France

Special Celebration????? Why Champagne, Of Course!

Special Celebration????? Why Champagne, Of Course!

Yesterday was a very special day! My husband and I became grandparents for the first time. So what did we open to celebrate? Why, Champagne of course!!!

I’m a lover of all wines sparkling, and it flows almost every day in our household.  In honor of our adorable little girl (as well as our son and daughter-in-law!), we decided to toast with REAL Champagne!

What is it about Champagne? The effervescence of the mesmerizing bubbles? The ceremony of the popping of the cork? The fabulous yeastiness from the years on its lees? Perhaps all of those things and more make Champagne the beverage associated with luxury and the parties of the royal courts and aristocracy of Europe yesterday and today.

We visited the Champagne region a little over a year ago and loved visiting the famous Champagne houses. An added bonus was bellying up to some of the Champagne bars serving “farmer fizz”. Officially known as Grower Champagne, these are sparkling wines in the Champagne region that are produced by the same estate that owns and tends the vineyards. These wines reflect their own style and their specific vineyards. Interestingly, only 5% of the Champagne imported into the United States is Grower Champagne.

We cracked open a Grower Champagne last night to celebrate our little Claire Marie. We chose the Varnier Fannière NV Grand Cru Brut, which is lovely. Made with grapes from their Côte des Blancs vineyards, this Champagne has apple, plum, zesty orange  and spices on the palate. What’s my favorite part of this wine? There is a fabulous brioche yeastiness coming through with the fruit. Ohhhh … heaven! I’ve had this bottle in my cellar for over a year, and in my opinion that bit of age on a non-vintage Champagne adds lovely complexity and enjoyment!

Sipping on this Varnier Fannière while excitedly chatting about the new joy in our lives was the perfect way to end a fabulous day, and to commence an exciting phase of our lives.

And what’s my next mission? I’ll be stocking up on nice bottles of the ’19 vintage to open with her to celebrate her 21stbirthday!

Check out more about Varnier Fannière here: http://www.varnierfanniere.com/Champagne%20Varnier%20Fanniere.htm

What’s The Tastiest Hangover Remedy???

What’s the Tastiest Hangover Remedy???

Did you know that French Onion Soup is a hangover cure? What??? That’s what a lot of people believe. In fact, this heavenly caramelized onion concoction is often served at weddings in France long AFTER the cake … to ward off the dreaded headache and nausea that is bound to plague you the next day!

I made a batch last night. Not because I was hung-over, but because it’s my hubby’s favorite!

Now I know that there are a lot of wine pairing options for this tasty soup, but which bottle should I crack open? Should I go with a Pinot Gris from Alsace, whose Meyer lemon and waxy texture would compliment the soup nicely? A Gewürztraminer crossed my mind, for the touch of residual sugar that would bring out the sweetness of the onions. A Northern Rhone or Beaujolais were also tempting, but I ended up going with a Pinot Noir from Burgundy!

I chose the 2012 Régis Bouvier Gevrey-Chambertin, which I think was a great fit! The bright raspberry, cranberry and cherry fruit in the wine pick up the onion’s sweetness. The herbaceous thyme I used to in the soup brought out the earthiness of the wine. Perhaps most importantly, the great acidity of the wine cuts the richness of the Gruyere cheese (my favorite part!) blanketing the soup!

The wine itself is lovely! Perfectly balanced with fruit and earthiness, this 2012 Régis Bouvier Gevrey-Chambertin is a great value and once again a fine example of why I trust a bottle with the Kermit Lynch logo on the back label!

So go for it!!! Whether you’ve had too much fun the night before (i.e. hangover!) or you’re just in the mood for some warming soup with a kick-ass wine, cook up some French Onion Soup and grab a bottle of Régis Bouvier! Cheers!

https://www.kermitlynch.com/our-wines/regis-bouvier/

 

Pairing France with … France!

Tonight’s dinner was a Provençal Zucchini and Potato Gratin Casserole. I wanted to pair it with a French wine (OF COURSE!), and was looking for something from Provence. When I went into our cellar, the ’08 Domaine du Cayron from Gigondas caught my eye! Okay, it’s not from Provence, but it IS from the Southern Rhone, which is pretty darn close geographically speaking. And it was a great match!Gigondas-France

A few years ago I was fortunate to visit Gigondas, a charming village located near Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Southern Rhone!  It is also an appellation that produces some fabulous wines, both red and rosé, with its vineyards sitting below the dramatic rock formation called the Dentelles de Montmirail.

For many decades all of the wines of Gigondas were simply Côtes-du-Rhône, but in 1966 they were elevated to Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages.  In 1971 Gigondas was deservingly awarded its own appellation.

