We’ve passed by a little village called Nolay dozens of times without stopping on our way from our house to Beaune. The place seemed unremarkable on the surface but we finally decided to visit it one day to check out the antiques stores on the main road.

As usual and luckily, we wandered around while we were there.

It turns out that Nolay is awesome.

Most people who’ve been here would cite the beautiful, arcaded central market place, which dates back to the 14th century.

The roof is made of limestone (weighing 800 kg/1800 lbs per square meter) and the frame holds everything together with chestnut wood beams.

But to me, the salon de thé right next to the central market place, La Thé dans la Vigne, is Nolay’s real gem.

With delicious home made desserts, light fare meals, fine wines,

an adorable, sweet and hospitable owner (Sylvie Blanchard),

eclectic quirky French decor,

antique books and newspapers in French and English. antique dishware and silverware and housed in a a building that dates back to 1810, you will only feel comfortable and happy in such a warm, cozy place.

Everything we ordered was tasty and since we couldn’t decide which dessert to have, our kind hostess prepared a plate with everything on it, including a bowl of her whisky infused fruit – the latter being delicious but crazy potent!

Le Thé dans la Vigne
8, place des Halles 21340 Nolay France
Télephone :+33 (0)3 80 26 87 31
Open 10:30am to 9:30pm during warm months Tuesday to Sunday. Closed November 30 to April 1. Reservations recommended.

The French had to do SOMETHING with all that surplus wine, I guess.

From AFP:

A French court on Wednesday handed out suspended jail terms and hefty fines to 12 wine industry figures for selling millions of bottles of fake Pinot Noir to US wine giant E&J Gallo.

The defendants, including executives from wine estates, cooperatives, a broker, wine merchant Ducasse and conglomerate Sieur d’Arques, were convicted of selling 18 million bottles (135,334 hectolitres) of falsely labelled wine.

The wine was sold under Gallo’s popular “Red Bicyclette” Pinot Noir label, though made from far less expensive grape varieties.

The court in Carcassonne in southwest France, which heard that the accused made seven million euros in profit from the scam, gave them suspended jail sentences of between one and six months and fines from 3,000 to 180,000 euros.

The judge said that “the scale of the fraud caused severe prejudice to the wines of Languedoc in the United States.”

The scandal broke in March 2008 when France’s fraud squad became suspicious during an audit at wine merchant Ducasse.

Ducasse had been buying Pinot Noir at 58 euros per hectolitre when the official market price was 97 euros, and generic local grape varieties were selling for 45 euros.

Meanwhile, the volume of wine from the renowned Pinot Noir grape being sold to Gallo far exceeded the possible supply from the region.

After a year-long judicial investigation, the defendants were accused of substituting wine made from less expensive local grape varieties for the Pinot Noir, which is popular on the American market.

The industry fears that the swindle, which began in 2006 and ended in 2008, could undermine the credibility of fellow French winegrowers.

“If Americans lose confidence in French wine production, particularly the Languedoc region, which is already going through a serious crisis, the consequences could be terrible,” prosecutor Francis Battut told AFP.

From the nytimes:

NOTHING about Châteauneuf-du-Pape is sleek or polished. It’s a rough-and-tumble wine, sometimes ungainly and fierce, but just as often warm, open, generous and full of pleasure.

It can be intense and complex — it’s not at all simple. Yet it sometimes can be as friendly as a big good-natured dog. Occasionally, it’s too friendly.

I was thinking about the overbearing side of Châteauneuf recently after the wine panel had completed a tasting of 20 bottles from the 2007 vintage. For the tasting, Florence Fabricant and I were joined by two guests, Vanessa Treviño Boyd, sommelier at Adour, and David Gordon, wine director at Tribeca Grill, which offers what is most likely the widest selection of Châteauneuf in New York.

We found some wines we liked very much, yet on the whole the 2007s left me unexcited. Stylistically, they presented Châteauneuf’s too-friendly side. Châteauneuf is always a big wine, but these wines were huge — full of lush, opulent fruit with powerful, jammy flavors.

If you like fruit-bomb wines, you will love …

Continue reading

From newsweek:

“This week brought the release of the new Michelin Red Guide, prompting foodies to run and see which chefs had been awarded stars—the top honor in restaurant criticism.

The guide, whose English edition arrives mid-May, sells 1.3 million copies a year in its various editions.

Its star system rewards expensive restaurants, of course. But the guide also has a lesser-known rating for affordable restaurants. Toward the back of the guide, there’s the “Bib Gourmand” section in which Michelin recognizes places that offer excellent three-course meals for less than €35 ($44) each.

This year, 47 Paris restos are on the Bib Gourmand list—a record. Many of these spots are new additions to the list. My favorites include:

• Le Baratin,, 3 rue Jouye Rouve, 20th arrondissement, 011-33/1-43-49-39-70

• Le Bistrot Paul Bert, 18 rue Paul Bert, 11th arrondissement, 011-33/1-43-72-24-01

• La Cantine du Troquet, 101 rue de l’Ouest, 14th arrondissement, 011-33/1-45-40-04-98.

• L’Entêtée, 4 rue Danville, 14th arrondissement, 011-33/1-40-47-56-81

The above restaurants are not open every day of the week, so call ahead to confirm and to see if reservations are needed.”

More about The Michelin Red Guide France 2009

From timesonline:

“With gloom all around, President Sarkozy’s Government might have chosen another moment for its latest campaign. This one tells the French people to stop drinking wine.

- 34 per cent of the world wine market is made up of French exports “ [source]

From japantimes:

“This year’s first shipment of Beaujolais Nouveau arrived Friday at Narita and other airports in Japan, with worldwide sales of the French wine set to kick off Nov. 20.

Japan, one of the first nations able to taste the fresh, young red, which is traditionally drunk at midnight, is expected to import only 6.48 million bottles this year, down 20 percent, according to Asahi Breweries Ltd., a major importer and distributor of the wine.

This year’s batch has a good combination of ample fruitiness and moderate acidity, partially due to the sunny and cool weather the Beaujolais region received in September, the company said.

“Although pricey bottles, including those from select farms, tended to be a topic of conversation until last year, reasonably priced standard bottles may gain popularity again this year, partly because of an economic downturn,” a company official said.

On Thursday, Aeon Co. said it will offer this year’s Beaujolais Nouveau at a discount, thanks to cost-cutting efforts and a strong yen.

Aeon said its “special” Beaujolais Nouveau will hit store shelves in 750-ml plastic bottles instead of glass, and priced at ¥1,780, undercutting the average market price of ¥2,000 to ¥3,000.

Aeon said the discount was made possible by an arrangement that allows it to purchase the young wine directly from the winemakers.

Aeon said it will not accept advance orders for the wine and it will be available only through its 255 Jusco supermarkets in Honshu and Shikoku, it said.

But advance orders will be allowed for other imported Beaujolais Nouveau products, and the company will give out discount tickets worth ¥100 each for those.”

[via]

Related: Beaujolais Nouveau Wines to be in Plastic Bottles Because it’s Good for the Environment???, Beaujolais Nouveau, Beaujolais Nouveau – November 17

tags: france, french, beaujolais nouveau, japan

From dailymail:

“Two amateur French wine makers have died after they were suffocated by the fumes from the grapes they were treading with their bare feet.

The victims had volunteered to help a friend make wine at his vineyard in the northern Ardeche region and had climbed into the six-foot wide vat to begin the traditional process of extracting the juice from the grapes.

