Each time I visit a French wine region, I am astounded by the complexities of each appellation. For example, when I visited the Beaujolais in 2019, I discovered that within the region there are dozens of different appellations making red wine, each characterized by different grape growing elevations, yields, soil type, aging times, barrel types, and a myriad of other environmental and winemaking factors. The resulting wines are all so incredibly different, even though Beaujolais red wines are always, without fail, made from THE EXACT SAME GRAPE (gamay noir à jus blanc). It blows my mind how a single varietal can produce so many diverse wines.
Continue readingCategory: Winery visits (Page 1 of 2)
If there’s one thing that most people don’t know about me, it’s that besides a middle-school trip to Niagara-on-the-Lake to see a play at the Shaw Festival, I have never been to Niagara.
Shocking, I know.
What self-respecting Canadian wine writer has never visited the nation’s largest viticultural region??
With a milestone birthday coming up, it was time to remedy this travesty. I started dropping hints months ago about going to Niagara for the big event. So when my husband told me to pack a bag for a surprise birthday trip last weekend, I had my suspicions about where we were going.
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The senses can be a truly powerful force. I recently opened a bottle of Vernaccia di San Gimignano and found myself in Tuscany! Read on as I recount our last evening in Tuscany and the amazing farm-to-table meal at Fattoria Poggio Alloro.
Anyone else embarking on wine travel these days?
I love drinking a wine and being transported to far-off places through the sensations on my palate.
Continue readingI’m talking about pulling the cork and being whisked away to a foreign land by the bouquet. You close your eyes and with that first sip you can hear the Mediterranean breeze whispering through the olive trees.
Ever wanted to live on a vineyard in France? Wake up in the morning to the smell of espresso and fresh-baked croissant, open the windows and gaze upon vineyards and majestic Mont Blanc in the distance? Eat delicious, locally sourced food and drink organically grown wine made in your backyard? Work, eat, drink, sing and dance with locals, and make friendships for life?
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Keeping it all in the family in the Beaujolais – Part 1
Green rolling hills, row upon row of vines, tractors trundling their way past market stands are filled with every summer fruit imaginable – shiny red cherries, plump strawberries, and juicy apricots, peaches and nectarines. The sun shines warm upon your face, and a gentle breeze makes the tall grass sway. Welcome to June in the Beaujolais.
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