Reunited and it feels so good......

Although I have been able to find my beloved Provence Rose back home, it just isn't the same as drinking it at a sidewalk café in Paris.  I could go on and on about Rose, but will have to move on to some new varietals.  I was able to go to my local supermarket today, not DIA this time but a Carefore. I pick up a few types not familiar to me and all under 5 euro a bottle.  Tonight we have a 2012 Le Pas du Templier Minervois, from the Minervois appellation. Had to look that one up, low and behold it is part of the Languedoc region, my favorite wine region for reds.  I know the sophisticated wine lovers are shaking their head in disgust at my dismissal of Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Rhone. I guess it comes down to the fact that I love a cheap red blend that is very drinkable, doesn't require a big meal nor locked away in a cellar for years.

This wine has a very earthy nose. This wine has a very bold taste, at first sip, not sure I loved it.  It had all the right grapes, Carignan, Grenache, Lledoner Pelut, Mourvedre, and Syrah. Stir it up and give me a great blend.  I get more of the Syrah than the other grapes. The nose isn't the only thing that is earthy, the taste is as well.  For 3.9 Euro not a bad one, but not a great one either.  I might try another Minervois to see if it is the type of wine or just this one. 

Today was spent at Giverny, home of Claude Monet. I can appreciate his muse, the beautiful flowers, gardens and countryside. I look forward to seeing his Water Lilly paintings with a new eye now that I have seen his inspiration.

Bonjour fellow wine lovers.

It has been a while I admit.  Have cheated on France with other countries (Italy) and am back in my beloved land of cheap wine. Anyone who has read my previous blogs know that I have had an unquenchable desire for Provence Rose.  First stop after train from Amsterdam today was lunch in a café with a bottle of said Rose.  I technically can't talk about it, since it was above my 5 Euro limit, but delicious either way.  We checked the hours of our local Carefore market on the way to lunch and found they were open late on a Sunday and proceeded to lunch before a little shopping.  After a delightful lunch we went to the market. CLOSED.  Mon Dieu, I started to panic at the thought of no coffee, cream, cheese, and cheap French wine.  We started walking like we were stranded in a desert in search of water.  Thankfully we ran into a nice French woman who pointed us to a market still open on a Sunday.  Disaster averted, we now have coffee, cream, yoghurt and cheap French wine. Again I can't technically talk about my Rose, it was 5.5 Euro, above the limit of this blog.  Lets just say I had a nice evening.  I did pick up a nice bottle (I hope) of Corbieres for 3.95 Euro. Will let you know how that is. Bon Soir, until tomorrow.

I'm a believer!

Gone are the days of wines under 5 €. I am unfortunately back in the USA.  Before I left for my fabulous trip to France I had purchased a Groupon to Barclays Wine.  This was a purchase from about a year ago and was coming up to expiration date.  I quickly ordered random wines to satisfy offer before expiration date.  After tasting some disapointing wines from the Bordeaux region, I had no expectations for one of the bottles I purchased from this offer. 

 It was a 2010 Chateau les Tuileries Bordeaux, this bottle is $14.95 on Barclay's website, I consider this a bargain based on US prices.  If the heavens could have opened and angels sing, that would have been the entrance this wine made.  From the first smell, lovely smoky, fruity aromas to the first taste of smooth ripe berries I was in love.  I take back everything I said about the Bordeaux appellation.  I think there is definitely a variety in that appellation and I quickly dismissed based on a couple of bad bottles. 

Now that I am back in the US I will have to search  for those fabulous french wines and disregard the 300% markup for said wines and enjoy.

I went to the dark side

I know it's been a while since I posted, this does not mean I have not been drinking wine.  I have been doing some repeats of my favorite cheap Rose from local DIA Market.  I have been spending my time "researching" whether cheap wine is any less appealing than "not cheap".

I have been to Reims, home of the Champagne region, and have to say "I might have acquired a taste for expensive Champagne".  We planned a last minute trip to Reims and the only tour available at the Veuve Cliquot was their most expensive tour.  After some hesitation and a cheap bottle of Rose, I confirmed our reservation.  The tour was comprised of just 4 people and was a 2.5 hour tour of their house and cayeres.  We had a private tasting in one of the cayeres with their sommolier of 4 different "Cave Prive" vintages. This tasting also included a cheese pairing with each vintage and I have to tell you "WOW".  This was not the cheese I have picked up at local DIA or gourmand epicerie for that matter.  In retrospect, experience "priceless", getting Champagne home $60.00 via 2nd piece of luggage on American Airlines.

I also visited one of the "Best" wine shops in Paris today.  Lavinia Madeleine, this is a store comprised of 3 floors of wines from all over the world.  You can purchase a card that you insert in different tasting stations and select a sample of various wines.  I splurged and sampled a bottle of wine that retails for €315.00.  The sample was €10.00.  I have to say I was disapointed in said wine and proceeded downstairs to the "Cheap Wine" sample station (average €1.50 per sample).  Found a lovely red from the Loire valley that came home with me, but is above the €5.00 limit this blog has been all about.  It is a staggering €14.30 per bottle (still a bargain in my book). 