But police believe Daniel Moulin, 48, and 50-year-old Gerard Dachis were overcome by carbon dioxide fumes that are given off during fermentation and collapsed.

Rescuers tried frantically to revive the pair but in spite of resuscitation efforts the two men did not … Continue reading

tags: france, french, grapes, fatal grape treading, don’t try this at home

When I wrote about the Vin de Merde (shit wine), I clearly didn’t expect to receive a bunch of emails requesting how to get some. My apologies for not writing back. I didn’t know the answer at the time. But now I do – because we bought 2 cases (12 bottles) and received them in the mail today. And they’re easy to order, however, you have to be in France.

How to Order Le Vin De Merde, le pire cache le meilleur (the worst hides the best)!

1. Order it by calling Jean-Marc Speziale: 06 11 52 73 94

2. Send him a French check for the required amount (6,50 € per bottle) and include shipping fees as well (approximately 15 € per case of 6 bottles). Make sure you include your shipping address. Mail your check to: Jean-Marc Speziale, Le Vin de Merde, 2AE Les terrasses, 36150 Aniane.

3. Receive your Vin de Merde.

4. Drink your vin de merde.

It took about 2 weeks from the time we sent out the check, so it’s not too long of a wait. It was recently reported that they sold out of their famous vin de merde, but they still have some or they made a new batch (or whatever a “batch” is called in wine language). I don’t know if this batch is any good. We don’t drink wine usually so we will give them all away to friends and family, as a silly gag gift.

A Note about bringing wine back to the U.S.: Most people think that when you go from France to the U.S., you’re only allowed one liter of an alcoholic beverage. That depends on the state’s requirements where you land, so check ahead for specific requirements. And it’s possible that the one liter limitation is only true if you don’t want to declare it upon arrival. For many states, you can actually take more than a liter with you provided it is for personal use, it’s packaged correctly, and that you pay duty and an IRS tax. (taxed at around 3%). I don’t really like dealing with even more redtape or lugging around heavy, fragile items after an 11 hour flight, so we’ll be taking just 2 bottles to the U.S.

Le Vin De Merde
Jean-Marc Speziale
2AE Les terrasses
36150 Aniane France

tags: france, french, vin de merde

This spot for a new Dominos pizza was on the other night, and it made me realize that it’s so France specific. You wouldn’t find the French La Savoyarde pizza (topped with light Crème fraîche, Mozzarella, smoked fatty bacon, potatoes and a very strong smelling Reblochon cheese) in the U.S. just like you wouldn’t find the very American Bacon Cheeseburger Feast Pizza in France.

I suppose you wouldn’t find the “Orientale” in the U.S. either, which is topped with some veggies and “double merguez.” See the French Dominos Pizza List versus the American Pizza List.

Another silly bit of trivia I found was that you can order Côtes de Provence Rosé, an AOC wine, at any of the 136 Dominos in France. Yeah, there are THAT many in France!

tags: france, french, dominos france, la savoyarde, pizza

Inimitable sculptor specializing in funky wine decanters and unusual functional glass sculptures, Etienne Meneau, just released a new work called, Petit Coeur/Little heart. It’s a verre à boire (drinking glass) very different than your usual wine glass. The dimensions are as follows:

Height : 7.9 inches (20 cm)
Content : 6.7 fluid ounces (20 cl)
Material : borosilicat glass (also known as pyrex)
Price : 1500 euros + shipping
limited edition ( 8 numbered and signed + 4 artist proofs )

Click here for more information:
Etienne Meneau
Email Etienne Meneau: etiennemeneau@free.fr

tags: france, french, wine glasses, petit coeur, etienne meneau

Our MOF Discovery partners in crime, Chloé and Jacques, told us about an MOF Chef named Serge Chenet who just opened a restaurant near their bed and breakfast in Saint Laurent des arbres. We all, of course, HAD to go check it out and have dinner there. On s’est régalé. Absolutely no complaints here. It was divine, and we highly recommend it, not only for the most scrumptious dishes ever but also for discrete service, and very reasonable prices.

Les mises en bouches / starters

Brochette de boudin noir , sorbet de hareng sur canapé / blood sausage skewered wontons, herring sorbet with caviar on toast (there was a teeny triangle of lemon on top)

Soupe d’artichauds , parmesan agé et coriandre / artichoke soup with aged parmesan and fresh cilantro

Entrées / Appetizers

Duo de foie gras : poêlé à l’hypocras et sa figue rôtie , farcie à la figue / Foie Gras Duo: Seared slice of foie gras cooked in a mulled honey wine with a roasted fig, non-seared foie gras stuffed with fig

Duo de lapereau : Médaillons de Lapereau , feuilleté de lapereau / Leveret Duo: Medallions of Leveret (some people call these bunnies), puff pastry with leveret

Course principale / Main Course

Lieu jaune accompagné de purée de chou fleur sur un lit de mousse de cresson / Pollack with a puree of cauliflower in a bed of watercress mousse

Lotte rôtie au lard paysan et cappuccino de champignons du moment au parfum d’estragon / Roasted monkfish wrapped in pancetta in an estragon capuccino of seasonal mushrooms

Pavé de boeuf de Montbéliard, compotée de courges, gnocchi, sauce poivrée / Cut of beef from Montbéliard, compote of pumpkin, gnocchi and pepper sauce

Fromages/ Cheeses

Desserts

Coing et figues rôtis au miel, Spéculos et glace vanille / Roasted quinces and figs in honey with speculos cookie and vanilla ice cream (made in-house)

Fruits rouges à ma façon / Red berries with a madeline and vanilla ice cream

Chocolat praliné aux noisettes et son sorbet cacao / Chocolate/Hazelnut praline and cacao sorbet

Cadeaux du chef / Extra Goodies from the Chef

Sucette au carambar , milkshake à la fraise / (Paper thin) Carambar lollipops and (tiny) strawberry milkshake with whipped cream

Serge Chenet (Restaurant and B&B)
Mas Saint Bruno, chemin des falaises
30131 Pujaut France
Tel: +33 (0) 4 90 95 20 29
Website

Other MOFs in France: Les 5 Sens, Jean-Paul Hévin Chocolatier, Hôtel Plaza Athénée Paris

tags: france, french, mof, serge chenet, recommended restaurant, french cuisine

From Timesonline:

“France may be home to some of the world’s finest wines but it could be about to join the tiny club of Muslim states that forbid their promotion on the internet.

Winemakers and other players in the drinks industry are fighting to avert a ban on advertising, sales and even vineyard websites that has been looming ever since a court ruled that the internet should be included in France’s strict laws regarding alcohol advertising.

The Heineken beer company was forced by the ruling last February to block French access to its corporate site. Since then, some of the biggest drinks brands have shut out French visitors for fear of prosecution. “Today in France, the sight of a bottle of wine has become as offensive as a picture of war or pornography,” said Daniel Lorson, a spokesman for CIVC, the industry body of champagne producers.

