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French Wine Explorers
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French Wine Explorers on
12/07/2011 9:07 PM
Getting to Beaune is not an easy proposition if you live anywhere outside of western Europe. I am so glad I decided to arrive a day early, catch my breath, and awaken fresh for the gastronomique “workout” that lay ahead. French Wine Explorers, a tour operator specializing in wine tours in France, planned the […]
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French Wine Explorers on
08/01/2011 4:30 PM
Did you ever wonder about those retail store vintage notes, and point scores posted near the bottles? How helpful are these shortcuts? To answer this, let’s go back to basics. (More on our post on “Points are for Ping Pong…”)What is meant by a good vintage, and what do point scores mean? Grapes ...
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French Wine Explorers on
06/24/2011 3:04 PM
Classification of Wines – What does all mean? The idea of classification of wines, and controlling wines from the standpoint of quality, is not a new idea. Centuries ago the Dukes of Burgundy decided that Gamay was an inferior grape, and banned its production. The Pinot Noir grape was planted instead, and is the basis for […]
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French Wine Explorers on
06/06/2011 6:16 PM
Wine Society: Bordeaux and Burgundy How To Gain Entrée Into a Wine Society San Diego is home to chapters of several world-renowned wine societies where swirling, sniffing, sipping and slurping are practiced with aplomb. Members regularly gather celebrating the vine in all its gustatory and intellectual glory. It’s the perfect place ...
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French Wine Explorers on
04/14/2011 8:22 PM
When you are on a wine tour in France and visit a fine wine estate, and the winemaker tells you something of the subsoil, climate and location of the estate, he is talking about terroir. The word probably comes from the French word terre, meaning earth, but now it means much more. The French have […]
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French Wine Explorers on
03/09/2011 8:58 PM
When I was in college, the entertainment budget for my international relations club was so small that once we resorted to serving Sparkling Burgundy. It was dreadful. How times have changed! The French are now producing superior sparkling wines in addition to champagne. Gradually, we are getting to know them. It’s worth the effort. ...
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French Wine Explorers on
02/07/2011 7:07 PM
Louis Latour: Beautiful Burgundy Wines to Try Today There’s no better way to discover Burgundy wine than on a wine tour. While you’re planning your Burgundy tour and waiting in anticipation for your trip, tasting Burgundy wine at a tasting event is another great way to further your knowledge of the region. Louis-Fabrice ...
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French Wine Explorers on
12/07/2010 3:03 PM
Many of our readers know from our blog post Champagne-Why I love this area, that we never tire of Champagne! Bill focuses on non-vintage Champagne for this post, and allows the armchair traveler a tour of the Champagne Wine Region. A recent extensive tasting at Wide World of Wines in Washington, D.C., allowed us to […]
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French Wine Explorers on
09/14/2010 2:57 PM
Care to buy some fine wines before they are even bottled? It is a well known practice, enabling wine producers recoup their costs early. Wine retailers are now sending around notices that wine futures for the heralded 2009 Bordeaux vintage are now available. A wine futures contract locks in a present price for wine to […]
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French Wine Explorers on
08/31/2010 11:40 PM
French Wine Explorers has been named as one of the world’s best wine tours by Travel + Leisure magazine, as well as a dream vacation experience by Wine Enthusiast magazine. Travel + Leisure’s September issue applauds French Wine Explorers for their focus and accessibility to the top wine producers in France and Italy. The company’s ...
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French Wine Explorers on
08/25/2010 6:53 PM
French Wine Explorers has a new Facebook fan page! We hope you’ll join on our French Wine Explorers Fan Page to keep up to date on our news, be the first to hear about tours and specials, enjoy gorgeous photos, and, of course, learn more about France and its wines. Thank you so much to […]
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French Wine Explorers on
06/14/2010 7:22 PM
The Loire Valley is a region of architectural treasures, with scenery that will delight you at every turn. And since the purest French is spoken at Tours, no wonder famous writers such as Balzac, Ronsard, Rabelais and Jules Verne have lived here, and taken the Loire Valley as a setting for their work. They surely […]
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French Wine Explorers on
05/28/2010 4:29 PM
It was a monk, Dom Perignon, who mastered the blending of wines (assemblage) that underlies modern Champagne. Equally important, he realized that the bottles used at the time were too fragile. They broke under the outer pressures of handling, and the inner effervescence of the wine. By mandating stronger bottles, he made the export ...
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By
French Wine Explorers on
05/11/2010 7:06 PM
If you have not yet visited the champagne region of France, 90 miles northeast of Paris, you have a great treat in store. The region of Reims, Epernay, Ay and Troyes is beautiful, easily accessible from Paris, and still not overrun by tourists. As a bonus, Reims Cathedral with its Marc Chagall windows is a […]
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French Wine Explorers on
04/25/2010 2:40 PM
New Wine Tour In Provence: Authentic Bliss For Wine Lovers French Wine Explorers is offering a new customizable wine tour in Provence. Discover A Taste of Provence and the French Riviera, an exclusive custom wine, culinary and cultural tour. A Taste of Provence and the French Riviera provides guests a variety of experiences. These ...
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French Wine Explorers on
04/02/2010 8:37 PM
Before the Easter holidays, we had the pleasure of hosting good friends at our house for dinner and to reminisce about our wine tour in France, and we ended our meal with homework. I had just received a sample box of Michel Cluizel Chocolates and decided to put them to the taste test to see […]
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