Bugey on down – explorations in undiscovered France In France, the little known wine region of Bugey is well off the beaten track. I have passed through it frequently, usually on the way to more famous wine destinations in France and Italy. When I finally stopped to explore it some years ago, I wished I had done so sooner. An …
Christmas 2019 – a dozen wines to check out!
Christmas 2019 – a dozen wines to check out! Happy Christmas to you all, and here’s my pick of the wines for Christmas 2019. Here’s my Christmas Card as well. It’s the skating rink at the Christmas Market held in Bruges, Belgium. Anyway, here are a delightful dozen wines for the festive season that are all available in the UK. …
More Beaujolais Pleasures – Beaujolais Pt.3
More Beaujolais Pleasures – Beaujolais Pt.3 This final part 3 of the Beaujolais trilogy contains even more Beaujolais pleasures. It covers six more crus plus some food-matching ideas. The clickable Google map below shows the producer locations for all of the wines recommended in parts 2 and 3. Even more Beaujolais pleasures await ♥ Brouilly 1,227 hectares and 8.5 million bottles. …
Beaujolais is for life, not just for Christmas – Pt.1
Beaujolais is for life, not just for Christmas – Pt.1 Ah, Beaujolais! Mention that word and the memories flood back, still fresh from half a lifetime. Beaujolais was where it all started. I never anticipated a lifelong wine journey would result. What would have happened if Beaujolais and I had not coincided? Life would have been very different. Let me …
Three Colours Red – Beaujolais, Pt.2
Three Colours Red – Beaujolais, Pt.2 Beaujolais part 1 was mostly a love letter to the region where my wine journey started. This part 2 is Three Colours Red. It covers the three main divisions, namely Beaujolais, Beaujolais-Villages, and four of the ten Beaujolais crus. There is a wine recommendation for each one from encounters over the past couple of years. Then, …
Assemblage 2009 released by Champagne Bruno Paillard
Assemblage 2009 Regular readers of these pages will know my liking for the Champagnes made by Maison Bruno Paillard. This time it’s about vintage Champagne and the new release of Assemblage 2009. The Cuvée This Champagne is made exclusively from the first pressings of the grapes, ensuring the best quality. These came from ten of the best terroirs in the …
Chablis and the Grand Auxerrois – Book review
Chablis and the Grand Auxerrois – Book review Chablis – it’s the best known white wine. And not just in the UK, which is still its biggest market, but worldwide. It’s so famous that many don’t realise it’s made only with Chardonnay grown in a small group of villages in northern Burgundy. Even though it’s a unique expression, Chablis is …
Dosage Zero, Champagne Paillard with Crofton Cheese
Dosage Zero, Champagne Paillard with Crofton Cheese Dosage Zero is a specialist Champagne from Bruno Paillard. I’ve written about this Champagne House previously, so rather than repeat myself, see here for my piece on what Champagne Bruno Paillard is all about. In style, the wines from this Champagne House are usually Extra-Brut, with minimal residual sugar, designed to let the land …
Stephane Derenoncourt and St. Emilion
Stéphane Derenoncourt and St. Émilion I don’t often write about serious Bordeaux reds. Not because I have an aversion to them but more because I don’t get involved in the en primeur or auction/investment scenes. I prefer to drink my wine! Also, top Bordeaux Cru like St. Émilion commands prices ranging from expensive to stratospheric. However, looking back through my …
Salon – expensive, but never dearer
Salon – expensive, but never dearer Eugène-Aimé Salon founded Champagne Salon at the beginning of the 20th Century. He was a native of Champagne and from humble origins became a wealthy Parisian furrier and socialite. Champagne Salon arose when he decided to create his own Champagne, primarily for consumption by him and his society friends. Such was his obsession with …