Blog Archives
Fantastic White Wines and Sparkling from Lucien Albrecht
Back in May I joined Lucien Albrecht winemaker Jėrȏme Keller for some wine (duh) and snacks at a small media get-together. I said “yes” because many of these wines are like old friends, particularly the sparkling and Pinot Blanc. It was an impressive set of bottles, and here are my favorites of the lot. Lucien Albrecht Sparkling [More]
Traveling 54 Years in One Evening with Two Wines
A duo of bottles serving as bookends to a media event sponsored by Barton & Guestier practically told the story of French wine, how the industry has developed, and how tastes have evolved. Yep, over five decades of change distilled (fermented, rather) into one short, yet memorable, evening. Let’s start from the end, which is [More]
Go Gamay Go: Two Bottles Starring My Favorite Red Grape
Gamay freaks unite! And they/we do, across the globe, thanks to #gogamaygo. Check it out on IG. I believe the origins of it come from my friend Treve Ring but I’m not sure. And though the grape is popping up all over the world, the best stuff is from France. Particularly Beaujolais. Here are two [More]
François Villard Makes the Ultimate Viognier For Under $30
I’m grateful when I get to go to big wine trade tastings, but they can be overwhelming. One hundred-plus tables, many of them crowded with clamoring masses, yearning to drink taste free. My advice is to go in with a battle plan. Study that spiral-bound playbook you get on arrival! But sometimes it’s dumb luck [More]
Sud de France Sunday: Let it Breathe
Drinking the 2006 Robert Skalli Reserve Cabernet from the Sud de France reminded me how much decanting can benefit a wine. At first, the Skalli was smooth but a little too dominated by oak. After an hour in the decanter, the oak had subsided and I was left with a rich cab with mellow tannins. [More]
Sud de France Sunday: Red or White?
So I’m going to a potluck later today and have this working in the crockpot: Pumpkin Chicken thighs rubbed with smoked, dried chile powder and cumin Onion Garlic A bit of red curry sauce So what wine with this dish? At first I was contemplating a richer-style white, but with that bit of powerful tomato-based [More]
Sud de France Sunday: Blanquette de Limoux
It’s a lovely, sunny fall afternoon in Seattle. I think it only proper to laze about on the balcony and drink sparkling wine. What’s in my glass? Blanquette de Limoux. This region of France produces really nice, fun, and affordable sparkling wines. And if you liked to be steeped in the lore and history of [More]
