian Dennis, a very affable gentlemen who knows all the secrets (yes, and secret passageways as well!) As is the case with every single Champagne [...]

      “How theatrical!” Was the response as we entered the red velvet walls of Le Theatre in Epernay, a charming town with its petite pretty parks and Belle Epoque buildings. 18th century Paris and some modern romantic arty types of pieces (silouttes anyone?) decorated the restaurant’s red walls. “Welcome!” said the movie star [...]

  “I like a good farmer!” says Jeanne-Marie De Champs, owner of Domaines et Saveurs Collection in Burgundy. Jeanne-Marie represents over seventy producers and exports them to various countries, including the USA and my favorite wine stores. Jeanne-Marie is responding to my question about how she chooses the producers she represents. Each one I’ve met [...]

La Maltroye Winemaker and Chateau de la Maltroye owner Jean-Pierre Cournet has the exotic look of a jet-set film star as opens the door and greets us in his gorgeous 18th century Chateau in Chassagne-Montrachet.  It is high on a hill, with a gorgeous view of the village and darkening sky. And there’s something a [...]

  “A French insurance company owns a Chateau?” the woman’s voice says, incredulous. Yes, one can imagine that most people think that a top wine chateau in Bordeaux is owned by a French aristocrat, yet the world has taken quite a turn since the days that this might have been the case. Today the French [...]

  Domaine Meo Camuzet is a gorgeous, very modern looking winery in Vosne-Romanee. For many years I have been very excited to visit, because I know that Jeanne-Marie De Champs, owner of Domaines Et Saveurs Collection who  represents many top Burgundy wineries for export, trusts Meo Camuzet exclusively to elevate the wines she buys at [...]