The grape is Melon de Bourgogne, and it is a "classic" from Nantes in the Loire Valley. If you are looking to explore a delicious value priced wine with refreshing acidity and minerality, this wine is an excellent choice. An aromatic mineral, almost saline nose leads to a medium-bodied palate with pleasant fruit flavors.

And they taste so very good. This wine is all Bouzy, a blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, but it reminded me of a wine I tasted a few years ago by Moutard that is made with the obscure grapes of Champagne, things like Arbanne and Petit Meslier. cannot tell you how excited I am about this. This neighbor raises pigs.

In Burgundy and the Loire Valley, it can be difficult to find the producers you are trying to visit. You taste through the lineup of new wines in barrel, and then perhaps a few bottles from recent vintages, maybe an older bottle if you are lucky and the wine maker feels like sharing a special experience.

When I think of most of the wines that I love, be it Burgundy, Loire Valley wines, Beaujolais, and even Champagne, I think of those wines as representing a specific place. Young Olorosos smell and taste different from old Olorosos. I knew a very small bit about Sherry wines before I came to Jerez. Now I know a little bit more.

From the little that I have tasted so far, I think 2010 is going to be a fantastic vintage for many of the wines that I love to drink. I'm talking about Beaujolais, Muscadet, Chinon and the other Loire Valley sites. hadn't even tasted the wine and I knew it was great, just the nose is enough. That sounds exciting, no?

The 2011 London International Wine Fair was fabulous, an extremely well-orchestrated event with many simultaneous tastings, presentations, and lectures that took place in theaters, 'Access Points,' and even 'freestyle' in high-topped chairs within the display of a geographic region or winery. Masterclasses. More Excitement. The "Access Zone".

Have you had a Loire wine recently? love Loire wines. Today City Winery in NYC featured many producers from the Loire, presenting their wines. spent some time at their table tasting their signature Muscadet Serve & Maine sur Lie from four very different terroir: Argile, Volcanic, Shist, and Limestone.

So I bring wines that I want to drink, but also wines that I imagine my family will also enjoy because they smell and taste good. Tags: Domaine Guion Filliatreau Bourgueil Cider Sparkling wine Saumur-Champigny Bordelet Bisson Fugedaboudit Loire Valley How do I pick wines to bring for Thanksgiving, Brooklynguy? What should I buy?

In the way that the general wine drinking public under-values Loire red wines, I think that us Loire lovers under-value the wines of Domaine Filliatreau. drank a lot of 2005 Grand Vignolle, didn't love the 2006, never saw the 2007, and liked the 2008 a year ago at a Dressner tasting. promise you, you will not be disappointed.

I don't mean just that they taste good and are well balanced wines, although they do and they are. Tags: Cookin' with Brooklynguy Michel Brégeon Muscadet Beaujolais Marcel Lapierre Loire Valley Who says there's nothing good out there for about $10? What do I mean by "good?" apiece. Now it's closer to $18.

With my grilled sardines he served a glass of Fiano (I don't remember which one), but I remember how the smokiness of the wine and its great clarity made my sardines taste impossibly good. But these pieces contain more than just tasting notes, opinions, reminiscences, pairing advice, and other bloggerly type work.

But he knows enough about wine so that his search was very specifically directed, and he found something from the Loire Valley that should be fantastic - I'll let you know how it goes in a few weeks. BrooklynLady and I love Loire Valley white wines, particularly Huët - who doesn't? So this producer is meaningful too.

cannot imagine cellaring it, as it tastes so good now, and doesn't seem to be holding anything in reserve. And it tastes really good right now. Tags: Cheverny López de Heredia Beaujolais Pierre Gonon Loire Valley Marcel Lapierre Alsace Coudert Domaine de la Pépière Muscadet Boxler Rhône Valley Clos du Tue-Boeuf

“I want a wine that tastes like summer,” the chic woman tells the clerk at an upscale wine store. Though its home is in Loire Valley of France, most Americans are more familiar with the fresh vibrant taste of Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. Something that pairs well with grilled skewers of fresh shrimp and swordfish.

