Every Monday, discover new wines, regions, and ways to understand this fermenting sea.
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Munching Vidal Blanc on Keuka Lake, New York
Author Archives: waywardwine
VELO VOUVRAY 3: Maison Darragon: EU Austerity Drinking Tour #48
For this Monday’s EU AUSTERITY DRINKING ADVENTURE, we trade a château for a maison.
Underwhelmed and starving, we leave the lofty Château Moncontour of last week’s post. Our rent-o-bikes take us to lunch of quiches, bread, and fabulous pastries. We eat on a cliff square. Mossy shingles span below us, Vouvray’s crumbling, cream church looms above us.
Full, we follow signs up a tortuous slope. We pass a villa hewn into Vouvray’s famed tuffeau cliffs: Continue reading
Posted in Loire, White, WINERIES WANDERED
Tagged Acid, Château Moncontour, chenin blanc, Darragon, European Union, Florilege, Haut des Ruettes, Loire River, Loire Valley, Maison Darragon, Marc Bredif, Oak (wine), Sweetness of wine, Tour, Vouvray, wine
3 Comments
PIG’S NOSE, BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY, AGED 5 YEARS, SCOTLAND
We hit Scotland last August. It nearly halted our seven month, thirteen country, EU Austerity Drinking Tour. We so fell in love with its people, countryside, and Whisky that we nearly stayed. We imagined ourselves William Wallace, Robbie Burns, Mary Queen of Scots, or that princess from Brave, with every castle tour, every distillery visit, and every haggis eaten.
But back in the United States, nostalgia ate us. Local distilleries proffered harsh, young spirit: too hot and tight to be enjoyed alone.
But then we found a bottle of Pig’s Nose, Blended Scotch Whisky, Aged 5 Years, from Scotland for under $30. Continue reading
VELO VOUVRAY 2: CHATEAU MONCONTOUR AND CHENIN BLANC: EU Austerity Drinking Tour #47
Last Monday’s EU AUSTERITY DRINKING TOUR post began our cycle of the Loire with Marc Brédif’s chic winery. Well inebriated, we continue upriver into Vouvray, hunting wine.
As mentioned prior, the green grape Chenin Blanc reigns supreme in Vouvray. Crafty Dutch merchants launched it here four centuries ago. It fits decently in this cold, marginal climate because it ripens earlier than red grapes. Although other whites would work better, the obstinate French stick to tradition. Continue reading
Posted in Chenin Blanc, EMPTIED BOTTLES, Sparkling
Tagged Balzac, Château Moncontour, chenin blanc, France, Les Chapelles, Loire, London, Marc Bredif, Methode Traditionelle, Moncontour, Montfort, Paris, Touraine, tuffeau, Vaugondy, Vouvray
6 Comments
FALL FEASTS WITH JULIENAS: THANKSGIVING’S OTHER BEAUJOLAIS
Tonight is Halloween. But it already ended weeks ago. The legions of Martha Stewart, Food Network, Saveur, and more, have infiltrated our pintrest/facebook/twitter feeds, e-mail, and real mailboxes:
Clearly, while handing out candy to Trick or Treaters, we must give thanks and plot our Turkey Time Tables,
In the spirit of conformity, let Wayward Wine turn to that standard November red: Beaujolais Nouveau. Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Beaujolais, Beaujolais Nouveau, Duboeuf, Food Network, Gamay, George DuBoeuf, Georges DuBoeuf, Halloween, Jane Austen, Juliénas, Julius Caesar, Martha Stewart, Mr Darcy, Netherfield Ball, Parmesan, Pride and Prejudice, Pumpkin Ravioli, Rachel Ray, Saveur, Trader Joe's, Turkey Time Tables
8 Comments
VELO VOUVRAY: CYCLING THE LOIRE VALLEY TO MARC BREDIF WINERY: EU Austerity Drinking Tour #46
We rent bikes in Tours and head up the Loire River, thirsty for wine.
The Loire river runs like a wrinkly tie below Paris to the Atlantic. The Vouvray AOC is a mere, million case pin-prick of 5,000 vinous acres. It sits next door to Tours.
The chenin blanc grape covers nearly all of Vouvray. But before trying wine, we head to the source: Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Bike tour, chenin blanc, Food, France, Loire, Loire River, Loire Valley, Marc Bredif, Paris, Sparkling wine, Tours, Vouvray, wine
5 Comments
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