The industry complains that it is being demonised and that an internet ban would penalise hugely one of the glories of the French economy and the national heritage. A click from France on Courvoisier cognac, for example, elicits the message: “Sorry, the regulations of your country do not authorise us to give you access to our site.”
Web users from France are even banned from dropping in on Orlando wines in South Australia, because they are owned by France’s Pernod Ricard drinks group. The site does, however, welcome visitors from Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

Even the…. Read the article

tags: french, internet ban on advertising alcohol, strange

Tired of the constant criticism aimed at the wines from the Languedoc-Roussillon region, specifically that the wines were “crap,” an independent vintner responded with a revolutionary and rebellious idea and created, “Le vin de merde” (Shit wine). The wine label will be hard to miss if you ever see it on a shelf because there’s a big fat fly on it as if it were sitting on a pile of poo. Brilliant and funny publicity stunt. The wine, however, is supposedly not crappy at all. Would make a fun dinner party gift.

tags: france, wine, le vin de merde, great publicity stunt, shit wine

[via Canal+]

From the Boisset Family Estates press release:

“…….”This year, Boisset Family Estates is the first winery ever to announce that all Beaujolais Nouveau wines imported to North America will be packaged exclusively in lightweight PET plastic bottles,” states Jean-Charles Boisset, President, Boisset Family Estates. “In addition, we will simultaneously debut Fog Mountain, featuring the first organically-farmed California Nouveau in 750ml PET bottles, to highlight our commitment to reducing the wine world’s carbon footprint by producing locally.”

“It is critical in today’s time, with the scarcity of our planet’s resources and the known environmental impacts of human activity, that we consider whether we should still ship thousands of cases of wine in heavy bottles via air throughout the world in order for the wines to arrive on time for their annual release date in November, when we can reduce fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions by more than half through a responsible choice of packaging.”

….Boisset Family Estates owns and imports Mommessin and Bouchard Aîné & Fils – two venerable Burgundy wine houses each with deep historical traditions in Burgundy and Beaujolais….”

This California company, importing wines from France, claims to be innovative and eco-minded.

Read the whole press release

tags: france, california, beaujolais nouveau, wine in plastic bottles, landfill problems, PET bottles, toxic

[via]

I’ve more than had enough of the clichéd sexist depiction of French maids, and the misuse of “ooh la la.” First, French maids don’t look like this. Ever. Secondly, if there were any French maids like this, which there aren’t, they would never say “ooh la la” in a light-hearted, provocative way, drinking wine and sporting a mini skirt and some fish net stockings.

Although these wines are from the south of France, the California company‘s marketing people are obviously NOT French. I do see the silliness and play on words here and the wine might be legitimately good, but stop it, already!

In retrospect, I’m beginning to love the wine labels with the pissing fat guys.

[via]

tags: france, wine labels, french maid, cliches that refuse to die, wrong

From time:

“Too much wine, it is known, can cause violent behavior. But few have gone as far as the grape growers of France’s Languedoc-Roussillon region, the world’s biggest wine-growing area by volume. Hurting from overproduction and cheap imports and punished lately by the rising cost of gas, a small group of local winegrowers has resorted to “wine terrorism” in a violent attempt to shock the French government into helping them.

On July 26, police arrested a vineyard farmer from the region for production and possession of illegal explosives. Apprehended in a hospital where he was being treated for injuries suffered when those explosives unexpectedly detonated, 34-year-old Jérôme Soulère confessed to police that he’d been responsible for the July 2006 bombing of a tax-collection office in a neighboring village. He also admitted, police say, to authoring the failed bombing last year of a site the Tour de France was set to pass the following day.
Those incidents are just two of many in a series of violent and destructive acts by local grape growers over the past three years that has targeted public and private buildings, supermarkets, tanker trucks hauling cheap imported wine, and businesses accused of gouging growers with ever shrinking prices. Claiming responsibility: a clandestine group known as….”

Read the full article

Related: Don’t Mess with French Farmers

tags: france, wine, vandals, wine lake

Visitors from other countries who’ve come to France know that it’s expensive here. But guess what? It’s expensive even for the people living in France! Prices have skyrocketed nonstop since 2002 and even the prices for the items that were usually very affordable, like vegetables, have increased exponentially. Over the last six years, it’s been continually increasing, and over the period of this last year alone, the cost vegetables increased by 18%. The media reports that the industry is blaming the bad weather.

People stopped buying because of the these recent high prices, so now the prices are starting to drop. A little.

Still, for many of us, times are precarious financially, so the best course of action would be to be very careful about how we spend our money without resorting to the high caloric, trans-fatty, cheap, processed foods. Here are some ideas to help reduce your monthly grocery bills while trying to stick to healthful alternatives. Feel free to contribute anything I’ve missed.

General Tips

1. Shop locally. If possible, within a distance where you can walk to the store and back. This saves enormously on gas if you don’t have to drive. Bring a rolling cart if necessary. There are so many now that are actually cute.

2. Shop alone. Studies show that when you shop with someone, you spend more.

3. If you have to drive to the market, consolidate your trips and buy more so you don’t have to make as many trips.

4. Before going to the market make a grocery list even if it’s short. Bring it with you and make sure you stick to it. This will focus your shopping task and not allow for whim items. Not on the list? Don’t get it!

5. Don’t go to the market hungry. Eat beforehand. This will curb your impulse buying reducing any items you don’t need.

6. Get a basket. If you don’t have much to get, don’t get a cart because you’ll fill it up unnecessarily.

7. Shop in the periphery of the store. Usually, this is where your healthier options lie. You will find some cheaper items hiding but if not, this area will house the fresh produce.

8. Eat less and eat out less. This may be hard for some people. If that is against your beliefs and just HAVE to go out to eat, go out to lunch instead of dinner. You usually spend less.

9. Meat Eaters – reduce the frequency of meat. From eating meat every day, eat meat just once a week.

10. Pay special attention to price per unit. Some items are cheaper if you buy the smaller amount than a larger amount. This is a dirty trick by our beloved commercants.

11. Forget coupons. Some people swear to them but in France, the coupons are not that great of a deal (i.e., 10 cents off or so). Besides, many couponed items are for expensive and unhealthful processed foods.

12. Be wary about what is on “promotion” (on sale). Oftentimes it is not a deal at all. Other times, something on sale is not edible, meaning near rotten or expired. Remember: cheap doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good for you. Be particularly vigilant with meat.

13. Eat leftovers. Do not waste any edible food! Get creative with it and if you don’t know what to do with leftovers, try to find online recipes with items you have.

14. Grow your own, raise your own. Plant a garden of veggies, herbs, sprouts and fruit. This is late to start now and this is not a feasible option for some city dwellers. If you have the space, next year plant a potager/veggie garden, you will not regret it. Your veggies will be delish, you can skip toxic pesticides, and you will save so much money. And, if at all possible, have your own chickens for eggs.

15 Reduce and if possible eliminate junk food. Junk food is expensive, very unhealthful and puts on pounds. I know! This is hard.

16. Buy dry goods in bulk. Like dried beans, lentils, peas, rice and other grains. Know your beans, too. These are high in nutrients, usually a better value, and you can store them for quite a while. Plus, you don’t participate in wasteful packaging.

17. Eliminate eating at Fast Food places: MacDo’s, Quick, the American fast food joints, even Flunch. Ok, Flunch and other chain restaurants like it are cheap but….just leave them out, will you?

18. Check your receipts carefully. Sometimes money is wasted on mistakes.

19. If you grow your own fruit and vegetables, think about preserving them (mason jars) or dehydrating them – so they can last all year.

20. Eat produce that is in season. They are always cheaper in season.

Specific Tips

1. Wine – This comes from my dad-in-law, who is a wine connoisseur. Some of his favorite wines are half price at Aldi, so that could be a good resource for wine people. He’s seen the exact wines twice as expensive in Carrefour and Auchan. These aren’t just run-of-the-mill wines. Be flexible because they don’t often carry the same wines.

