Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng and Arrufiac? Oh My! #Winophiles

This month the French Winophiles are making a virtual trip to France’s Hidden Corner, the South-West (or ‘Sud-Ouest’ as the French call it) wine region!  Actually, we’re revisiting the region.  When we first visited a couple of years ago, I discovered the Perfect Wine For Liver And Onions! It was from the mostly overlooked Marcillac AOP, and…

Domaines Paul Mas: A Passion for Everyday Luxury #WineStudio

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to participate in the #WineStudio June Rosé program (see below for more information) featuring three Rosés from Domaines Paul Mas.  The virtual tasting included one sparking wine and two still wines.  The Rise Of Rosé in the U.S. Anecdotally, I was aware of the rise in popularity of Rosé…

Bordeaux Paired With Cajun and Italian Classics #Winophiles

If you’ve ever considered food and wine pairing principles, then you know the most tried, tested,  and found true principle of food and wine pairing is “What grows together, goes together”.  In other words, match the food and the wine of a place together.  For example, pairing Italian food with Italian wines, or a pairing oysters with…

Chablis:The Spirit of Chardonnay – In The Glass And At The Table

I love minerally, acid-driven white wines. They are refreshing and delicious on their own, and a great companion for a wide variety of foods at the table. So, I was thrilled when I received four sample bottles of Chablis from Pure Chablis a couple of months back. About Chablis Pure Chablis is a trade organization that…

A Tavel Paired with Spring BBQ #WinePW

We’re pairing fresh, seasonal spring foods with wines from the diverse and fascinating Southern Rhône region of France. Wine Pairing Weekend is a monthly collaborative event for wine/food bloggers started by David Crowley of Cooking Chat.  It’s a great way to find food and wine pairings that work (or learn from the ones that don’t); along with…

Cross-Cultural Food and Alscace Wine Pairings with Trimbach Riesling

I can hardly believe it, but after giving it much thought, I came to realize that I’ve never had a still wine from Alsace!  I’ve always wanted to because when it comes to dry white wines made from Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris, Alsace has a reputation for being the preeminent wine region…

A Taste of Burgundy #winophiles

Welcome to this month’s French Winophiles!  We’re group a food and wine bloggers pulled together by Christy of Adventures of a Culinary Diva.  We’re taking a virtual tour of France region by region and learning about French cuisine, wine and travel.  This month we’re exploring legendary Burgundy (a.k.a. Bourgogne)  About Burgundy Steeped in centuries of history, tradition, and mystique,…

The Mystery Wines of the Loire Valley

Last month, I was thrilled when I received an invitation to participate in a fun competition for the 2016 Wine Blog Trophy. Organized by the Loire Valley Wine Trade Fair, which takes place in Angers from February 1 to 3, 2016, the essence of the competition is to guess the appellation and vintage of two mystery bottles (one…

A Taste of Krug Champagne Redux

Last year, I was had the honor of being invited to a private Krug Champagne tasting at my favorite wine store – K&L Wine Merchants.  I recapped that phenomenal tasting in a post entitled “A Taste of Champagne Krug“. Much to my surprise and delight, Gary Westby, K&L’s Champagne Buyer invited me to another Krug…