Hard to imagine wine not tasting great here. Tags: Trips Luneau-Papin Domaine de la Louvetrie Muscadet Guy Bossard Loire Valley Domaine de la Pépière We took our summer vacation kind of early this year, and spent most of the past week in Martha's Vineyard. We had a fantastic time - just a great vacation.

If this guy invited me to a three hour tasting of Boone's Farm wines, I would go. SF Joe, as he's known on the wine bulletin boards, is a brilliant and dedicated aficionado of the Loire Valley wines (among others). Well, the chef at Alto did, anyway. Levi just organized the whole thing. And lucky for me, he invited me.

Today Sancerre came to New York in the form of Marc Sorrel-Dejerine, International Director of the Chateau de Sancerre, hosting an intimate lunch and tasting and talking about his wine. and that is because in old world regions such as France’s Loire Valley, they refer to a bottle of wine by the region where it is from.

But for me to buy the Hofer Zweigelt, its excellence must derive from the smell and taste of the wine, and from its expression of place, not from the mere fact that it is palatable and costs $10. This is Chardonnay, technically from the Loire Department, but we're talking closer to Lyon and Burgundy than to Vouvray or Chinon. or $13.50

loved both wines - they were beautiful in a way that makes you rethink what you know about Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire. only wish I could have tasted these wines in the past. Tags: Cotat Sancerre Dagueneau Loire Valley Pouilly Fumé By the way, one could say that in drinking the 2007's, I didn't fully drink his wines.

Further proof, if any was needed, that it is futile to try to really understand wine at a large industry tasting: Almost two years ago, I think it was, I tasted this wine alongside the 1990 vintage at one of Dressner's tastings. And first let me tell you that at the Dressner tasting this wine came off as a bretty mess.

And here in Manhattan, this is a special challenge, because in this jaded city most everyone dabbling in the world of wine has tasted pretty much everything the world has to offer. It can smell and taste like hot buttered popcorn, apple pie a la mode, or like mineral water with a squeeze of lime or lemon. Irrigation is mandatory.

Not too salty, not too sweet, this cheese tastes of fresh butter, with herbs and roast nuts. Tags: Agnès et René Mosse Paul Pernot Anjou Pierre Frick Closel Loire Valley Savennières Alsace Cheese Burgundy By the Glass We've been delving further into domestic cheeses lately with some very good results, mostly. Strange.

At least two heads of state showed up - President Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi and Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada enjoyed light conversation while tasting through the Clos Roche Blanche wines. tasted a load of wine, including new vintages from familiar producers and a few things that were brand new to me.

This is part of an ongoing effort to make interesting and delicious dishes involving copious amounts of spinach - I want my kids to want to eat spinach, and not through trickery, but because it tastes good. Tags: Domaine des Huards Fugedaboudit Jura Loire Valley Philippe Bornard Domaine de la Pépière Will not happen again.

Tasting through her recent vintages here- particularly in a vineyard such the premier cru of Clavoillon (which used to be a bid of an underperformer in the Leflaive stable)- it is pretty hard not to agree with her wholeheartedly in the greater signature of terroir in the Leflaive wines today. Natural wines are growing in popularity.

still love Pinot, but moreso the wines of Burgundy, Cheverny in the Loire Valley, or the Jura. No, but that's because my tastes have changed, not because they are bad wines. This is a cultish producer who makes tiny amounts of wine, that's basically impossible to find outside of the Wilamette Valley in Oregon. 2002 St.

Is there room for another blind tasting panel? think it will be interesting to gather bloggers and other people with whom I enjoy sharing wine, taste and discuss together with the goal of being able to say something meaningful about a group of wines. Five - that's pretty manageable for an amateur blind tasting panel. Just mute.

Because I twisted his arm, I got to taste the new vintage of his vermentino blend, Heart of Gold. Also tasted his new release (now in bottle shock--so look for tasting notes in a few months) from a Mendocino biodynamic vineyard. And Back story: I met Don Heistuman in the Loire oh, I don't know, nine years ago? Shocking.

didn't like the caramel flavor - it didn't taste like cheddar. My friend who tasted it was not impressed, and BrooklynLady tried it on another evening with no fanfare whatsoever, made a face and said "This doesn't taste like cheese." It tastes like caramel and weird bitter vegetables masquerading as cheese.