2. Negotiate for vegetables/fruits at Outdoor Markets – Merchants are really ok with you negotiating a better price. It’s no big deal. Besides, they know they’re overcharging you, so get them down in price as much as possible. Also, if you show up at the outdoor market before closing, you can get a really great deal. Many of them do not want to bother putting what’s left back into their trucks, so you can really bargain. In some cases, they just leave perfectly good veggies and fruit for the taking.

3. Make your own salad dressing – Most people I know do this already but if you buy the premixed version, try making your own at home. It’s less expensive, it’s better for you and you don’t have the same kind every time you eat a salad at home.

4. Frozen veggies vs. canned – If you can’t get fresh veggies, opt for frozen ones as opposed to canned. They tend to have more vitamins and nutrients.

5. Buy less expensive cuts of meat. If you’re used to getting, for example, filet mignon, faux filet or entrecôte, opt to get a bavette or ground beef. The bavette is a bit on the tough side so you might use it for stews and other long and slow cooked meals.

6. Don’t buy already skinned and de-boned pieces of chicken. Get their skinned versions as well as the pieces with the bone included. It’s much cheaper.

france, grocery shopping, Ways to Save Money on Food

Michel Reybier, owner of legendary Bordeaux winery Cos d’Estournel, recently bought the Napa Valley California winery, Chateau Montelena from Jim and Bo Barret. The purchase price was not disclosed. An executive committee comprised of Bo Barrett, managing director Greg Ralston, and the winemaker at Cos d’Estournel Dominique Arangoits, with Jean-Guillaume Prats, general manager at Cos d’Estournel as president, will oversee the future operations.

Years earlier, the Chateau Montelena Chardonnay 1973 won first place in the “Judgment of Paris” wine competition, beating French wines in a blind taste test.

tags: france wine Cos d’Estournel Chateau Montelena bordeaux cabernet sauvignon chardonnay

For non-French speakers, it can be a challenge, if not completely impossible to correctly pronounce some names of French wines. Here’s another one that is not very easy to pronounce but if you could, you might not want to pronounce it. I found this excellent wall paper covered with wine labels in a brasserie in Beaune (Burgundy). One particular wine label stuck out, called, “Montre Cul,” which means “show your ass.” Burgundy vintners are silly and fun, apparently. The great thing about this wine is that if you’re looking for it in a store and the salesperson comes to help you, you don’t necessarily have to try to pronounce it. Just mimmick exactly what the woman on the label is doing…. THAT should work.

That isn’t too much to ask, is it? I mean, try acting out this label.

tags: france travel montre cul fun wine labels

From decanter:

“For the first time in their history, Paris pawn shops have agreed to take bottles of wine in exchange for cash.

More than 350 bottles with a total value of €60,000 (£45,000) have been pawned – inlcuding a €5,000 Domaine de la Romanee Conti.

The initiative was launched by Crédit Municipal de Paris, the local authority pawnshop – which usually deals in family heirlooms and pieces of jewellery – last week.

The wine is to be stored in the 18th-century cellars under the Crédit Municipal building…”

Read the whole article

[via]

Since our friends from the U.S. were visiting, we thought it would be fun to meet in Provence and go wine tasting. Some of France’s finest wines come from Chateauneuf du pape and everyone was up for that, so off we (three Americans and one French guy) went.

We stumbled upon a wine cellar that produced award-winning wine and received an informative presentation from the vintner, who spoke fluent English. We tasted 4 wines, and thought about buying a few bottles. They were excellent wines. While discussing what we would get amongst ourselves, the vintner blurts out that he expected we buy CASES of wine. He said something like, “Hey, I’m not a reseller, you know; I’m the producer.”

Me: “So!??”

Ok, I didn’t say that but wanted to. Yes, he’s the producer but he’s still selling it.

This, of course, made no sense anyway since he knew very well that Americans cannot take much wine back to the U.S. And because our friends just brought carry-on luggage, they wouldn’t be able to take any bottles at all with them. He began to annoy me with his greed. Still, we decided to buy ONE case (6 bottles): all the wines we sampled, including a gold medal awarded wine from 1999.

Things were rolling along and we paid our 104 euros ($159) for the six bottles until the vintner began filling the box with our order. He made sure we saw what he put in the case, then says, “and lastly, here’s the 1998 bottle.”

My sweetie says LOUDLY, “we bought the 1999 bottle, you know, the one that costs 26 euros (about $40). Not 1998.”

The guy tried to rip us off!

Anyway, I found that to be so rude, greedy and annoying, but ultimately pathetic. I mean, I could be recommending his little “domaine” right now but instead I simply can not.

How many Americans did he trick?

That just isn’t right.

Maybe, just maybe once during your trips to France, you will venture out of “the comfort zone” of your little Paris. Yes! There’s a whole ‘nother world outside of Paris that might amaze you even more than looking at the teeny tiny, glass-enveloped, security guarded, popularity queen, The Mona Lisa, which could quite possibly be a replica (Ok, the latter is just my own conspiracy theory).

A little detour to Provence (south of France) will literally be a welcome breath of fresh air once you exit the cities. We’ve been in Provence, of course at our favorite Après La Sieste, the best place to stay in Provence, in our humble opinions. In addition to being the most beautiful and relaxing B&B ever, they have a heated salinated pool, (which is like being in a comfortable hotspring more so than like being in a chlorinated pond), and an in-house chef for a memorable gastronomic meal that goes perfectly with local wines from the famous Chateauneuf du pape.

After exploring the region’s lavender fields, the surrounding “most beautiful villages in France,” the seaside Camargue and Callanques, the wine cellars and vineyards for tasting award-winning wines and more, you may, after all the day’s activities, feel pretty beat albeit happy. Lucky you because if you stay with Jacques and Chloe at Apres la Sieste, you can get a heavenly massage, a perfect Provençale denouement.

Apres la Sieste’s newest addition is an in-house masseuse, who will erase your little aches and pains and simply make you feel wonderful. You might not ever want to leave.

Apres la Sieste opens officially for the season on March 21.

Après La Sieste
2 suites, 3 rooms; breakfast included
Contact: Jacques et Chloé (English and French spoken)
Email: info@apreslasieste.com
Website: Après La Sieste
(Visit their site for more room photos, massage and chef meals details and rates)
Telephone : +33 4 66 50 33 94
Mobile Phone: +33 6 61 84 58 40

and other wines. Global Warming is going to seriously crimp your wine life…well, and your life in general.

“Say Goodbye to French Wines. Wacky temperatures and rain cycles brought on by global warming are threatening something very important: Wine. Scientists believe global warming will “shift viticultural regions toward the poles, cooler coastal zones and higher elevations.” What that means in regular language: Get ready to say bye-bye to French Bordeaux and hello to British champagne. [LA Times]

Say Goodbye to Light and Dry Wines. Warmer temperatures mean grapes in California and France develop their sugars too quickly, well before their other flavors. As a result, growers are forced to either a) leave the grapes on the vines longer, which dramatically raises the alcoholic content of the fruit or b) pick the grapes too soon and make overly sweet wine that tastes like jam. [Washington Post]

Say Goodbye to Pinot Noir. The reason you adore pinot noir is that it comes from a notoriously temperamental thin-skinned grape that thrives in cool climates. Warmer temperatures are already damaging the pinots from Oregon, “baking away” the grape’s berry flavors…”

[From Top 100 Ways Global Warming Will Change Your Life]

“One in three bottles of appellation controlée wines produced in France is sub-standard, according to the French consumer watch-dog. A survey of wine professionals by the organisation, UFC-Que Choisir, concluded that the supposed local authenticity offered by the label “AOC” – appellation d’origine controlée – has become meaningless…” Read the complete article

Why not. Find romance in on a bottle of French wine. Soif de Coeur (A Thirst for Romance) offers wine with a possibility of finding your soulmate. Just buy a bottle of Soif de Coeur, gluggedy glug glug, peel off the bottle label and find a code and instructions on how to begin your soulmate search on their website. Just imagine, buy a 3 euro ($4) bottle of red, white or rosé wine, and who knows…maybe you’ll get a date!

