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

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This month's wine explorations:

Wine Tasting of the Month: Vintage Champagnes

We had the opportunity to taste two fine vintage Champagnes during a one-day wine tour to Reims last week. Most Champagnes are non-vintage, made from a blend of wine from the current year's harvest and wines from the past few harvests that are kept in reserve especially for this blending process.  Only in the very best years does a Champagne house produce a vintage Champagne, made exclusively from the grapes of that year's harvest.  These Champagnes are aged longer than the company's other wines, sometimes as much as 10 years before they reach the market.

The first vintage Champagne we tasted was at the house of Mumm.  Their Vintage Cordon Rouge 1990 is a blend of approximately 2/3 Pinot Noir, and 1/3 Chardonnay.  A golden yellow color, the wine exhales heady aromas of honey, apricot, molasses, truffle, with just a hint of lemon - rather sweet aromas for a wine that remains dry (Brut). A lovely balance in the mouth, with the body that comes from a majority of Pinot Noir in the blend, but with the freshness of the Chardonnay coming through.  Ready to drink, I don't believe the wine will benefit from more aging. Would make an interesting match with a succulent Bresse chicken with just a hint of truffle.

The house of Taitinger was our next stop, where we tasted their 1995 Comtes de Champagne.  This one is a Blanc de Blancs, or "white of whites", referring to the fact that only the white grape of Champagne - Chardonnay - is used to create this wine.  The wine is all elegance and finesse, a feminine wine in contrast to the more masculine style of the Mumm vintage Champagne we had earlier in the day. This Champagne is still very much centered on the freshness of the Chardonnay, with aromas of fresh citrus fruit (lemon, grapefruit), baking bread and honey.  Much less evolved than the 1990 Mumm (5 years younger, of course), this one will probably last a good deal longer if layed down.  Bone dry, it has millions of bubbles that go on forever.  A perfect wine for an aperitif, or with a first course of fresh shellfish.

Join us for our Paris, Champagne & Loire Valley Tour, July 27-August 2, 2003, where you'll spend a day tasting at the great Champagne houses, as well as enjoying sightseeing in Paris, Versailles and Giverny, and two days in the Loire Valley wine region.   More information.

Best of Bordeaux Tours: Space Still Available

We have just 2 spaces left for our May 11-17, 2003 Best of Bordeaux tour!  And we've just added another fabulous chateau to our itinerary that rarely accepts visitors: it's Chateau Cheval Blanc in St. Emilion, one of the two 1er Grand Cru Classé A chateaus in that appellation.  This tour offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to taste at the most famous chateaus of Bordeaux, including Margaux, Mouton Rothschild, Latour, Haut Brion, Cheval Blanc, and even d'Yquem in Sauternes.  You'll also enjoy wonderful gourmet dining at some of the area's highest-rated restaurants.

We'll be doing a similar itinerary this July 20-26, for those who would rather join us at that time.

More information on our web site, or contact us for details.

Appellation of the Month: Mâcon Villages

One of the lesser-known subregions of Burgundy is the Mâconnais, the area around the city of Mâcon in the southern-most part of Burgundy (just north of Beaujolais).  Located an hour south of the Côte d'Or, the Mâconnais is endowed with a warmer climate and more sunshine; in fact, the grape harvest here  often takes place a good two weeks after the harvest in the Côte d'Or.  As a result of this hotter climate, the wines here have less finesse, but more roundess, partially due to a higher alcohol content.  

Although the region produces red, rosé and white wines, it is the whites that are best known and considered the most qualitative.  The whites are made from the same grape variety as the great whites of the Côte d'Or: Chardonnay.  The most famous white wine appellation of the Mâconnais is Pouilly Fuissé, considered the most elegant expression of Chardonnay in this area.  However, the appellation of Mâcon Villages also produces white Chardonnay wines that, if lacking a bit in finesse, make up for it by offering a very pleasant drinking experience and an excellent value.

I recently had the pleasure of tasting a Mâcon Villages from one of this appellation's best producers, Jean Thévenet at Domaine de la Bongran.  His Cuvée Tradition 1998 was a golden yellow, with a very aromatic nose of ripe citrus fruit, honey and white flowers, with just a hint of minerality that comes from the region's chalky soil.  Very round and long on the palate, it made an excellent match with a terrine of lotte (a white ocean fish) and shrimp in aspic.

We'll soon be announcing our 2004 season, including two tours of Burgundy - more details to come!

Wine Tip of the Month - Serving Temperature Myths

Deciding on the right serving temperature for your wine is not always easy.  Unfortunately, there are still two myths that are particularly pervasive, and can ruin the experience of your favorite red or white wine:  

"Red wine should be served at room temperature."  This myth originates with the monks who were the principal winegrowers and winemakers in the Middle Ages in Europe.  They would take their red wine out of the cellar, and allow it to come to room temperature before serving.  It's important to realize, however, that they did not have central heating, so the monastery remained quite cool, if not downright cold.  In modern times, we keep our houses at comparatively warm temperatures, sometimes as much as 75 degrees farenheit.  If we allow our red wines to come to room temperature, they will be quite warm, and the balance of the wine will be completely thrown off.  The warm temperature accentuates the alcohol in the wine, and reduces the impression of the tannins, leaving us with a wine that is flabby and uninteresting. 