Wine can be enjoyed by just about anyone - it tastes and feels good. started last week with a classic pairing - Loire goat cheese with a Loire Sauvignon Blanc. She picked a declassified Cheverny, now a Vin de Table, a blend of Gamay and Pinot Noir by Christian Venier,a Loire hipster-natural-wine-biodynamic-producer.

I've had two different cuvées with meals, and I've also tasted through the whole lineup, and I really like the wines. Tags: Wine of the Week Wilfrid Rousse Loire Valley Chinon I drink quite a bit of red wine from Chinon, but mostly the wines of one producer, Bernard Baudry. This wasn't always the case.

We saw the vineyards surrounding the house, and then joined Mathieu in the house's tasting room where we sampled everything from the most recent Croix Boisée Blanc to the new lineup of reds to a 1996 Les Grezeaux, a gorgeous wine. You can smell and taste the gravelly soil in Les Granges, the richness of the clay in Les Grezeaux.

But from what I've tasted, the wines are stunning, right up my alley. Tags: Wine of the Week Loire Valley Bernard Baudry Chinon 2007 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Cuvée Domaine , $18, Louis/Dressner Selections. Cuvée Domaine is a blend of grapes from gravel and clay soils, the ratio is about 70-30 in most years.

At the Dressner tasting yesterday I experienced a shockingly clear example of the role that soil plays in shaping wine. Opening several wines at a time is the best way for a guy like me, who is in the middle of building his tasting memory, to get a good sense of the differences that soil can bring.

want to try more of them - are you having a spring tasting?" The 2005 Reynald Héaulé Vin de Table L'Insoumis de Village , or 'Black Sheep of the Village' (about $30) is a serious country wine made by one of the new wave Loire Valley natural wine hipsters. "I drank a few of your wines recently and I really like them. had a blast.

Many people consider these to be the finest Chenin Blancs from the Loire Valley and in the world. 2007 was not an easy year in most of the Loire Valley, and Vouvray was not spared the rainy cool summer that dampened prospects for many growers all over the region. And happily, I can afford to buy and drink them.

I am hosting a tasting this Sunday afternoon, March 1st, at Lelabar in the West Village. For $60 you get to drink 6 excellent Loire Valley red wines and enjoy 6 food pairings from the Lelabar menu. Tags: Tastings From 4pm-6pm, and space is limited. C'mon out, it will be fun!

The northern most vineyards in western France are in the Loire Valley appellations of Jasnières and Coteaux du Loir. In the late 1990's inspired wine making came to Jasnières and Coteaux du Loir in the form of Eric and Christine Nicolas who own and operate Domaine de Bellivière. An incredibly strange wine, but I love it.

I am going to be the "guest sommelier" at what should be an excellent wine tasting on Sunday February 22nd. Andrew hosts a tasting series on Sundays and sometimes he likes to have a guest host. will be pouring 6 of my favorite reds from the Loire Valley - 2 wines each from Chinon, Bourgueil, and Saumur-Champigny to be exact.

On the palate, this wine tastes like Baudry's back yard - there is earth with lots of gravel and clay, there is plentiful fruit, there are flowers and trees, there is a river nearby, and in the evenings there is smoke in the air from the fireplaces. Tags: Loire Valley Bernard Baudry Chinon And as an inaugural (Hooray Obama!)

The first time I tasted either I thought they were evil. Dry Loire Valley Chenin Blanc. ?Savennieres? Loire Valley Cabernet Franc --dont get too fancy but if you can find Bonaventure, works like a charm with lime pickle and kerala (bitter melon). The first time I tasted either I thought they were evil.

So buckle up and get ready to hear his thoughts on what’s wrong with Riesling from Austria and Australia, screwcaps and their problems, the Loire, California cab then and now, indigenous yeasts, roto-fermenters, small oak barrels, wines over 14% alcohol and why he uses scores! The Loire. German Riesling. just don’t get it.

Clearly one of the places to start would be with 2005 or 2006 Loire reds - they will age along the lines of a top-flight Bordeaux and offer tremendous value. As far as red wines go, Cru Beaujolais and Loire Valley reds are neck and neck for this honor. If its not a tasting night with samples, usually red Burgundy. Onward!

