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Reviews June 1, 2013

Ogier Clos de L’Oratoire Chateauneuf du Pape, Southern Rhone, France.

Grapes 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 5% Mourvedre, and 5% Cinsault Facts It’s been a little-while since I last had/reviewed a bottle of CdP (what the cool kids call it…or at least…what I call it). Chateauneuf-du-Pape isn’t for everyone – its intensity and “tertiary” flavors certainly take some getting use to – but I’d probably put it up there as my overall all-time favorite French wine region. Seven generations of winegrowers have tended to the…

Reviews December 20, 2012

Domaine Juliette Avril, Cotes du Ventoux, France.

Grapes Grenache, Syrah, Carignan Facts If you’re looking to slowly step into France, but aren’t sure where to start, wines from Ventoux might be right up your alley! I speak to a great number of people who tell me that when they buy red wine from France, it’s always so earthy, tannic and dry. The bonus with wines from Ventoux is they tend to skew a little more juicy/jammy, certainly more than their neighboring…

Facts September 30, 2012

Wine for the Blind.

Funny, News September 22, 2012

M. Chapoutier Wine Name Stolen by Chinese Clothing Manufacturer.

Michel Chapoutier of Maison Chapoutier has vowed to fight Chinese forgers who have launched a brand of clothing using his name. This isn’t the first time Chapoutier has fallen victim to counterfeiters. His wine has been faked before, but this is the first time a clothing brand has used his name. Advertised under the ‘M Chapoutier’ label, the fake was first spotted by Michel’s daughter, Mathilde Chapoutier, who happens to be spending three years studying…

Reviews May 17, 2012

Cercius, Cotes du Rhone, France.

Grapes 85% Grenache, 15% Syrah Facts You’ve probably read countless times that “…you should never choose a wine based on the label!” Well, I call BS on that! If anything, France needs to step-up their wine label game (as is beautifully demonstrated here) and start getting more creative if they plan on rising from the ashes! To me, a great label and overall good packaging are sometimes the only way a producer is going…

Pairings April 25, 2012

Domaine La Barroche Chateauneuf-du-Pape Paired with Pale Ale Beef Stew.

This isn’t exactly seasonally-inspired cuisine (since this is very much a winter-esque dish), but I’m not running a restaurant here, so get over it! :) Seriously though, a great amount of thought goes into these pairings (and indeed everything I put on this site). I want people to enjoy them, relate to them, read the whole-thing through to the end and possibly even make them in their in home. My rule-of-thumb is that if I…

News January 31, 2012

Chapoutier Calls Natural Winemakers “Hippies from Another World”.

Renowned Rhone producer Michel Chapoutier has added his own comments to the natural wine debate by denouncing natural winemakers as out-of-touch hippies making defective wines. Interviewed in the current issue of Decanter, Chapoutier tells John Livingstone-Learmonth the practice of natural winemaking – that is, using no sulphur dioxide to stabilize the wines – is a con. ‘It is a connerie. It is rubbish. It’s like making vinegar, bad vinegar. How can anyone allow toxic yeasts…

Pairings, Recipes January 23, 2012

Moroccan Spiced Lamb Chops Paired with La Griveliere Cotes du Rhone 2010.

Ever since receiving a set of insanely expensive Laguiole steak knives for Christmas, I’ve been dying to test them out. Truth-be-told, when I unwrapped the small rectangler box on Dec 25th, my heart dropped into my shoes when I saw the Laguiole logo on the wooden case. For one second I thought the Mrs. had dropped $100+ on a Laguiole wine opener. I don’t by any means want to sound ungrateful, it’s not that I…

Reviews December 17, 2011

Perrin & Fils “Les Sinards”Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Rhone, France, 2007

Grape 70% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre Facts I do have to say, I’ve always had an affinity for Chateauneuf-du-Pape, even before I started really getting into wine. Maybe it’s because, for some reason, I deemed it to be my first “serious” bottle of vino. I’ve always thought of Chateauneuf to be almost stuck in time. Whereas most other wine regions of the world have seen at least a partial amount of modernization;…

Reviews November 15, 2011

Domaine Carobelle Gigondas 2009

Grapes 80% Grenache 15% Syrah 5% Cinsault Facts I have a special little place in my heart for Gigondas, it was one of the first bottles that really got me into the world of wine. The name Gigondas [jhee-gon-dahs] comes from the Latin Jocunditas meaning “great pleasure”, as the region was home to many Roman Legions as an area of recreation. Grenache is always the main grape in red Gigondas, and is not permitted…

Reviews November 11, 2011

Little James’ Basket Press – A Wine by Louis Barroul.

Grapes 100% Grenache Facts Louis Barruol, the winemaker behind the Little James Basket Press is part of the new generation of winemakers in the Southern Rhone region of France, who through years of study and instruction from his winemaking father, has breathed a fair amount of new life into their old family-held estates. The Barruol family has a long heritage in winemaking and has been involved with the hugely respected Chateau de St….

Reviews July 12, 2011

Rhone Gang – Hold Up 2007

Grapes 30% Grenache 70% Pinot Noir – kind of a crazy blend, but you could have guessed that something about this wine isn’t right by the label… Facts In case you were wondering, the wine doesn’t come with its own stick-on moustache, but what a genius marketing idea! I should patent that! The Hold Up is a new project by the self-proclaimed Rhone Gang: Louis Barroul from Chateau St. Cosme, Paul Chaudiere from…