I don’t think you necessarily need to buy any wine to participate in their online dating service, but I’m not sure. Maybe you do and the $4 you spend on a bottle is actually the dating service fee. Bargain! I really want to make fun of this; it’s so asking for it, but I’m trying to reduce the amount of invective I produce, so let’s just hope this is a good thing.

Soif de Coeur

The longer I live in France, the more I realize that all Pains aux raisins are NOT created equal here. Take for example, the Pains aux raisins in Burgundy. Oftentimes in France, you’ll come across many examples where a French region has adulterated changed a staple food of France, even naming it something different to suit its own tastes (and specialities) and to fight for their own regional culinary culture. And yes, btw, the Pain aux raisins IS a staple food of France. At least chez nous.

Burgundy is known for a few things: its wine, its food, usually consisting of lots of wine: Coq au vin, which is chicken in wine, Boeuf Bourgignon, which is beef cooked in wine, Pochouse, a dish with 4 kinds of fish cooked in wine, Andouillette au chablis, which are sausages cooked in wine, Oeufs en meurettes, an interesting spin on eggs that are poached in wine, Les Tripes au Rosé de Marsannay, which is tripe cooked in wine. Are we seeing a pattern here? I think I now know why the people here are so friendly and happy.

Anyway – probably most famous of all foods from Burgundy is Escargots, the little rubbery, slimey critters, or as I liked to call them: snails. Escargot is world renowned and world consumed (usually not cooked in wine but eaten with a garlic butter parsley sauce) and you will find them all over Burgundy. (Nevermind that most of the Burgundy snails are actually from Poland, Romania and Russia. You’ll see “transformé en France” when they don’t want to say where they came from originally, and want to make you believe they are the real Burgundian deal, slime notwithstanding.)

I know. I digress. Sorry.

So. Given all of that food trivia à la Bourgogne, the Burgundy Pains aux raisins, became Escargot aux raisins. And, much like the region’s signature culinary dishes, the Escargots aux raisins are heavy. In fact, much heavier than the light, airy, flakey on the top, soft and custardy in the middle Parisian Pain aux raisins. The Bourgogne version with its different and cutely appropriate moniker seems to have way more raisins, and is bigger, thicker and breadier, thus softer and having no crisp to it at all. Not knocking it because it is pure yum especially dunked in a bowl of steamy hot coffee for breakfast.

Continuation of Part 1 and Part 2

7. Cook Meat Thoroughly – There were constant reminders in the U.S. about the dangers of eating meat that isn’t cooked very much. If you’ve been to France or if you live in France, you know that that is the exact opposite rule in the land of steak tartare. In fact, when I order meat in restaurants in France, and ask for it bien cuit (well done) they roll zee eyes at me. And even then, it’s not well done but that is how I like it. The French are notorious for liking their meat bloody, dripping rare. Lastly, some restaurants in the U.S. don’t even ask you anymore, how you’d like your steak or burger cooked. Should we wonder about the differences in meat quality?

8. Warning Labels on Wine – When packing for our trip to the U.S., I’d completely forgotten the Burgundy wine I was going to give my sister-in-law. So, I bought some French wine in California for her. Hee. It had a big label on the bottle warning of the health risks of drinking wine. Just like with cigarettes. I think there are some wines in France that have a itty bitty warning, but most don’t have anything at all.

9. Ultra-pasteurized milk advertised as good for you – Ultra-pasteurized milk doesn’t need to be refrigerated because it’s been heated to a higher temperature higher than normal pasteurization (280°F vs. 145°F). That’s why it has such a long shelf-life – but many Europeans believe that ultra-pasteurized milk not only has no nutritional value, but also may be harder to digest because of changes in the protein structures of the milk itself. That isn’t to say ultra-pasteurized milk isn’t present in France – It is, but it’s not advertised as being good for you. [an interesting related article on raw milk: The Udder Truth]

10. Wash your hands! – Signs reminding employees and the general public to wash their hands after using the toilet were everywhere. Yes, I want people to wash their hands after they do their thing, but I guess so many people don’t, they have to put signs all over the place. Well, in France, I don’t think many people wash their hands (I’m not sure about actual statistics but whenever I’ve been in a public restroom in France, I always notice people leaving without washing their hands. I notice less of this in the U.S.) I’m very OC about it so it grosses me out. My other half thinks people in France have a better tolerance to germs and illnesses and can withstand a lot of bacteria without getting sick because of non-hygienic ways…

11. Vegetables – In the U.S. my sweetie kept saying he was just buying something that resembled a vegetable, but it didn’t taste anything like that vegetable. Carrots, for example, looked like carrots, felt like carrots but didn’t taste like carrots at all. “We are paying for the shapes of vegetables!!” he’d say. What were we eating then?

Our friends, Chloe and Jacques are having a weekday special until the end of June at their fabulous bed and breakfast, Après La Sieste. If you stay 3 nights at Après La Sieste during the week from now until June 30, you can get the fourth night for free. The fourth night must also be during the week.

We love staying at Après La Sieste; it is one of our favorite places to stay in Provence, and this special is an excellent savings and great opportunity. We might have to squeeze in a trip there into our hectic schedule if possible. It’s a great base to explore many places in Provence, and it’s very near Avignon. Lastly, for those wine enthusiasts out there, it is a hop, skip and a jump from the famous, Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

Read my previous posts about Après La Sieste:

A Great Place to Stay in Provence: Après La Sieste

Our Favorite Place to Stay in Provence Has a Chef

Visit their website for more information and to contact them. They speak both English and French.

Après La Sieste
2 suites, 3 rooms; breakfast included
Contact: Jacques et Chloé (English and French spoken)
*Please ask when the chef will be preparing dinner
Email: info@apreslasieste.com
Website: Après La Sieste
(Visit their site for more room photos, details and rates)
Telephone : 04 66 50 33 94
Mobile Phone: 06 61 84 58 40

Note: Air France is having reduced airfares from the U.S. to France during Spring, so check it out here: Spring Specials from the US to Europe on Air France

Tags: france, provence, Chateauneuf-du-pape, Après+La+Sieste, french, france+holidays, france+vacations

Drink Wine and Live Happily

This photo deserved a post even though it’s a short one. I like how it looks like someone felt this message was so important they framed a brown paper bag with printed letters. Appropriately blurry, I thought.

Tags: france, wine, messages, drink+wine, live+happy

It’s that time of year again! I wrote about Beaujolais Nouveau last year but I’ve decided to repost just in case you didn’t catch it:

Wine fanatics everywhere are probably already filled with Beaujolais Nouveau right now as I write this post! today is the official release of the Beaujolais region’s (Lyon to the south of Burgundy) special wine (vin de primeur) made from Gamay grapes and released the third Thursday of November every year.How is it different than other wines? the process: Beaujolais Nouveau is produced by carbonic maceration followed by pasteurization (bypassing the malolactic fermentation process in other wines) and therefore takes a mere six weeks to produce after harvest. It is a type of wine that does not last and is best consumed within a few weeks. it is, in other words, INFERIOR WINE made from some of the worst vineyards and crop yields of the year.