And because our wine tastes are quite diverse. Recently it was our turn to host wine group and I chose Loire Chenin Blancs as the theme. This night for me was further proof for me that the Loire Valley offers truly profound white wines at reasonable prices. We rotate as hosts and the host provides everything. So sue me.

At a recent southern Rh ô ne Wine & Spirits tasting, the reigning critic Tara Thomas declared that a particular wine was corked, and it most certainly was. There was a second bottle present, so we tasted that one too. love everything I've tasted so far (Huët , Dirler, Boxler, and there's more), so why not roll with it?

So after the hard and wonderful work of the Terry Theise Portfolio tasting, we rushed over to the east side for Louis/Dressner tasting. There was simply no way to taste everything, even if this were the only tasting of the day. The Italian wines - I didn't taste 'em. Wines of the Savoie - didn't taste 'em.

haven't tasted mine yet, have you? Make your morning coffee at home - why pay almost 3 bucks for it each day? Bring your lunch to work - why pay almost 10 bucks for it every day? There are many little ways to reduce spending. Be that as it may, are we supposed to give up entirely on building our modest wine cellars? That would be Dr. Parzen.

Wine Tasting News I had the 2005 Domaine de la Pépière Muscadet Clos des Briords the other night, and it was awesome. had the 2005 François Chidaine Montlouis-sur-Loire Les Tuffeaux the other night and it was honestly just amazing. If you want to know why the cool kids all seem to love Loire Cab Franc, drink this wine

But I've been inspired by the quality of what I've tasted recently. I'm sure that there is a river of Alsace plonk out there, as there is in Burgundy, the Loire Valley, and in every other great wine region. But what I've tasted so far has been excellent. My favorite of those I tasted so far, this is just amazing wine.

Another amazing Gamay from the Loire brought in by Dressner. actually wasn't crazy about the 2007 Briords when I tasted it back in April. Ah, the Loire valley.still a haven for those among us who want great wine at reasonable prices And I'm not the only one thinking about this lately. Including tax. And what a wine! Yes, I dare.

The cooked flesh tastes and feels something like a cross between tuna and Spanish mackerel. Finally, I did it! We were drinking a wine that I thought might be corked, I happened to have another bottle, we opened it to compare, and yes - it was corked. Please feel free to send congratulatory notes and medals/trophies. Alas, it was not to be.

But finally, the post that really got me thinking was Wine enthusiasts' "unreserved" blog post by Steve Heimoff " Stocalism, or why everything tastes like everything else ". And finally, my recent tasting of Loire Valley Whites, while all clearly different, seem to have shared characteristics. Are they all the same?

Going out to taste wines, being given samples to taste, speaking with winemakers - some of the coolest people around - let me tell ya, I don't know how I do it. Last night I had the arduous task of tasting through some wines made from Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley with some contemporaries.

Is Brooklynguy a "loves everything he tastes" kind of guy? Pinon, Chidaine, and these other Loire producers make all kinds of wines that don't cross the ocean to the States. Incredibly strong acidity, not balanced, tastes like what I imagine vin clair tastes like, strips the enamel off my teeth. No, not at all.

Sancerr e might as well be in another wine region, for all of the attention it gets in our Loire Valley-lovin' house. You read it too - Eric Asimov recently wrote a compelling article about Sherry, and his tasting panel sampled 25 of them. This past month I made a point of opening a few bottles that we don't normally drink.

Taste as you go, stop when you like the texture. For more on this, see Peter Liem's discussion of his vertical tasting during a binge weekend in Oregon. The modern wines, though, seem to divide people, even groups of Loire lovers. He vigorously decanted and tasted over five days. Whaddayagonnado? Coarse kosher salt.

I don't want to write about wine today, no tasting notes. This is a brilliant wine made from the little used Romorantin grape, found essentially only in this tiny little Loire appellation. It's gorgeous outside, things are going well with family, friends, and work, life is good. Aubert de Villaine. We'll see.

