“Château” is a no go for American winemakers! At least, temporarily. The Bordeaux Wine Federation has obtained a respite from the possible deal to give American wine producers the right to use the venerated “château” label. The European Committee has decided to table this important decision, which France remains the …
During our last visit to Burgundy France, we were extremely fortunate to be reunited with all the members of my family on my mother’s side. Since we don’t see each other very often, it’s always such a treat to get together, and be able to gather around four generations of …
Vin du Château, Mis en Bouteille au Château, Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Latour, Château Margaux, etc… Why do some wine labels mention the term “château”, and what does it mean? The term “château” is a guaranty that the wine is from the actual domain, and bottled at the property. It also means that the …
A few days ago, I wrote a news article about the acquisition of the Gevrey-Chambertin château and its vineyard by the Chinese. It is the first time that a Burgundy Vineyard falls into the powerful hands of Chinese investors. However, that phenomenon isn’t new in the Bordeaux region of France. A growing Chinese …
“To good wine no publicity.” This proverbial saying comes from a latin proverb written by Columelle: “Vino vendibili suspensa hedera non opus est”, which translates to: “To popular wine, hanging ivy is not necessary.” In older times, hanging ivy was used by wine suppliers and resellers to promote their wines. It …
French minister of agriculture, Stéphane Le Foll announced recently: “This year’s grape volume is exceptionally low.” What will be the consequences on the price of wine, and its quality? Bernard Germain (Director of the Wine Cooperative of Muscat de Frontignan) has rarely seen such an important downturn: “This year 2012, …
When it comes to enjoying a nice bottle of wine at home, I can’t do it with my beautiful wife because she doesn’t drink. What can I say… love is blind and lovers cannot see. However, I have high hopes to be able to do this with my sons, though …
One of Burgundy’s most precious assets was recently purchased by a Chinese business man. The Gevrey-Chambertin château and its vineyard were sold for 8 million Euros. Potential local buyers could not compete with such a high offer. This type of monetary transactions is not unusual for the Bordeaux region, but it …
The “green” wine phenomenon has been happening for as long as wine itself. Only lately, it has been labelled green wine for reasons we will discuss in this post. Due to easy access to new technologies (including farming, land management, disease control, harvesting and more), winemaking has evolved greatly in …
[Wine Storage] Dedicated to Shinna S. – There are two ways of buying wine. Some people only buy wine for special occasions, for a dinner party with friends, or a sweet Valentine’s day picnic. They buy wine when they need it, and go through that small inventory right away. This …
