French Winophiles Extol the Virtues of the Languedoc This month, our French Winophiles are returning to the Languedoc region. Our Winophiles have virtually visited the Langudoc and sister region Roussillon several times, most recently in 2022, here. Take a look further down in this post for this months’ links to my fellow writers discoveries! (click on any photo to see full screen) The Languedoc The Languedoc is a very large wine producing area which historically was known for quantity over quality. However, winemakers in the region have worked for years to re-establish a quality reputa ..read more

If you have followed my blog for some time, you might have noticed a dramatic slowdown in my posting frequency over the last two years. Today I am returning to more active posting. What happened? Read on. Short attention span? Here’s the TL;DR: Sold the House, Moved to France 2021: The Invitation Our son moved to France in 2016, met the love of his life and decided to stay for good. In our first post-pandemic visit, he invited us to consider spending more than just one or two trips a year. Our daughter is well established in Minnesota, so we started to consider sharing our time betwe ..read more

Women Taking Leadership Positions in Rhone Wineries All over France, women are establishing a real presence in the wine industry. In the Rhône Valley, some women are taking their commitments to sustainability into the vineyard and winery. Today on Earth Day 2024, we’re highlighting three winemakers working in the Côtes du Rhône and Cótes du Rhône Villages appellations. Sustainability in the Rhône Valley What we today refer to as modern farming began shortly after the end of World War II, with the arrival of chemical based fertilizers, insecticides and herbicides. More recently, herbicide-p ..read more

Wines Made from Hybrid Grapes This month, our World Wine Travel writers are exploring wines made from hybrid grapes. One might ask what is a hybrid grape? We’ll explore what hybrid grapes are, why they are increasingly important given a changing climate, and what they offer. And to answer the question of whether wines made from these grapes taste good? (click on any photo in this post to see a full size slideshow) Delicate Vitis Vinifera Virtually every wine you enjoy today is made from grapes of the Vitis vinifera species. Like dog or cat breeds, there are are different varieties within ..read more

Spring = Cabin Chores We co-own a cabin a couple hours north of Minneapolis. Spring and fall are our seasons for doing chores, making improvements, fixing whatever is broken; there might be some fun had along the way. I particularly love the early spring as our section of the lake is often deserted, so much peace and quiet! Whether its an overnight, weekend or vacation week, our traditional 1st night up at the lake includes a super easy Papa Murphy’s Take-n-Bake pizza, salad and a really nice bottle of wine. I like take-n-bake because I can order ahead, pick it up on the drive up and have hot ..read more

Tartiflette – A French Alps Classic Tartiflette is a classic cold weather dish from the Haut-Savoie region in the French Alps. It’s perfect on a snowy or even cold rainy night with its’ rich potatoes, stinky washed-rind Reblochon cheese and lardons-fumé (smoked bacon). Make lots because you’ll eat more than you predict and the leftovers are great the next day! (click on any photo to see a full size slide show) Tartiflette in Dijon Dijon is conveniently close to a number of French wine regions and of course, lots of local cheeses. We’re also blessed with a number of great cheese shops, all ..read more

The first hip hop event ever held at the historic Château du Clos de Vougeot Wine & Hip Hop at Château du Clos de Vougeot What do wine and hip hop have to do with one another? When I saw the event posted, I knew I wanted to find out for myself. Hip hop was in it’s infancy way back when I was in college, and I never really jumped on the bandwagon. Prior to the event, I started exploring Jermaine Stone’s Wine and Hip Hop podcast. I wanted to get this story out to a wider audience, and The Vintner Project expressed interest in publishing the article, here it is! Click here to open “Wine, Bea ..read more

French Winophiles Explore French Wines as Gifts This month, our French Winophiles are exploring French Wines as gifts. Did you receive a French wine over the holidays? Did you give one? Do you wish you would have received one? This might seem a bit late, but there are lots of gift giving opportunities in a year: birthdays, anniversaries, hostess gifts, housewarming. You might find a few hints worth saving. Take a look here, and look further down in this post for links to all my French Winophiles buddies for their ideas! Picking a Wine for your Wine Geek Friend In many ways, picking a wine for ..read more

The stunning Beaujolais landscape in autumn Winophiles Celebrate All the Forms of Beaujolais The third Thursday in November is the annual release date for Beaujolais Nouveau, that fresh and fruity 1st wine of the year. A great marketing tool, Beaujolais Nouveau became very successful, unfortunately at the cost to more serious wines from the region. This year, our French Winophiles are celebrating all aspects of Beaujolais, from Beaujolais Nouveau to Cru Beaujolais. Come along and find a new aspect as we dig in! Take a look down further in this post for ideas from my fellow French Winophiles! T ..read more

World Wine Travel Writers Celebrate Argentina This month, our World Wine Travel writers are exploring wines of Argentina. Many of our writers received samples thanks to Trapiche and Mascota wineries, though other posts are welcome. Look further down in this post for a list of links to all our finds. You’re invited to join our chat on X/Twitter on Saturday October 28 at 11am Eastern Time. Look for our chat at #WorldWineTravel. You’re welcome to join in whether you posted or if you are just interested in wines of Argentina. We hope to see you there! You may need to double check your local time ..read more