Tag Archives: Bordeaux

Mähler-Besse “Cheval Noir” Grand Vin, Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux, France 2009

Posted on January 23, 2014 by waywardwine

It is Thursday. Work-weariness be damned. I could use a drink.

Since we reached Bordeaux with Monday’s EU Austerity Drinking Tour, nostalgic, I decide to crack open a Bordelaise stateside. Tonight’s entry derives from Saint-Emilion: famed sub-region on the Dordogne River’s right bank.

The world drinks and grows Merlot because of Saint-Émilion. Veins remain in its chalky cliffs, cut by Roman vine roots nearly two millennia ago. Sideways may have tarnished the grape and drunk Cheval Blanc from a paper cup. But wines from Saint-Émilion steadfastly remain the most expensive and collected worldwide.

Tonight, we drink 2009’s Cheval Noir (no relation to the famed Blanc). Continue reading →

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Bordeaux Begins: EU Austerity Drinking Tour: Day 91

Posted on January 13, 2014 by waywardwine

For 91 days my wife and I have drunk on a budget from New York to France. Finally, we reach Bordeaux: home to more of the most expensive, collectable wines than any region in the world (as well as many thin, cheap, ones). Here we can fulfill our dream, forged in the fire of the Advanced WSET exam. We will smell the soil, try the food, and revel in the wines of this unique terroir. And it’s my birthday.

The rub? My wife’s flu has hit with full force. The sniffles have also begun to muddle my mind, and worse, my palate.

So there we stand, inside one of the most posh tasting rooms bequeathed by Bacchus: Continue reading →

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Counting Down: How to Crack Champagne for New Year’s Eve

Posted on December 26, 2013 by waywardwine

The countdown begins. Eyes watch the ball drop. 3. 2. 1.

Corks crack open, impale an uncle, and flutes fill with Champagne. It disappears just as quickly. But between the hugs, huzzahs, resolutions, and regrets, you wonder: was that $40 plus bottle of Frenchness worth it?

It tasted fine. Maybe a bit tart, or a bit fruity, or a bit toasty. But memorable? Maybe it was too cold. Maybe the excitement distracted you. But we here at Wayward Wine blame New Year’s Eve. Continue reading →

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ENTRÉE PARIS 2: Versailles, Birthday, and a Bordeaux: EU Austerity Drinking Tour #41

Posted on September 26, 2013 by waywardwine

My wife and I wake to Paris at 7am, ready for her 31st birthday. I had planned everything, from the metro to a secret tour of Versailles: nothing less for a queen.

She whips up a glorious, casual breakfast of the frenchest of French Toasts (of course).

She then notices that my ipod still ticks in Ireland time: 45 minutes late. Last night’s shattered ceramic cat gets its revenge. Continue reading →

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DEPOSSESSED DRINK: WINE ON LOAN #MWWC3

Posted on September 23, 2013 by waywardwine

“Possession” provides the theme for September’s Monthly Wine Writing Challenge begun by The Drunken Cyclist.

Already, possession has revealed many astounding collections online: from old bottles, to 173 glasses, to German vineyard land laws.

For as many reasons as people, wine often leads to obsessive hoarding. We wine geeks splurge on rare, interesting, and expensive bottles. But when to open them? When will the window of drinkability close? Should we keep the experience to ourselves or share (and show off) to friends? Does one even “own”, let alone remember, a wine after drinking it? Continue reading →

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