In a way, it's silly of me to have so little understanding about the development Loire Valley wine over the long term. Viking's wines surprised me when I tasted them back in April - they were balanced and distinctive, really very good. We thoroughly enjoyed this wine, but I might have guessed it to be a 2002 if tasted blind.

After several tastings with bride and groom, we decided on the following for the rehearsal dinner: 2006 Domaine de la Pepiere Muscadet , $12, (Louis/Dressner Selections). VdT blend of Chardonnay and Melon de Bourgogne, this is one that I discovered while tasting through the recession wines. So yes, both whites are Loire Valley.

Thierry Puzelat, along with his older brother Jean-Marie, is responsible for a big lineup of delicious wines from the Touraine and Cheverny appellations in the eastern part of the Loire Valley. Here's what I love about these wines: they taste honest, like real representations of the grapes and soil from that place. It works.

bought a bunch (by my small NYC cellar standards) of Loire Valley reds and whites from the heralded 2005 vintage, and most of them require some cellaring in order to show at their best and most complex. What does a wine like this taste like right now? How else can you track its evolution, understand it in its entirety?

Had the 2006 Domaine de la Fruitière VdP de la Loire Jardin de la Fruitière this weekend. loved this wine when at the Jenny & Francois tasting, but this is the second bottle (the first was an '05) I've had at home now that hasn't lived up to the tasting. Do they double-extra-special-decant at those tastings?

Olivier Cousin makes natural wines, working his family's property in the central part of the Loire Valley near the area defined as Coteaux du Layon. first had it at the Jenny & Francois tasting back in March and liked it very much. NV Cousin-Luduc Saumur Brut , $26, Jenny & Francois Selections. As it turns out, yes.

the gorgeous rosé of Pinot D'Aunis by Eric Nicolas at Domaine de Bellivière in the nothern Loire Valley. My first time tasting this, the gossamer slices of the prized pata negra, the black pigs who eat acorns and then generously, if reluctantly, offer their hindquarters to gourmets all over the world. There is (was?)

But now, my long overdue summary of the wines I was able to try at the Polaner tasting. Maybe given my "neophyte" status, I try to taste as many wines as possible and miss the point. Either way, while it was overwhelming, I tasted some very fine wines and met some very personable and charming winemakers (or winery proprietors).

For example, winemakers now generally kill off natural yeasts with sulphur and replace them with designer strains that can add flavours of, say, strawberry, cocoa or banana.The yeasts are often fed urea when they get tired, to keep fermentation humming at ever-higher sugar and alcohol levels, thereby creating bigger bodied wines for todays tastes.

Sometimes I'm lucky enough to taste a mature wine at a tasting, which can be a special experience also, especially if the wine is very expensive or difficult to find at stores. 1987 Domaine Terrebrune Bandol Rouge - IPO Trade Tasting. And this is just from a few swirls and sniffs at a trade tasting. Yes, yes I would.

More notes from the great Polaner Spring Tasting, this time red wines from the Dressner producers. Domaine Filliatreau, Saumur-Champigny - the 2005 Saumur-Champigny Grande-Vignolle was one of my favorite Loire Valley everyday reds, when it was around. How are you supposed to organize yourself at a tasting of this size, anyway?!?

I went to the Polaner Spring Portfolio Tasting today at Gotham Hall in Manhattan. My plan was to taste through the Dressner producers, as I cannot make it to the big Real Wine Attack tasting at Chambers Street this year - that they scheduled it on Passover is a clear affront to wine-loving Jews all over the world. Pinon's wines.

always meant to taste the wines, but never did. The '05 is not around yet, but Vestry had the 2002, which was also a fine year in the Loire Valley. Sometimes I can hang out in a familiar place and never look in a certain corner of the room. And then it becomes a habit not to look in that direction. Maybe it's just me. Rabbit?

This ensures that I taste various sparkling wines from all over the place, and also that I don't spend Champagne bucks each week. The version David tasted was made from a different vintage, this one is 2005 grapes, I believe. NV Fabrice Gasnier La Cravantine , $19, Fleet Street Imports. And the ripeness really shows.