Half of the Beaujolais Nouveau is exported. In 2004 Japan was the top importer of Beaujolais Nouveau over the U.S. (about 1 million cases – that’s roughly 50% of the Beaujolais exported from France!) and that nearly killed them in airfreight costs alone.

By far the most popular producer of Beaujolais Nouveau is Georges Duboeuf, the king of Beaujolais, made the king by his own pimped PR machine and the well-known flowery bottle labels. though, there are better Beaujolais to be had.

Mike Steinberger from Slate magazine says it best with some wise advice if you’re looking for a good Beaujolais:

“Should you find yourself succumbing to the hype over the next few days, here’s a suggestion: Skip the Nouveau, bypass the Duboeuf (the king does not need your money), and instead look for a Cru Beaujolais. They generally run between $10 and $20, and the best are brought in by the following importers: Louis/Dressner, Alain Junguenet, and Kermit Lynch. Some wines to look for: Chateau Thivin (from the Côte de Brouilly appellation), Jacky Janodet (Moulin-à-Vent, the most esteemed appellation in Beaujolais), Marcel Lapierre (Morgon), Domaine Diochon (Moulin-à-Vent), Jean-Paul Thevenet(Morgon), and Michel Tete (Juliénas).

Not every good Beaujolais is necessarily a fancy growth, however. A personal favorite is Dupeuble, a wine of low pedigree that is made by a conscientious producer whose ambition is not to suck every bit of life out of his vineyard but to fashion a quality quaffer. That he does: The wine, which retails for around $10, is everything good Beaujolais should be—fruity, sprightly, utterly charming. If I owned a house and had a house wine, Dupeuble would be it.”

[via slate, tizwine, the japan times, wikipedia]

Tags: france, french, Beaujolais+Nouveau, wine

You can’t get much more postcard perfect with the Mediterranean bijou harbor village of Cassis, which is only about 10 miles southeast of Marseille.

It’s hard to believe that Cassis was at one time an old fishing town, only seen by the rugged fisherman and modest locals. It was an inevitable progression, though, that it would go from basic, to artsy to chic. Now, artists can’t afford to live here.

Cassis even has its own AOC status (granted in 1936) for its very dry wine that has a bouquet of rosemary and heather. The white wine, made from Bourboulenc, Clairette, Marsanne and Ugni Blanc grapes, actually has a very pale green tint to it. They say in Cassis that this wine received a divine quality when God descended from the heavens and shed a tear on a grape vine and voila, divine AOC wine from Cassis was born. Anyway, the Marseillais say that this is the only drink worthy of washing down bouillabaisse.

I believe the chateau perched above the port is privately owned and is a gite or a hotel. If you’ve stayed there, can you post a comment or email me about it? Thanks.

Cassis a good place to relax, have a provencal meal, people watch and take in the amazing scenery, or do something more seaworthy and take sailing lessons, go windsurfing or catch a ferry to the nearby famous Calanques (which I’ll write about after I sift through my million photos.)

There’s a pretty but teeny tiny sandy beach with a stunning backdrop of cliffs, but if you try to go here during the summer, you’ll be lucky if you find a spot bigger than a stamp.

This isn’t what it sounds like. I mean, yes there is wine here, and wine tasting and drinking, and in fact this “un-conference” takes place at a winery in Burgundy – but it really isn’t about wine. Though. If you do like wine, you might want to come to this event. Ok, yes it IS about wine but the main purpose of WineCamp is a bit more geeky. Geeky in a cool save the world passionate tech drinking wine kind of way.

From last May’s Wine Camp in Calaveras County, California, this time it moves across the water to beautiful Burgundy France. Here’s how the WineCamp people describe what it is:

What is WineCamp?

WineCamp is an ad-hoc un-conference, set in wine country. It is born from the desire for people to share and learn in an open environment. Its goal is to bring together the innovators of the tech worlds with the innovators of the npo world to discuss solutions that help build community, motivate members, and ease collaboration based on existing, easily-accessible and open-source tools. There are no ‘attendees’ at WineCamp, only participants. Everyone at WineCamp sets the agenda, presents, leads or gets involved in discussions and creates together.

WineCamp France
Where: Chambolle-Musigny, Bourgogne (Burgundy), France
When: September 22 — 24, 2006

More Information and Contacts
Site: Wine Camp France
Wiki: WineCamp France Wiki (English)
Wiki: Wine Camp France Wiki (French)

Organizer: Gregoire Japiot, greg@winecampfrance.com
Dijon, Burgundy, FRANCE – Tel: +33 (0)6 62 80 11 28

Note: WineCamp will be in English and French with translators.

Tags: travel, france, french, wine, bourgogne, burgundy, winecamp, Chambolle-Musigny, unconference

Here’s an interesting photo essay about the making of French champagne:

Click on the photo to access the slideshow at BusinessWeek.

[related: Radioactive French Champagne?]

Tags: france, travel, champagne, drinks, making+champagne, Chandon, process, Mumm, Perrier-Jouet, Pernod, Ricard, Clicquot, LVMH, Moët, Hennessy, Louis, Vuitton, Dom+Perignon

What I’m about to say may sound outrageous to some of you: France is not just about Paris. Yeah, yeah, save your gasps for the theater. Paris is all good, but there is no reason to keep you there during your whole trip. Maybe you can start in the City of Light, then move on to explore farther south; France is an amazing and beautiful country and is worth a look around, and that’s around France, not just around the Louvre and Eiffel Tower.

That said, Provence, which is in the southern region of France loosely located north and west of the French Riviera, is no stranger to travelers. For centuries, Provence has attracted millions of people including famous artists, writers, photographers and artisans from all over the world because it is considered a French muse of sorts. From the fierce Mediterranean light, the fragrant countryside with lavender fields, and the vibrant colors, to the esprit provençal, cuisine and lifestyle of Provence, visiting this area will change you and inspire you forever; It will nourish and refresh your soul. It will leave you wanting to come back for more just as soon as you’re able. That is exactly what happened to us.

First Things First: Après La Sieste

We stayed at an extraordinary place called, Apres La Sieste in Saint Laurent des Arbres, which is a small village situated just 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of Avignon. It is also conveniently close (15 kilometers or 9 miles) to the famous, Chateauneuf-du-pape where some of France’s most prized wines are produced. An initial NOTE: you will need a car to be able to take advantage of all this area has to offer.

Built from the ground up and embracing an eco-friendly perspective, the thick stone walls and beautiful woodwork (doors, supporting vaults and beams, shudders and floors) of this mas are made from recuperated, natural raw materials, all from the surrounding area. Pigments for the wall paints come from the nearby village of Rousillon. Also used is a geothermal heating/cooling system, which takes advantage of the earth’s ability to store large amounts of heat/cold and moves it throughout the buildings. This is an effective and sustainable option that does not use any harmful emissions emitting fuels (gas, oil, propane).

Everything has been thoughtfully and meticulously renovated and restored, and the entire place was completed with an impressive amount of grace and style. The remarkable part of Apres La Sieste is that all of the work was done by the owners, Jacques and Chloé, who both decided to leave the crazy lifestyles of their stressful, intense jobs in communications and advertising. They both decided to decompress by taking a trip to Burma for a few months. During this reflection time, the decision was made to quit their jobs to pursue a different path in life and start a family. Apres La Sieste took two years to complete, and has been in operation for just one year now. Noa, their daughter, was born last year.

