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www.wine-tours-france.com - March, 2003

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This month's wine explorations:

Wine Value of the Month: Cru Bourgeois from Bordeaux
Best of Bordeaux tours: just a few spots left
Speaking out about the unofficial boycott of French wine in the U.S.
Wine tip of the month: Essential Wine Accessories
New October 2003 Cooking and Wine in Provence program
Upcoming Wine and Food Events in France
Join us on a tour at no cost to you

Wine Value of the Month: Crus Bourgeois from Bordeaux

When we think of the Médoc, the area on the Left Bank of the Gironde River in the Bordeaux wine region, we naturally think first of the famous classified chateaus like Margaux, Mouton Rothschild, Pichon Longueville, Cos d'Estournel, etc. Although these wines are often fabulous, few of us can afford to drink them on a regular basis. Even the 4th or 5th Grand Cru Classés like Lynch Bages or Beychevelle are out of most wine enthusiasts' price range. Is the Médoc therefore totally out of reach for the average wine lover?

Not at all. A secondary classification was made in 1939 that sought to embrace the many quality wine chateaus that, for lack of notoriety, didn't make it into the famous 1855 classification. Many of these chateaus, classified as "Crus Bourgeois", are located in the same wine-producing appellations as the big boys, namely Margaux, St. Julien, Pauillac or St. Estephe. Others are located in the two lesser-known village appellations of the Médoc, Moulis and Listrac, and some originate from the subregional appellations Médoc and Haut Médoc. They are made from the same blended grape varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot (leaning considerably toward Cabernet Sauvignon in this part of Bordeaux), grown in gravelly terroirs that are similar to the more famous chateaus. Not only is the quality quite high for a growing number of Crus Bourgeois; the price is also a refreshing site for the Bordeaux lover. Chateaus like Sociando Mallet in Haut Médoc, Chasse Spleen in Moulis, La Tour de By and Rolan de By in Médoc, and Haut Marbuzet in St. Estephe make excellent wines that often rate as high as some of the 3rd or 4th Grand Cru Classés.

Chateau La Tour de By 1995, Médoc
The slightly terra cotta hue shows that this wine has evolved somewhat, but the complex nose still shows nice berry and cassis flavors, as well as a pleasant vegetal aroma, some licorice, tangy pepper, subtle leater, and just a hint of toasty oakiness. Medium-bodied and very well balanced, the tannins are present and very fine, with fresh acidity and good length on the palate, all indicating that this wine can be laid down for another 3-5 years. A lovely match for a classic roasted Pauillac Lamb.

Join us for our Best of Bordeaux tour, where you'll get to taste at the famous classified chateaus, and compare their wines with the Cru Bourgeois during meals. We have just 2 places left for the May 11-17, 2003 tour, and just 6 places left for July 20-26, 2003. More information here.

Speaking Out about the Unofficial Boycott of French wine in the U.S.

I have been deeply disturbed to receive daily emails from Americans who have felt the need to tell me how much they hate the French, as well as their plans to boycott French wines. I can only imagine that they mistakenly assume that our company is French (we're an American company), and therefore feel justified in spamming us to vent their opinions about France's reluctance to go to war with Iraq. Many other French wine-related organizations have also been targeted in these email campaigns. The writers cite the "fact" that the French use ox blood to fine their wines as a justification for the boycott. Many of the emails we've received have been nothing more than a list of expletives directed at the French, and all of them have included extreme statements and a great deal of misinformation.

This is not a political forum, and I don't intend to get into a discussion of world politics here. However, I feel that it is important to speak out about this issue. For those who wish to read the remainder of my article on the unofficial boycott of French wine, you'll find more here.

A fine (and funny) article on this subject: http://www.wineloverspage.com/mcintyre/wineline28.phtml

Wine Tip of the Month - Indispensable Wine Accessories

Our clients often ask us about our favorite wine accessories. Like many of you, we receive catalogs filled with thousands of wine accessories, from bottle stoppers to funnels to carafes and much more. Our guests often imagine that our own collection of wine accessories must be quite vaste. In fact, we use very few wine accessories, but we find those we do use to be indispensable. We always favor those accessories that are the simplest, easiest to use and most economical. Here they are:

Corkscrews: we have several, and each has its own use. Generally, we use a good sommelier- style corkscrew for opening most bottles. Laguiole makes beautiful ones that are also quite well-designed. We prefer using the knife of the sommelier to cut the foil (since we prefer cutting under the "ring" instead of at the very top of the bottle), so we don't need a separate foil cutter. We also like the Pulltaps brand, which has a double-tiered support that allows you to get the cork halfway out, then switch to the higher support for more leverage to get the rest out. For corks that may be fragile due to age or improper storage, we use either a Screwpull (its "endless screw" very gently lifts out the cork), or an "Ah-so", those funny-looking things with two prongs, one shorter than the other. The Ah-so is the best choice for corks that are disintegrating;
Vacu-Vin: the best economical choice for preserving wine. Its pumping system really does take most of the air out of the bottle, and helps you keep the wine for another few days after you open it. We've never found a better system for the price.
Champagne recorker or pump: to preserve Champagne, you can use the Epivac Wine & Champagne Saver . For wine, it works on the same principle as the VacuVin; for Champagne, it compresses the air so the bubbles stay in. Otherwise, VacuVin makes a Champagne recorker which is basically a stopper that helps keep the bubbles until the next day.
Drop-Stop: the only wine accessory we've ever found that really keeps drops from dripping off the bottle and onto your tablecloth. Each of our guests receives one with our logo on our tours!
Carafe: the best carafe is one that is glass only (metal accents can affect the taste of the wine), and has the widest possible base to allow the greatest surface area of the wine to be in contact with the air (remember, the main reason to carafe is to aerate YOUNG wines - for old wines, best to not carafe, or use a carafe with as narrow a base as possible - more on carafing here). No need for funnels or "aerators" - to aerate, just slosh the wine as graceLESSly as possible into the carafe. Here's an example of a good basic carafe.
Ice Bucket: once your wine is already chilled, a wine chiller such as the one here really does keep the wine cold. Otherwise, to chill wine, use a metal bucket and add water with ice cubes.
Wine Thermometer: we don't use one, but it's a good thing to use until you have enough experience to judge wine temperature without it. Any standard one will do.

And for your cellar:

Thermometer/hydrometer: for your cellar, to be sure you're at the right temperature and humidity.
Cellar book: to keep track of your wines, when you bought them, and when they should be drunk, as well as your tasting notes and what you food you served when you opened the bottle.

With these 9 or 10 simple items, you're all set to stock and serve your wines. All links are for information only, we have no relationship with the sellers of these products.

October 2003 Dates for Cooking and Wine in Provence

Due to the excellent response for our April 23-29 program, we are pleased to announce a second Cooking & Wine in Provence program for the fall, October 1-7, 2003. Our collaboration with Food & Wine Magazine's Connoisseur Club for this program continues. We'll be making two special offers to Connoisseur Club members for this great week of gastronomic exploration in sunny southern France: a 10% DISCOUNT on the price of the tour, and a special gift basket filled with Provençal goodies and an autographed copy of one of chef Tamara Milstein's best-selling cookbooks.

YOU can benefit from this special offer! Just sign up to become a Connoisseur Club member. Go to their web site, and follow the simple instructions. The $49.95 one-year membership fee will be covered many times over by the savings you'll perceive on our Cooking & Wine program. It's a great deal, so don't miss out!

More information here about Cooking & Wine in Provence - October 2003. There are just two spaces left for the April program!

Upcoming Wine and Food Events in France

Here are some great wine and gastronomy events you may want to attend if your travels take you to France in the coming month or so:

Feb. 22-March 2: International Agricultural Fair, Paris, Porte de Versailles: a great chance to taste wine and sample other produits des terroirs.
Feb. 22-March 2: 5th Salon of Grands Vins, Paris, Carrousel du Louvre (99, rue de Rivoli, 1st arrondissement): 100 winemakers with free tastings (+33 (0)1.45.03.21.26 for more info)
Feb. 28-March 3: Salon des Vignerons Indépendents in Strasbourg Parc des Expositions de Wacken (www.vigneron-independant.com) - winemakers show with free tastings.
March 1: Meursault Wine Festival (Burgundy)

Join us on a tour at no cost

To get the year started right, we're making a special offer to make it possible for everyone to join us in France in 2003. If you can get a group of 10 friends, relatives or colleagues to take a customized, private wine tour together in 2003, we will offer the tour to you at no cost. For our scheduled tours, just get six other people to sign up for any of our tours, and once again, we will offer a tour to you at no cost. This offer is good through June, 2003 for our 2003 tours - just contact us for details.

Contact Us

I'm always available to answer your questions about our wine and culinary programs, our company, and wine in France in general. Don't hesitate to contact me at lgreene@wine-tours-france.com, or 1-877-261-1500.

Best regards,

Lauriann Greene, Sommelier-Conseil
President/Founder

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FRENCH WINE EXPLORERS
WA Seller of Travel License 601 903 728
info@wine-tours-france.com
www.wine-tours-france.com
Tel: 877-261-1500
Fax: 253-423-5316