2005 Burgundy and Loire Valley wines are already on the market, and both show exceptional promise. So, what about the Rhone Valley? The first two wines we tasted from the 2005 vintage in the Rhone Valley were, to put it mildly, exceptional: 2005 Chateua Saint-Jean Chateauneuf du Pape and the 2005 J.L. Chave St.

I've been checking in on my 2005 Loire wines lately, just to see how things are going. Loire-lovers have been touting 2005 as a great vintage, as good as 05 in Burgundy or Bordeaux. If my recent tastes mean anything, this is not hype - the wines are just excellent. This is beautiful wine, I've had it a couple of times now.

Unlike some of the other Loire Valley sparkling wine I've tasted recently, this one is actually quite elegant and very dry. For example, the Chidaine Montlouis-sur-Loire Brut we had recently was distractingly tropical and full of bells and whistles on the nose, and was not to our liking.

have to go take a sniff and a tiny taste every 45 minutes or so. The one negative thing I can say is this: the wine doesn't have the same energy that I experience in my favorite wines from Burgundy, Beaujolais, or the Loire Valley. I know it's a touchy time to talk about Bordeaux , but I'm going for it anyway. Do you do that?

Here are a few Loire Valley '05s that I enjoyed when I first tasted them, but that I really loved when drinking them recently. In each case, about 6 months passed between tastes. always liked the Loire '05s, but this is ridiculous - 2005 in the Loire is just sick, and an amazing value.

There are many many many wines that just suck, to my taste. Instead, I'll tell you what I've tasted recently that I don't like. believe in miracles, but I still don't anticipate tasting a DRC wine anytime soon. You know by now how fond I am of Loire Valley wines. That's what I've found in the others I tasted.

It tastes fresher and better, more like lamb. Braised meat almost always tastes better the next day. But there are so many that I prefer from the Loire Valley, and they are literally half the price. One of my favorite cuts of lamb is the shank, the lower portion of a foreleg. This helps to tenderize the meat.

But what if you were merely indifferent, or mildly disappointed at first taste? The problem is that I don't have the space or the dollars to keep stock of every wine that I'm interested in, so those that don't show promise at first taste usually get left behind. Here are two lucky examples of this, both from the Loire Valley.

Big houses add lots of sugar as part of their effort to make wine that tastes the same year after year, and people like sweet, so the more the merrier. I'm interested in learning about my own tastes: what does non-dosage Champagne taste like? 1999 Pierre Gimonnet Oenophile Maxi Brut , at a tasting. No sugar?

After the Romans took Greece and all their traditions from Polytheism to art and.well.wine Spain eventually came under Roman rule where her wines enjoyed some substantial travel showing up in England, far reaches of France such as the Loire valley and Germany. Anyway, I poured my first taste and swirled away. Hmmmmm.I Cheers

After our tour of the facility we tasted through some "wacky whites," as the like to call their Pinot Blanc and other white offerings, but the real prize for us was the Pinot. In fact, it was an Adelsheim wine that recently won Eric Asimov's NY Times Tasting panel sampling of Oregon Pinot Gris. Yup, basically 2 years ago on the button.

We went to the Loire Valley and our plan was to see the various villages, and Tours, of course, but also to feast on the wonderful food and wines of the region. have never tasted this wine - it retails at over $70 and I just haven't gone there yet on a Chenin. 2001 Saumur-Champigny (tasted in September, 2007). Bordeaux?

On Wednesday there was a Crozes Hermitage flight, a Portuguese red flight, a New- World Sauvignon Blanc flight, and a flight of local wines from the Willamette Valley. was excited to taste the last Pinot in the flight, the 2006 Ken Wright McCrone Vineyard Pinot Noir. mean, don't they taste the wines they feature on their flights?

Tasting with friends: 12 Year Old Long Island wines with Lenn and company. Industry tasting : Terry Theise Grower Champagnes at the Michael Skurnik tasting. Most expensive wine I tasted that is worth every penny, without even the slightest question : NV Henri Billiot Champagne Cuvee Laetitia (about $75 retail). So good.

was honestly quite surprised by the quality of this wine at this price, although I shouldn't have been because I very much enjoyed the Saumur Brut Methode Traditionelle I tasted by Vieux Pressoir recently. The end of the year holidays are already here, and although it is a joyous time, it can also be a stressful time.

