Decant red wine either to aerate a young wine, or to get rid of unwanted sediment in a mature wine. The latter is the more elaborate procedure. It was at a professional wine tasting many years ago that I became aware of the art of wine decanting. A bottle of fine St. Julien wine from […]

When pairing French wine with seafood, let’s look at the rules, and then let’s break them.  Normally you serve white wines with seafood or poultry, and red wines with beef and other red meats. But fish varies in flavor. Some are light and others are more substantial. How the fish is ...

Not all caviar is caviar just as not all champagne is champagne. The term caviar is reserved for roe that is extracted from wild sturgeon caught in the waters of the Caspian and Black Seas, while other roe, such as salmon, should be called just that, roe. Likewise the bubbly, golden drink often ...

This week a notice appeared from Sotheby’s for fine quality Burgundy wine including Chambertin, announcing the availability for both the 2009 and 2010 vintages. These are said to be excellent vintages, the 2009 at this point showing fine fruit while the 2010, as might be expected in such a ...

The day to honor our mothers is fast approaching and while a bouquet of flowers paired with a box of mixed chocolates may be an old-standby, why not explore other avenues for your Mother’s Day gifts? Instead of the typical boxed sweets, try a dessert wine. In France, the Sauternes and ...

In our last article, we have spoken of the events featured at a wedding weekend (Click here for our first article on French Wines for Weddings). Here are some French wine suggestions to go with each event, for a gala occasion. The Rehearsal Dinner is time for some special wines, with perhaps ...

The special event, a family wedding, can be enhanced with careful planning. And carefully selected French wines, while not as essential as the ring itself, can play a role in creating a memorable occasion. You’ll want to make appropriate choices from the standpoints of affordability and flavor. ...

Many dinners are enjoyed with a single wine, which matches the main course.  You can go one step further and offer a French wine pairing for each course to set the stage for a memorable meal.  For example, you could offer guests a glass of Chablis with their hors d’oeuvres, and it is natural to ...

Top 3 Champagne Bars Paris : Where to Sip in Style Dom Perignon – the monk for whom the famous Champagne is named – is rumored to have said upon taking his first sip, “Come quickly, I am drinking the stars!” We are wont to agree. And what better way to get a taste of […]

How to Pair French Wines With Game French wines with game dinners are a memorable treat. The flavors of venison, wild duck, or boar, pose a special challenge for appropriate French wines to serve. These rich flavors seem to need a rich wine, and the use of sauces expands the taste ...

No, the title does not refer to the condition of those who have been enjoying a wine tasting in France, before and after. It tells us instead of the two most popular types of wine tastings. There are others as well, as we shall see. The most popular wine tasting is the horizontal tasting. All ...

You might be tempted, while exploring Bordeaux wines, to skip St. Julien. After all, it has no First Growths from the famous 1855 Classification, whereas Pauillac to the north has three, and the famous Château Margaux is to the south. But skipping St. Julien, at 900 hectares (2200 acres) the ...

When I lived in Bordeaux, I enjoyed drinking French wine and talking with château winemakers. Their views on assembling their grapes into a single grand vin, for example, were stimulating. So were their hints on tasting wine. But I liked going beyond that, and asking personalized questions. For ...

When we think of French wine varietals, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, grape varieties from Burgundy, and Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, from Bordeaux, have flourished in other parts of the world, notably in California and Oregon. But I was intrigued to discover grape varieties that are less well ...

The Southern Rhône region begins some 45 miles south of the Northern Rhône, and its soils are less severe, producing more expansive wines. Here the stars are Chàteauneuf-du-Pape (CDP), Côtes du Rhône, and Gigondas. Don’t skip the inexpensive Côtes du Rhône offerings of your retailer. ...

The Rhône Valley of France has two wine regions, distinct in the structure and taste of the wines produced. Terroir accounts for some of that difference, for the wines of the Northern Rhône are grown on narrow strips of land set precariously on sharply descending slopes. These wines are complex ...