The room interiors at Apres La Sieste are in the style of what I would call “worldly provençale de luxe,” taking aesthetics from different sources and converging them toward a perfect balance of relaxation, beauty and well-being. Look carefully and you’ll see decorative sculptures from Burma blended seamlessly with the French provençale decor.

This is a perfect place to use as a base while exploring the surrounding area. From Saint Laurent des Arbres, you have easy access to so many of the nearby cities like Avignon, Arles, and Uzès and you’re also not far from the most beautiful medieval hilltop villages in France: Gordes and Rousillon. Additionally, in close proximity to Apres La Sieste are vineyards of Provence for excellent wine tasting and you are also quite close to The Calanques, The Camargues and the Gorges of Ardeche. By the way, Jacques is a true connoisseur and expert in fine wines. You can confidently rely on his recommendations.

After days of wandering, shopping, and general exploring of Provence and the surrounding areas, there’s nothing more rejuvenating than coming back to the relaxing, private comfort of Apres La Sieste. Sip on a refreshing glass of your favorite wine, grab a good book and hang out poolside. Later, take a leisurely swim in the clear, clean salt water swimming pool.

Each morning, wake up to luscious cups of French coffee, fruit juices, yogurts and fresh breads. Their delectable jams and coconut pancakes made in-house are perfect for a morning repast in Provence. I particularly loved their cinnamon green tomato jam.

If you forgo the surrounding attractions and would rather do absolutely nothing because you’re simply looking for some good chill time in Provence, you can’t beat this place either.

Final Note: We were fortunate to be able to visit Provence right before the summer crowds arrived. It was nice and warm and there was ample breathing space. I imagine it’s also excellent after summer and even in the Fall if you want to bypass the summer vacationers.

Après La Sieste
2 suites, 3 rooms; breakfast included
Contact: Jacques et Chloé (English and French spoken)
Email: info@apreslasieste.com
Website: Après La Sieste
(Visit their site for more room photos, details and rates)
Telephone : 04 66 50 33 94
Mobile Phone: 06 61 84 58 40

UPDATE: Après La Sieste now has an in-house chef!

Fun and Related Recommended Reading: Peter Mayle’s A Year in Provence and this week’s Carnival of the Green at The Ester Republic

Do you remember when you were a kid (or maybe you still do this or maybe you ARE a kid) telling ghost stories in the dark with a flashlight under your chin facing up to create a scary look? This photo has that same effect with the sun coming down and from behind Lulu. Anyway.

Beaune, 150 miles southeast of Paris, is the wine capital of Burgundy and if you are an oenophile (aka wine lover) you will be smack right in the middle of your element and may never want to leave. Ever! Take a wine tasting tour or create your own tour (you can’t miss the wine caves or the wine bars; they’re everywhere) or take classes at the wine school. Some of the most active days in Beaune, particularly at this Hotel-Dieu, an intact medieval hospital for the poor turned museum, take place on and after the third Sunday in November. The event is the world-renowned “Les Trois Glorieuse” where, over three days, the city auctions off the wine yielded from 53 hectares of vineyards owned by local hospitals around Beaune. 53 hectares is approximately the same size as 75 football fields. When in this area, you’ll notice that every square inch of land is covered in vineyards if there’s not a building or street already there; it’s remarkable.

More recently in the news, Beaune, which usually hosts a film festival every year, has cancelled it! It is quite sad, indeed. Apparently, Alain Suguenot, the mayor of Beaune (and a deputy in the National Assembly) supports legislation where a global license would be in effect that legalized downloading of media for an annual fee. But the big media companies (media conglomerates Time Warner and Vivendi) lobbied heavily against it and this amendment was “lobbied” to death, literally. Still, because of the mayor’s stance, big film distributors threatened to withdraw their film directors from participating in the film festival. So before they could do that Suguenot cancelled the event. Do I hear high school politics, anyone? [read the article]
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*Lulu Lundi features an adorable Boston Terrier named Lulu, somewhere in France every Monday.

Tags: travel, france, beaune, dogs, boston+terriers, tours, wine, lulu+lundi, ipod+law, burgundy

France continues to suffer from the wine lake effect, the overproduction and underperforming wines just sitting around unsold. Wineries are definitely suffering and many famous wineries have been sold and others are for sale. Aside from giving it away (400,000 bottles of free wine were given out at tollbooths along the highway.) and converting it to ethanol to be used as car fuel (*gasp!*), I found another use for it right in a shop’s window display in Beaune (Burgundy).

It looks like the Chateau Belair in St. Emilion, wine country near Bordeaux, has put their extra wine to good use by infusing salt with it. I wanted to buy it but the shop was closed and I completely forgot to go back. I’ve tended to think that all the millions of “flavors” of salt (pink salt, smoked salt, GRAY salt, French sea salt) were more about marketing than about actual flavors with a different taste. I mean, c’mon, is “French Sea Salt” better than just regular sea salt? (the price of $15 more than the regular version makes you believe yes!) The only flavored salts that I’ve seen that purport to taste differently than regular sea salt I’d think would be a flavor distinctive enough to penetrate the flavor of salt (particularly when it’s cooked) like saffron, truffle or wine. Though, I really don’t know for sure. I haven’t tried all of those different salts so if you have please let us know if there is, in fact, a real difference between, for example, gray sea salt and fleur de sel, etc. (note to readers: fleur de sel is harvested differently; fleur de sel is obtained by hand harvesting the young crystals that form on the surface of salt evaporation ponds and it has a higher mineral content than table salts.) I prefer to use regular sea salt over table salt only because it seems to get integrated into food a lot quicker. I’ve always wondered about all those salts, though. I’ve heard they have salt flavored with wood. Please, if you know about this, feel free to email me or comment here. I’d really be interested to know. Coming back to the subject of this post, I wonder why Chateau Belair decided to call this salt, “Fleur de Pinot” leading you to believe the salt was infused with Pinot. A quick looksee to the Chateau Belair website revealed that their vines are 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet. No Pinot! Besides, the best Pinot Noir wines comes from Burgundy. Ah! That’s why they decided to call this salt Fleur de Pinot? (selling it in Burgundy) People should not lie like that. CORRECTION: According to a commenter below, the salt is indeed infused with Pinot Noir, as Chateau Belair actually does produce Pinot Noir per the request of the distributor (of the salt). I suppose they make Pinot Noir only for them (perhaps others) but not the general public as they do not advertise Pinot Noir at all at least on their site. Interesting. And! Apparently, this salt creation has been around for generations (started by “M. Delbeck’s great great something grandmother”) and is not due to the wine lake! Thanks for the correction.

From Treehugger:

French Rabbit has taken the drink container to a new level with their innovative wine packaging. Instead of using the traditional glass bottles, they’ve developed their own version of a drink box to sell their wine in, and the results are pretty interesting. The box weighs just about four percent of an ordinary glass wine bottle, meaning it would take 25 trucks filled with bottles to equal one truck filled with empty Rabbits. The package itself is made from polyethelene, aluminum foil and paperboard, so it’s 100% recyclable, and its collapsible, which reduces waste volume by about 90 percent. The twist-on cap makes using cork a thing of the past. While it may seem strange to drink wine from what amounts to an oversized juice box, reviews have been positive; Mark over at 3rBlogging recently had some and gave it a rave review. The wine comes from the Boisset Winery in France, where the grapes are grown using “sustainable farming,” and is available in Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet and Pinor Noir.