2002 was a wonderful year in the Loire Valley and I LOVED this wine when I tasted it several times a few years ago. His wines have been pretty darn concentrated in the past few vintages, enjoyable, but on the concentrated end of the Loire Valley spectrum. mean, no stampeding on my account, okay folks?

If that were to happen we could taste the wines and compare their quality. In the end, when tasted blind, would we all prefer the hand harvested wine? wanted to approximate the experiment I imagined above by tasting similar wines, one made from hand harvested grapes, the other made from machine harvested grapes. don't know.

Red: 2005 Chateau de Hureau Saumur-Champigny Grande Cuveé , about $14 - this is among the better under $15 Loire Cab Francs of the season, in my opinion. By the way, this particular wine is one of the two Loire Valley wines I picked for Domaine 547's blogger's wine pack project. I'm kind of behind on posting these days. Um hmm.

Of course I'm going to start in the Loire Valley with this, as there's great sparkling Vouvray and Saumur to be had. So here are two Loire Valley sparklers that I enjoyed lately in the $12-20 price range. More Loire Sparklers to come, as well as whatever else I taste in the under $20 price range that merits writing about.

bet this would have done well in our recent blind tasting. went with a Gamay from the Loire Valley, a glass of 2006 O. This is a challenging wine - I tasted it once before and thought it needed food. loved the "regular" version of this Southwest France gem, so tasting the reserve was a no-brainer. Beaujolais.

Good friends NorthCarolinaGuy and Gal were in town for a few days and what better reason to have a wine tasting? The tasting gang hasn't been together for a while now - April was the last time we really did our thing. Everyone brought one bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, we bagged 'em, tagged 'em, and tasted 'em. Another time.

This month Dr. Vino is our host, and he has asked us to taste an indigenous grape variety , something less common perhaps. Chenin Blanc is, in my opinion, the superstar white grape of the Loire Valley. So in honor of WBW 37 I tasted wine made from France's Chenin Blanc. That rules out a lot of wine. 12 year old Jalousie?

This is the third or fourth vintage I've tasted with pop-in-law and I'm a fan. flute was handed to me one evening and I took the opportunity to taste the wine "blind." Ah, the humbling glory of tasting blind.It 2000 Baumard Cremant de Loire Cuvee Millisime, $7 per glass at Cafe Chloe (below). Quite good with our steaks.

Some interesting wines from July that did not get individual posts: Loire Valley 2006 Olga Raffault Chinon Rose , $15 ( Chambers Street Wines ). Cour-Cheverny is a tiny appellation in the north-west part of the Loire Valley. don't know - everyone on CellarTracker who tasted this wine LOVED it - 95 points, 94 points, etc.

This is a Loire Valley wine, naturally. But if your wine does not pass the muster of the INAO's tasting commission, no Cheverny on the label. Why would a wine not make it through the tasting commission? The Puzelats have been making wine in this part of the Loire Valley for about 500 years. It costs $13.50

Many Loire Valley producers make excellent sparkling wine. cannot offer the level of detail that Monsieur McDuff did in this grower Champagne post , but here are two wines that I love along with some tasting notes: NV Jean Lallement Champagne Brut Grand Cru , $36 (Chambers Street Wines). Can that be done? like the French stuff.

Last time I made a pledge to taste wines from all 12 appellations in the region and to share what I learn with you. If you are really into wine from the Loire Valley you know that Gamay appears in some Touraine wines. Deetrane said that he might not have guessed Beaujolais if he had tasted it blind. Okay, that's it.

There is so much great wine out there waiting to be tasted! recently had two wines, both excellent, a Vouvray and a Chinon, made by a couple of producers whose wines I had never before tasted. And I have tasted so little of it. need to make another trip out there. The Wine Doctor profiled this estate here. But the second day.so

I was lucky enough to taste some very interesting wines this month, many of them quite delicious and memorable. have enjoyed Vissoux's wines in the past, but I have tasted only their Cru Beaujolais - things like their Fleurie. rare pleasure to taste a well aged white Burgundy. The name of this wine is a little pun in French."