By law, the red wines of Gigondas can be made of no more than eighty percent Grenache, and no less than fifteen percent Syrah and/or Mourvèdre.  The remaining blending varietal is usually Cinsault, but may be any other red Rhone varietal except Carignan. Confused yet??? One of the top producers of Gigondas is Domaine de Cayron, and I’m happy to tell you that their wines are distributed here in the U.S. Cayron-w-Glass gigondas-street

Now the 2008 vintage in Gigondas is not known to be stellar. The summer months were cool and had lots of rain, but I find this ’08 Domaine du Cayron to be fabulous. It has lovely plum, cherry and loads of licorice. There’s also a bit of garrigue, which pairs wonderfully with the Herbes de Provence I used in the casserole.

I have a 2010 (considered a great vintage) waiting for me next to the empty slot where this ’08 sat. I’m sure looking forward to pairing that with something special too!

 

Red, White & JOLY!!!

When it comes to the 4th of July at our house, we throw an annual Red, White & Bubbles celebration!!! A pyro pro from Disney World lives behind us, and provides the night’s entertainment. We, along with our friends, provide the wines. It’s always great fun to try a fun variety of wine with friends and fellow wine geeks to toast our country’s independence. 

One of the most interesting wines I cracked open for the 2015 Independence Day celebration was a bottle of the 2004 Nicolas Joly “Roche Aux Moines Clos de la Bergerie” Savennières.

Savennières is an AOC located on the right bank of the Loire River in the Loire Valley of France. La Roche aux Moines (along with Coulée de Serrant) achieved independent AOC status in 2011. In fact, the 7 hectares Coulée de Serrant AOC is owned exclusively by Joly! The Savennières region produces what many believe to be France’s most age-worthy white wines, usually made exclusively from the Chenin Blanc grape.

The 2004 Nicolas Joly “Roche Aux Moines Clos de la Bergerie” Savennières (100% Chenin Blanc) is a golden copper in color and has overripe apricot, yellow apple, honey, and almond nuttiness on the nose. The palate is ripe, not sweet, and is loaded with candied orange, baked apricot and honeyed nuts on the palate. The slight oxidation reminds me of a wonderful sherry. This exciting quality entices my nose and taste buds and makes me want more. Oh what a lovely wine this is, balanced by its acidity and concentration of flavor. Only 100 cases were made.

Nicolas Joly is one of the leading personalities in the biodynamic winemaking movement, having written extensively on the subject and having practiced this method of viticulture since 1980. Predating organics, biodynamic viticulture was developed in the early 20th century by Rudolf Steiner. This philosophy of agriculture believes that all parts of the universe are interconnected, and that the alignment of the planets and phases of the moon direct the progress in the vineyards and the winery. It actually makes a lot of sense to me, and Joly’s wines are great examples of why I’m a believer!

If you’d like to try some of the worlds most special and unique examples of the fabulous Chenin Blanc varietal, look for wines from the Loire Valley. In fact, head to the Savennières region and check out Nicolas Joly’s wines in particular!

Here’s a wonderful website detailing Joly’s wines, vineyards and viticulture philosophy:  http://coulee-de-serrant.com/uk/

 

Wonderful Whites from Alsace!

Alsace is a region of France that I have yet to visit, much to my chagrin, but whose wines I absolutely adore!

I recently found a bottle of the Trimbach ’08 Gewurztraminer at Wine Watch, a great wine store in Fort Lauderdale (another blog for another day!) and grabbed it. Tonight I popped it open!

Maison Trimbach has been around a long time, since 1626 to be exact. Twelve generations have continued their viticulture history, with the family vineyard being led today by Hubert Trimbach, his nephews Jean and Pierre, and his daughter Anne. The family produces wines from all of the classic Alsace varietals, but today I’m going to tell you about this ’08 Gewurztraminer.

Alsace is a prime spot for this aromatic and lively grape. Gewurtz (as it is often called for short) thrives in this region of France, and many “pros” consider this to be the prime spot to grow this aromatic and lively grape. 

The ’08 Trimbach has a golden color with sexy aromas of peach, lychee, pear and honeysuckle. The palate has honey, ripe  (almost jammy) pear, peach and is dry with a peppery spiciness on the finish. This wine definitely benefited from being cellared for a few years and is ready to drink now.

I recently poured Trimbach’s ’13 Pinot Blanc for a corporate event, and it was the “surprise wine” of the night. People couldn’t believe how much they loved it.

Trimbach is best knows for their fabulous bottlings of Riesling, but they do a wonderful job with all of the Alsatian varietals.

Yes, there is definitely a trip to Alsace in my not too distant future. Until then, I’ll keep lots of wines from the region in my cellar, with Trimbach being at the top of my list.

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