A fabulous visit to Pascal Jolivet in Sancerre – I had met Clement Jolivet (pictured above) a few weeks ago in New York and he kindly welcomed me to his winery for a tour, tasting, and lunch. Clement is very charming and very active in the winery, especially now that he is representing the [...]
I am SO excited to visit Champagne next week! I heard about the three festivals on LinkedIn from Jiles Halling (My Man in Champagne) and he has been very helpful in helping me set up the trip. The first event is Terroirs et Talents de Champagne and takes place in Epernay on Sunday 15th April [...]
Patrick Comiskey, journalist for Wine and Spirits magazine moderated this panel featuring several producers from Roussanne. Patrick kicked off the panel with his interpretation of Martin Luther King’s speech “I have a Dream” cleverly reworded to match the panel’s theme. First speaker was Pierre Gaillard and his daughter Elise from Domaine Madeloc in Banyuls [...]
So have you ever been in the position of blind tasting a lighter bodied, rather fruity wine, with bright red fruit flavors, minerals, and in some cases, a vertical structure? As a student in various wine educational programs, yes, I have – and when faced with several wines fitting this description, it can [...]
Have you tried a themed tasting? In studying for my MW (Master of Wine) program, I typically ask wine stores to send wine blind (wrapped in bags) to try them with a friend before dinner and deduce what they are. Just recently, I decided to ask the stores to create "themed" tastings, which is [...]
Rosé wine from Provence has been famous for thousands of years, yet many people do not realize that the whites and reds of Provence are refreshing and delicious, with many of the barrel-aged reds worthy of long-term aging. Though many people think of glitzy jet-set St. Tropez or touristy Marseilles when they think of Provence, [...]
White Burgundy Tasting Imagine yourself at a very elegant restaurant, hosting an important client, or trying to impress a date. You both decide on white fish as an entrée, so you are leaning toward a white wine. And since Chardonnay is such a popular grape, and Burgundy, France, such a respected region, you decide to [...]
Apremont Appellation in the French Alps As a wine educator, one of the most pleasurable aspects of my profession is choosing a theme for a class and introducing students to exciting wines or wine regions I have discovered. And here in Manhattan, this is a special challenge, because in this jaded city most everyone [...]
Apremont Appellation in the French Alps As a wine educator, one of the most pleasurable aspects of my profession is choosing a theme for a class and introducing students to exciting wines or wine regions I have discovered. And here in Manhattan, this is a special challenge, because in this jaded city most everyone [...]
Ah, the Malbec grape! In Argentina, Malbec forms the basis of a rich, ripe wine with flavors of sun-warmed plum and a velvety texture. In its hometown of Cahors in southwest France, Malbec can take on hundreds of guises, from…
Quick! What are the 10 “Cru” wine regions in Beaujolais? Even if you make your living as a sommelier or study wine, the question is daunting. Very possibly, most Americans do not know what, or where, Beaujolais is – and…
“After my visit to Miami, I think I am going to start producing wines in a Magnum,” jokes handsome French wine representative, Francois Pages of Chateau du Campuget. “Everywhere I went, people seemed so oversized and built-up, like superheroes!” Yes,…
by Marisa D’Vari (all rights reserved) Can you remember the first time you had Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine? For me, it was on the chic French island of St. Barts. A friend and I found a room with an outdoor kitchen and…
Mysteries of the Marsanne Grape, by Marisa D’Vari (c) 2006 “I find people are shying away from Chardonnay,” says sommelier Linda Gerin, co-owner of the restaurant Jean-Louis in Greenwich, CT, “and asking for more unusual wines, such as viognier.” So…