As a general rule, the fuller bodied the red wine (like fine Bordeaux and Burgundies), the warmer the serving temperature.  A full bodied wine will generally be tannic, and the slightly warmer temperature (60-65° F or 16-18° C) will keep the tannins from being too aggressive, and help open up the aromas.  Lighter bodied wines like those from the Loire Valley and Beaujolais will do better at cooler temperatures (53-57° F or 12-14° C), which will play up their light tannins and accentuate the refreshing quality of the wine.

"White wine should be served ice cold."  Serve anything ice cold (okay, except for ice cream), and it looses a good amount of its flavor and aromas.  White wines can be wonderfully aromatic, and it would be a shame to not experience those lovely aromas.  White wines should definitely be served cool, though, because one of the things we really appreciate in white wines is their freshness that comes from a lively acidity.  Cool temperatures accentuate that acidity.  Again, the fuller-bodied the wine, the warmer it can be served.  Generally, serve white wines between 47 and 53° F or 8-12° C, although you can serve the finest white Burgundies, Bordeaux or Rhones (like Chateauneuf-du-Pape or Hermitage whites) at 53-57° F (12-14° C).  Champagne, especially Blanc de Blancs (see above) do well at 42-47°F (6-8° C), as do dessert wines, since the cold cuts some of the intensity of the sweetness.

Experiment with serving wine at various temperatures at home, and let me know what you think!

Wine Country Touring Close to Paris

If you're planning a trip to Paris, and love wine, there are many fun ways you can combine the two during your vacation.  Both in Paris and in the nearby countryside, there are wine tasting opportunities that will make your vacation even more memorable.

In Paris, you can visit the Musée du Vin (wine museum) at Rue des Eaux in the 16th arrondisement.  Located in vaulted cellars dating back to the Middle Ages, the museum has exhibits on winemaking and the wine regions of France, and if your French is good, they offer wine tasting classes on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12 noon or from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. (with advance reservation).  In the heart of the right bank is Paris' biggest and newest wine store, Lavinia, at 3-5 boulevard de la Madeleine in the 1st arrondisement. You can find wines from all over the world here, as well as a dazzling array of wine accessories.  Ask for Ayumi, a fellow sommelier-conseil, in the French wine section.  For a truly memorable wine tasting dinner, try Bistrot du Sommelier, at 97, blvd. Haussmann in the 8th arrondisement.  Best Sommelier in the World '92 Philippe Faure-Brac matches 5 delicious dishes with an inspired choice of 5 wines, each expertly matched to each dish.  A lesson in food/wine pairing, and a wonderful meal.

There are no vineyards to speak of in Paris itself, but drive 1 1/2 hours to the east and you'll find yourself in the Champagne region.  You can visit famous Champagne houses like Moet et Chandon, Veuve Clicquot or Taitinger in Epernay or Reims pretty much any day of the week, and tours are available in English.  In Reims, be sure to stop into the spectacular Reims Cathedral, where the kings of France were crowned for centuries.  2 1/2 hours to the southwest is the Loire Valley wine region, where you can combine winery visits in the Touraine subregion (appellations like Vouvray, Touraine, Montlouis and Chinon) with visits to historic and beautiful chateaux like Chenonceau and Chambord.  Chenonceau is, in fact, also a wine producer, and you can taste their wines in their cellars next to the Chateau.  Finally, Chablis is only 180 km southeast of Paris, and makes a very nice day trip.  The village itself is charming, and you can taste at two fine producers - Defaix and Laroche - right in the center of the town.  For the Loire Valley (other than the Chateau of Chenonceau), and Chablis outside of the two producers mentioned here, be sure to make appointments for tastings in advance.

We'd be happy to take you to Champagne, Chablis or the Loire Valley for the day during your next trip to Paris.  Contact us for more information, or see our web site for more information.

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:

  • through April 25: Printemps du Languedoc: tasting of wines from the Languedoc region at the Pavillon Dauphine, 16th arrondisement, Paris.
  • April 26 & 27: Portes Ouvertes à Lalande de Pomerol: tours and tastings at twenty different chateaux in this Right Bank appellation.
  • April 26 & 27: Salon des Vins de Chinon : tastings in the appellation Chinon in the Loire Valley.
  • April 30-May 11:  Paris Trade Fare (Foire de Paris): a great opportunity to taste wine from all over France and sample other produits des terroirs.
  • end of May: Wines of France Fair, Mâcon, Burgundy: for information +33 (0)3 85 33 57 00

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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-Sollin, Sommelier-Conseil
President/Founder

Contact us for more information about our wine and culinary programs:

FRENCH WINE EXPLORERS
info@wine-tours-france.com
www.wine-tours-france.com
Tel: 877-261-1500
Fax: 253-423-5316

Copyright 2003, French Wine Explorers. Articles © 2003 Lauriann Greene.  All rights reserved.  WST #601 903 728.