French Rabbit

are you thinking the same thing i am? (aside from thinking how rude i’ve become for writing a title like that) the “pisse-dru” label was likely created by people that unarguably heavily “tested” the product, but more so, clearly takes the prize for the most blundering marketing idea for this beaujolais wine. before i go further, “pisse-dru” means “piss a lot.” you know, just like beaucoup. don’t some americans say “buckets”? (that would work here.) the label un-whimsically features three extremely unattractive troll-like pot bellied plastered winos staggering about in unabashed bumbling-stumbling fashion. (one of them is even lifting his leg, as if….nevermind) yes, the prize goes to pisse-dru until i come across a ratty tat touille (the non-vegetarian version made with rats) or a caca dru cassoulet or even a fatty liver made by overfeeding and ramming food down a goose’s neck. oh wait a minute…

where was i? ah, the wine label. did you notice that it is YELLOW? yellow, like…nevermind. i don’t claim to be a marketing expert but i can only imagine father of advertising, david ogilvy turning over in his grave about this product campaign gone insane. the whole concept of the label seems soooo wrong. or is it just me? i can’t seem to get past the eye-catching, bright red letters that spell out the word PISS, can you? and by the looks of things with the shelves being completely stocked, not many, or hopefully no one fell victim to this stuff, which will most likely rot your gut to a point of no return, let alone make you pee a river seine. i wonder; does customer loyalty come into play here? (i’m envisioning all the towns’ winos cutting in line at the cashier) all i know is, it would have to be some wickedly amazing wine to bypass that uninspiring label. of course, you’d have to buy it initially but how would you get past that pee pee yellow? another question: do french people even notice the label? and if so, do they care? WWSGD? hmmmm. come to think of it, maybe this beaujolais for fat urinating alcoholics sells because, as marketing guru, seth godin says, “all marketers are liars” perhaps french consumers know this and enjoy their yellow label wine anyway. so let’s hope it is the case of marketing-itus and the french advertising executives of pisse-dru were indeed lying.

wine fanatics everywhere are probably already filled with beaujolais nouveau right now as i write this post! today is the official release of the beaujolais region’s (lyon to the south of burgundy) special wine (vin de primeur) made from gamay grapes and released the third thursday of november every year.

how is it different than other wines? the process: beaujolais nouveau is produced by carbonic maceration followed by pasteurization (bypassing the malolactic fermentation process in other wines) and therefore takes a mere six weeks to produce after harvest. it is a type of wine that does not last and is best consumed within a few weeks. it is, in other words, INFERIOR WINE made from some of the worst vineyards and crop yields of the year.

half of the beaujolais nouveau is exported. last year (2004) japan was the top importer of beaujolais nouveau over the u.s. (about 1 million cases – that’s roughly 50% of the beaujolais exported from france!) and that nearly killed them in airfreight costs alone.

by far the most popular producer of beaujolais nouveau is georges duboeuf, the king of beaujolais, made the king by his own pimped PR machine and the well-known flowery bottle labels. though, there are better beaujolais to be had.

mike steinberger from slate magazine says it best with some wise advice if you’re looking for a good beaujolais:

“Should you find yourself succumbing to the hype over the next few days, here’s a suggestion: Skip the Nouveau, bypass the Duboeuf (the king does not need your money), and instead look for a Cru Beaujolais. They generally run between $10 and $20, and the best are brought in by the following importers: Louis/Dressner, Alain Junguenet, and Kermit Lynch. Some wines to look for: Chateau Thivin (from the Côte de Brouilly appellation), Jacky Janodet (Moulin-à-Vent, the most esteemed appellation in Beaujolais), Marcel Lapierre (Morgon), Domaine Diochon (Moulin-à-Vent), Jean-Paul Thevenet(Morgon), and Michel Tete (Juliénas).

Not every good Beaujolais is necessarily a fancy growth, however. A personal favorite is Dupeuble, a wine of low pedigree that is made by a conscientious producer whose ambition is not to suck every bit of life out of his vineyard but to fashion a quality quaffer. That he does: The wine, which retails for around $10, is everything good Beaujolais should be—fruity, sprightly, utterly charming. If I owned a house and had a house wine, Dupeuble would be it.”

[via slate, tizwine, the japan times, wikipedia]

tags: beaujolais france wine deboeuf aoc

the subject of wine has been all over the news lately, and i’m beginning to wonder if this is really a crisis. yes, there is a “wine lake” surplus in france and yes, the u.s. just agreed to change their labeling of wines to offer a more fair marketing campaign which will attempt to help boost sales of french wines.

the other day on the news, there was a story about the AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée), which is the entity that gives a “seal of approval” for quality wine. apparently, the AOC asked the wine makers/farmers to produce LESS wine. the farmers didn’t like the request, and in return, decided to vandalize the AOC office. i kid you not, though, all traces of this event have disappeared and after an extensive search, nothing has come up. this came as no surprise to anyone in france, i’m sure, as french farmers are notorious for that kind of stuff – it can even get much, much, MUCH worse.

an overproduction of wine will only drive prices of wine down, which will hurt the wine producer in the end (so to speak) in terms of profit. but i’m wondering if farmers receive subsidies from the french government based on their production whether it sells or not. so that’s why they wouldn’t agree to decrease their production – even knowing that wine consumption is down and global competition is harming the french wine industry – they still know they’ll be left with even more of a wine lake. hmmmm. anyone know?

yesterday, we received our usual snailmail spamming from stores and included was a thick pamphlet from a large supermarket chain announcing their COLOSSAL SALE of….none other than WINE. yup. here it is: buy one case of wine and get another case for FREE. i don’t drink wine, but the sale seems so hard to resist, that i even considered buying several cases. of course, i won’t because wine (at least FRENCH WINE) is filled with hazardous substances (and i’m not even talking about alcohol) but that is another post to be written in the very near future.

tags: french wine france

after discussions between the eu (more likely, FRANCE) and the united states, it was decided that beginning in 2008, wine producers in the u.s. are not allowed to use the word “chateau” on their wine bottles unless there is a real castle within close proximity to their grape vineyards. other banned words are “noble,” “vintage” and “classic” unless they are true. (how they will prove this and who will check, remains to be seen).

as far as the “chateau” issue, i imagine they will simply BUILD a castle (based on how “castle” is defined in wikipedia or something. just kidding. i dunno.)

this deal has to be directly related to france, its “wine lake” (surplus of wine), declining numbers of wine consumers and simply, the growing global competition. france has so much surplus wine, they had to give away 400,000 free bottles of wine a few months back.

Existing wines may keep the names “burgundy,” “champagne” and “claret” but new wines will have to be named something new. that should be interesting.

in this deal i wonder what the u.s. got in exchange for this agreement? (i mean, the REAL DEAL) and not what was stated in the eu observer, “In return, the EU will recognise the wine producing methods that are accepted in the US.” (does that mean really NOTHING or is it just me?)

[via guardian unlimited]

Once home to extremely cheap wine, now it’s FREE!

In a strange attempt to boost wine sales and to shrink the “Wine Lake” (overproduction of wine due to recent and growing competition worldwide), 400,000 bottles of wine are being given out for free.

That sounds kind of cool and all but WAIT! they are being given out at the toll booths ALONG THE ROADS TO DRIVERS in southern France.

Has the south of France lost its collective mind? [via]