Blog Archives
Loire Love: Cabernet Franc from Chinon
If I had to choose one red grape from one region I loved above all others, it would most likely be Cabernet Franc from France’s Loire Valley. The wines tend to be everything I am looking for in a red: lighter style, not too boozy, and full of savory, non-fruity notes. Favorite Loire Valley Cabernet [More]
Coup de Boule: Totally Bought This Wine Because of the Label
I am not immune to the charms of an attention-getting wine label. And the Coup de Boule is a wine that you are definitely going to pull from the shelf and scrutinize. What is it? La Grange Aux Belles Coup de Boule 2014 This is a fizzy rosé from a Loire Valley producer, La Grange [More]
The Best Red Wine I’ve Had in Years
There’s a lot of white and rosé (both still and sparkling) wine talk around here, but oh my did I just drink one of the best red wines I’ve had in years. A kind of “WOW WOW WOW” wine that had me blathering on, “I can’t believe how good it is!” Olga Raffault Chinon Les [More]
Loire Valley White Wines: Underappreciated Regions
I love all things from this storied region, but especially Loire Valley white wines. From Muscadet to Sancerre and everything in between (hello, Vouvray!), it’s a part of the wine world where I first discovered my inner wine geek. But are there area of this special spot in France that could use a little more [More]
Drunken Nights: The Wine
Cabernet Franc suffers the fate of not being Cabernet Sauvignon. It doesn’t have the reputation, familiarity, nor the sheer numbers of bottles available compared to the more famous Cabernet. Wait, what? What is this staid romance about standing up for a grape?!? Let’s get to the part where we all have lampshades on our heads! Let me [More]
Pairing Loire Valley Sparkling Rosé With A Kitchen Circus
As a huge fan of the Loire Valley, a Northern French wine region containing everything from Muscadet on the Atlantic to Sancerre further inland and a ton in between, I am always on the lookout for unique food and wine pairings, especially involving sparkling rosé. And though there’s a great diversity of wines, grapes, and [More]
The Initiates: A Comic Artist and a Wine Artisan Exchange Jobs
I’m just going to come out and say it: The Initiates: A Comic Artist and Wine Artisan Exchange Jobs is one of the best books about wine I’ve ever read, period. How could I not be intrigued by the title? When I received an e-mail from publisher Nantier Beall Minoustchine asking if I’d like to [More]
