» France

Lunch on the Left Bank

JR — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:03:09 +0000

What does a traditional lunch in the Left Bank look like? It’s right here! After, we visit Chateau Patache d’Aux to learn more about the soils and wine of the Medoc.

Left Bank vineyard tour and tasting

JR — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 21:23:28 +0000

We learn what makes the soils of the Left Bank so special, what soil types lend elegance to Bordeaux wines, why Bordeaux wines are blended, then enjoy an intimate tasting at Chateau Liversan. Part Two of our episode, “Inside the Left Bank”.

French wine, cheese, and food

JR — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 19:20:04 +0000

To finish off our exploration of the syrah lands of the Northern Rhone, we enjoy a morning barrel tasting, visit a goat cheese farm, and enjoy a final midday meal at the winery of Alain Paret. It’s hard not to love the wine country of France, and the French people, after a few days of this!

Rhone food and wine

JR — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 19:10:19 +0000

We are in the northern Rhone, finishing up the syrah harvest in St. Joseph. Afterwards, we are treated to an absolutely epic food and wine pairing at the Michelin-rated Hotel Bellevue.

Chateau St. Cosme, Provence

JR — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 19:12:23 +0000

We meet Louis Barroul, winemaker and owner of Chateau St. Cosme in the Provencal village of Gigondas. Louis makes his wines almost entirely by hand, and he shows us the traditional method of “pisage”, a hands-on pump-over technique. We discuss the various winds that affect the grape growing in the area, and visit ancient Roman remnants of winemaking in the cellars beneath the winery.

Gastronomic tour of Burgundy

JR — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 17:50:39 +0000

In a nation filled with culinary wonders, Burgundy is one of the gastronomic capitals of France. This rich tradition has evolved side-by-side for centuries with the regions wines (many would contend that the wine evolved secondarily to the enjoyment of the food). We start off our segment with one of Burgundy’s greatest culinary attractions: the outdoor market. Each Wednesday, a staggering variety of vendors pack the central square of Beaune, right beneath the Hospice du Beaune, to sell their produce, cheese, meats, and almost everything else one could imagine. For food lovers, it is an experience to be treasured for a lifetime, as you wander in wonder before the edible spectacle spread before you. We get an insiders tour of the market from renowned chef Alain Billard, owner of Le Gourmandin, and spend the rest of the day at his restaurant preparing traditional dishes and finishing off our exploration of Burgundy with a final, epic feast.

Burgundy Uncorked

JR — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:56:26 +0000

A plane ride over the vineyards of the Slopes of Gold, a visit to Chassagne-Montrachet, a romp through the Chalonnaise, a tour of the famous outdoor market of Beaune, and an epic meal at Le Gourmandin are all on tap for this segment of The Wine Travelers. Part Three of our epic tour exploring Burgundy and “terroir.”

To order any of the wines featured on our episodes, please visit our sister retail outlet at Barclay’s Wine.

The Soils of Burgundy

JR — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 17:21:27 +0000

From almost two thousand years of experimentation, wine growers in Burgundy have realized that the soils here are perfectly suited for pinot noir and chardonnay, so much that these are basically the only grapes - by law - that you can grow in this region. Why is this? What’s so special about these soils and this climate? Why is pinot planted in certain soils, and chardonnay in others? The Wine Travelers get down in the dirt to find out. Part Two of our episode “Burgundy: Terroir, Unearthed.”

Our Burgundy episode guide, Alex Dale, is making fantastic wines in South Africa that are a wonderful marriage of Old and New World sensibilities. These wines have garnered several awards and are amongst the top wines produced in South Africa today. Here are a couple direct links to Alex’s wines at below-retail prices if you’d like to support up-and-coming young winemakers making quality wine with passion and integrity!
Radford-Dale premium Merlot and Chenin Blanc
Alex Dale’s mixed case of summer whites

To purchase other wines from our episodes and our featured wine makers, please visit our retail outlet by clicking here: www.barclayswine.com.

Cheers!
The Wine Travelers

Rhone Syrah vineyard adventure

JR — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 21:02:21 +0000

Alain Paret and Eduoard Labeye take us on a wild ride through some of the steepest vineyards in France. We check in on the syrah harvest, and discover the ancient precursor the all syrah grapes. Part Two of the Wine Travelers Episode “The Crazy Vineyards.”

Rhone Syrah vineyard adventure from John Richards on Vimeo.

Road Trip to the Languedoc

JR — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:29:01 +0000

Winemaker and consultant Eduoard Labeye is taking us on a tour of southern France. This maritime region is famous for its blends. Generally speaking, in more stable continental climates single-varietal wines are common. But in these more unpredictable weather patterns, it makes sense to have a variety of grapes to choose from. Not to mention the complexity and nuance that blends can achieve. This also lends these wines wonderful vintage variation and that element of surprise that the French relish. Blending is a science, and it’s fascinating to watch trained noses and palates painstakingly adjust minute amounts of different blending components. French wine making, unlike in the U.S. and “New World”, is very regulated by the government. In this region of the Cote du Rhone winemakers are allowed, by law, to use up to eight different types of grape, and reds are generally blends of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Carignan. We visit Domaine Boudinaud in the Cote du Rhone, where we watch as Eduoard, together with Thierry and Veronique Boudinaud finalize this year’s blend. After that we continue west, along the Mediterranean to the vast and diverse Languedoc region, the largest contiguous wine region in the world. “Langue” means language and “D’Oc” is the ancient Occitane culture (and corresponding language) that settled here long ago. The Languedoc is France’s huge secret, but these wines are rapidly gaining in popularity for their excellent value. We land at the colorful Hotel Minervois, then join with local winemakers for a tasting at the Cooperative Cave de Pepiuex. Afterwards we join the winemakers for a much-anticipated home-cooked meal of locally harvested wild mushrooms and grilled duck. We discover that the French fungus called ‘cepes’ are the same family of mushroom as our native boletes. This region draws on different culinary influences, many from nearby Spain, and wild harvested game and forest plants, herbs, and mushrooms figure prominently into the cuisine. There is a lot to explore in this region, and you won’t find many tourists.

Our final day in the Languedoc we join Eduoard and his largest client, Fat Bastard, as they finalize their blends. We wrap up our visit to the Languedoc in the dining room of the Hotel Minervois. Who says the French are uptight? If you want a real experience, go to the Languedoc.