This brings me to my casual dating of a couple of wines from the Languedoc-Rousillon Region.  I purchased a bottle of 2008 L'Ancienne Mercerie Couture Faugeres.  This bottle was €16.00.  I know I could have bought 3-4 bottles of wine for that price, but I had to see weather price made a difference.  I have to say that I enjoyed my "cheap" Faugeres as much as the "expensive" Faugeres.  I give it credit to being a bit more full bodied, but with a bit more tannins. Do I think it is worth the price tag of 4 times the first bottle of Faugeres, the answer is no. It is a lovely wine, but I was happy with my  "cheap" Faugeres.




My side note for the day:  We had lunch in a department store today at a cafeteria.  They had a beverage station with the usual sodas, ice tea and WINE!  You filled your glass or pitcher of 1 of the 5 selections available.  What a perfect world these French people live in!

Taking a Break From Rose

I will always have my long weekend in St. Tropez with my beloved Rose; it was just a summer fling.  I kept looking over my shoulder to see if I was being watched and judged for completely ignoring my cheap red wine.   Alas today my sensibilities returned and I am back with my new fling, a 2009 Corbieres. This bottle was purchased at the local Franprix for €2.79. I did a little research on the last bottle of Corbieres and found that it is a prolific appellation, but is considered an authentic country blend of at least 2 grapes, usually Carignan, Grenache Noir, Syrah and Mourvèdre. The nose on this one was not as sweet as the previous bottle of Corbieres. It still has a fruity red berry smell, but a bit of earthiness to it.  It is a very drinkable wine, a little less tannic than the previous one. Still has a peppery bite, but a bit smoother, for an extra €.79, it was money well spent.  I know there are other wine appellations in France to explore, but the Languedoc-Roussillon has stolen my heart.




My side note for the day is a question for the French.  Do you not wear contacts here?  Do you take out a mortgage to pay for solutions for said lenses?  Having to purchase a bottle of contact lense solution today, I was to say the least, SHOCKED at the price. €18.50 (that's $25.30 as of today's conversion rates).  How is it in a country that I can purchase glorious wines for €2.00 can charge $25.00 for some Bausch & Lomb?  I want to know if I can rinse my contacts with a little red wine, will that clean and disinfect them?

I think we are on Wine #7

Today's selection is a 2010 Corbieres.  Corbières is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) for wine in the Languedoc-Roussillon, and it is this region's largest AOC.  This bottle was purchased for a mere €2.00 (Reality check here: A Cafe Crème is €4.40.  What kind of message is the French sending; let's make a great bottle of wine half the price of a cup of coffee.  Economically, it makes sense for me to drink wine.)  I definitely get an aroma of blackberries from this wine. I expected my first sip to be sweeter than it was based on the nose.  It was actually a bit tannic, but not overly so.  This wine may benefit from a little aging, but not disagreeable to drink now.  I have to say that I like it.  Once again I am finding that wines from the Languedoc region are Tres Bon.


As American tourists we did the tourist thing today and went to the Eiffel Tower.  It was a lovely warm sunny day.  After waiting in a few long lines next to people with questionable hygiene habits, we made it to the top.  It was amazing, I know I sound like a tourist, but I am one.  We proceeded to do the typical tourist thing and had a glass of champagne.  You had a choice of an Alain Ducasse or a Rose (I didn't get the name of it.  I opted for the cheaper one).  I have to say it was Deliceaux!

A Lovely Beaujolais

 I was warned about the Noveux Beaujolais, so was hesitant on picking anything called a Beaujolais.  This bottle was  €4.68.  It is a Signet Vigneron 2009 Domaine Romany Beaujolais: this is a bottle of deliciousness!   This particular bottle had a sticker on it claiming to be a Medaille D'Or 2011 winner.  What a marketing campaign.  Nose is pure heaven, what you expect a bottle of red wine to smell like. Floral, red fruits just pure heaven.  I don't like this wine, can't you tell.  As much as I am intrigued by my infatuation of the Faugeres appellation, I am in love with this wine.  I will have clandenstine meetings with this bottle behind the Faugeres back.  Upon first sip, this wine is rich and full, mellow on the tongue.  I cannot believe that this wine is under €5.00.  I am trying to figure out how may bottles customs will let me bring back.  Now, I know I still have 24 days to find something better, but I'm not sure that will happen.  I end my evening with an astounding WOW!

My side note for the day: With all the money I am saving on Cheap French Wine, I can spend it on Tres Chic Parisian clothing.  I found a jacket today at my new favorite store Antoine & Lili.  I curse the warm days and sun that prevents me from wearing said jacket, but Ce La Vie!

Bonsoir!