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.
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.
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.
Not fancy, but certainly fun, this Daily Drinker is available at almost any major grocer. So pick up a bottle and sip and savor Francis Coppola’s Diamond Edition Plum Label 2013 Petite Sirah with me. Cheers!
This wine always acts the part of my “special treat.” It’s the middle of the week, I’ve had a hard one, and I have a meal that just calls for a Sauvignon Blanc. I can’t help it, I splurge and I bring home a bottle by Duckhorn…
Technically, this could qualify as a Daily Drinker or a Special Sipper, but as Duckhorn runs just slightly over my price mark ($30 for this particular varietal), and I do tend to save it for those times when I need a pick-me-up, I’ve dubbed Duckhorn “special.”
And it is special. There’s something about the Sauvignon Blanc in particular that does…pick-me-up. The lightness, the fruit-forwardness, the floral elements, and a refreshing hint of minerality that brings it all together. It’s like, when I’m feeling out of balance, the balance of this wine kind of puts me back together again. And…I’m happy.
