In France’s southern Rhône Valley, Mont Ventoux offers plenty of drama both for cyclists and winegrowers. On 13 occasions since 1951, the tortuous switchbacks of “The Giant of Provence,” as the mountain is called in France, figured prominently in the famous Tour de France bicycle race. But while the Tour de France visits only occasionally, the rest of the time Mont Ventoux dramatically influences more than 15,000 acres of vineyards in the foothills and plains surrounding its base.
“I am reminded of spring by the quality of the air …It is a natural resurrection, an experience of immortality.”
— Henry David Thoreau, Feb. 24, 1852, from “Early Spring in Massachusetts”
When you love drinking red burgundies, giving up is just not option. Abiding passion must be served. Yet over the last decade as prices on even village wines have escalated to $60 or more per bottle, popular producers’ wines have sadly slipped out of reach in recent vintages. When you’re feeling the disappointment, just remember you’re not alone, and do no despair.
When visiting Paris and Burgundy, two of France’s most popular destinations, we all share a burning question. Where can I eat and drink well and memorably without breaking the bank? In Paris, the relatively new Vantre offers an intriguing option, and in Burgundy, Restaurant Le Terroir in Santenay provides a reliably charming choice.
Growing up in the 70’s and 80’s in Burgundy’s Mâcon region, Frédéric Ménager dreamed of one day ripping guitar solos in a rock and roll band. His family had more immediate ideas.
Burgundy may be Pinot Noir’s spiritual home, but Alsace winegrowers’ palpable passion for Pinot Noir cannot be ignored. Leading winegrowers such as André Ostertag, Christian Beyer, Jean-Paul and Marie Zusslin, Maxime Barmès and Rémy Gresser embody the renewed dedication to producing high quality, delicious Pinot Noir wines worthy of international attention. Each grower offers an ambitious vision for Alsace red wines.
Each Tuesday our little tasting group in Pittsburgh dreams of Burgundy by sharing wines over a modest lunch at a local bistro. For this week’s theme of Pommard, as usual we tasted the wines “blind” without foreknowledge of the producer, specific climat and vintage. The experience is always instructive and fun, and occasionally delightful with startling surprises. This week was no exception.
Nearly twenty years ago, American-born Juan Sanchez founded his Paris wine shop La Dernière Goutte, a French name meaning “the last drop.” It proved ironic, indeed. Today this cozy establishment at 6 rue Bourbon-le-château in the Left Bank neighborhood of St-Germain-des-Prés continues pouring French wines and hosting popular introductory classes.
To visit Domaine Chevrot’s Maranges 1er cru vineyards, winegrower Pablo Chevrot locks in his truck’s four-wheel drive and buckles the seat belt. The adventure begins as he navigates up a rocky, steep slope to the high terrasse to visit the marvelously serene and sunny climats of “Le Croix Moines” and “La Fussière.”
By most measures, the F.E. Trimbach’s riesling Clos Sainte Hune remains the flagship of Alsace’s dry white wines. Made from grapes grown in Rosacker vineyard’s distinctive Dolomitic limestone, the wine’s consistent elegance, complexity and fidelity to terroir certainly merit accolades.
But Alsace’s glorious dry rieslings do not stop there. The sheltering Vosges Mountain to the west create a marvelously sunny, dry climate over a stunningly diverse mosaic of soils in 51 grand cru vineyards. This provides scores of outstanding Alsace winegrowers with singular opportunities at every turn to make world-class dry rieslings worthy of serious consideration and enjoyment.