Wine reviews, pairings, events, and getaways
Feeling fancy and feeling French? Let’s face it, most good quality Bordeaux’s and Burgundy’s are hard to find when you have a certain…price…limitation…
Enter Château Loudenne Rouge 2011 — an unpretentious Bordeaux that’s versatile enough for every palate and every meal.
In the interest of full disclosure — I am not a beer girl. I mean, I am and I’m not. For the most part I stick with my You-Name-It-Lights and really can’t drink more than one before my belly feels like it’s going to burst with bubbles. BUT, on the rare occasion I find a real, full-bodied beer I actually like, enjoy, and want to pair with food — like Anchor Brewing’s Anchor California Lager — well, that’s something to celebrate. So today I say, Cheers to Beer!
I’ve been learning a lot about Rhones lately. Specifically New World Rhones from the West Coast here in the US. For me, that means there are a lot of good quality, local wines available. But I can’t help but feel one can only appreciate what the New World has to offer by studying from those who have been doing it the longest.
Where do our modern-day “Rhone Rangers,” like Bonny Doon and their ilk get their influence? How are Old World techniques implemented today? For that we must turn to Old World wines straight from the Motherland, France.
I am but one little woman in the whole wine world and don’t have fancy French labels at my fingertips. Luckily there are producers like Guigal Estate who import affordable French wines for regular folks and wannabe wine snobs like myself.
Along the beautiful coast of Highway 1, just outside of Santa Cruz, is the fun, funky, French-wine-inspired Bonny Doon Vineyard Tasting Room.
If you love wine as much as I do, then you’re probably interested in where to find an authentic wine experience. Here’s my top 5 French-inspired venues in and around SF’s South Bay Area.
