Tag Archives: Cabernet Franc

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 →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Bordeaux, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cheval Blanc, Cheval Noir, Mähler-Besse, merlot, Negociant, Petrus, Saint-Émilion, Sideways | 2 Comments

Open Doors in Graves: Château Pont de Brion Bordeaux Deconstructed

Posted on January 20, 2014 by waywardwine

Day 93 of EU Austerity Drinking finds us sick, stuck in bed, in Bordeaux, and worst of all, completely sober.

But “Portes Ouvertes dans les Graves” is happening. Basically, free buses will carry us from one free winery tour and tasting to the next, until we have soaked in all that Graves has to offer.

So I drag my flu-riddled wife out of bed. We miss the first train, after hacking and coughing our way to the station. We catch our breath, and hop on the next. While we chug out of Bordeaux, here’s some context.

Graves is a subregion of Bordeaux. It covers vineyards that surround the city and run South along the Garonne River’s left bank. Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Château Pont de Brion Bordeaux, gravel, Graves, merlot, Petit Verdot, Sauvignon blanc, Semillon, wine | 6 Comments

Saumur Puy-Notre-Dame: New Wine Kid on the Block

Posted on January 6, 2014 by waywardwine

Day 91 of our EU Austerity Drinking Tour sees us leaving Nantes and the Loire. But before Bordeaux, we toast to this river ribbon of viticulture one last time.

Since this is an Austerity Drinking Tour, walking, public transport, and home-stays have helped us save money for drinking. Free tastings at Nantes’ Maison des Vins de Loire helped us visit over twenty wineries that only a pricy rental could. Of those, three came home with us.

It is our last day. Heavy rains and my wife’s emerging flu keep us in our cosy, colorful basement. Between packing, I create an advanced wine-chiller and put it outside: Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Anjou, Cabernet Franc, chenin blanc, France, Loire, Moulin de Chauvigné, Saumur Puy-Notre-Dame, Savenniéres, wine | Leave a comment

Nantes, Muscadet, and the vines of Sevre et Maine: EU Austerity Drinking Tour #51

Posted on December 2, 2013 by waywardwine

86 days into our EU Austerity Drinking Tour, we leave Tours for Nantes: port of entry into France’s Loire River.

We pass the lovely hills of Saumur and Chinon: famed for cabernet franc.

Then the miserable, industrial Angers flattens before us: a wine region overstretched to countless styles, including the derided Rosé d’Anjou.

But finally our train stops in magnificent Nantes.

Yes. Nantes has castles, chocolate shops, and museums: very French but very Brittany. Really though, Nantes, in a nutshell, is Syfy’s town of Eureka. Jules Verne was born here. Industrial cranes and factories pop up everywhere. The city boasts more trams, buses, trains, and bike-shares than needed. They have a whole, magnificent island dedicated to steam-punk machines: Continue reading →

Posted in Loire, WINERIES WANDERED | Tagged Angers, Anjou, Anjou wine, Brittany, Cabernet Franc, Chinon, European Union, France, Jules Verne, Loire, Melon de Bourgogne, Muscadet, Nantes, Saumur | 3 Comments

Wine Tour Made Easy: Maison des Vins de Loire de Tours, France: EU Austerity Drinking Tour #49

Posted on November 18, 2013 by waywardwine

This Monday’s EU Austerity Drinking Tour takes us on a whirlwind wine tour of the Loire…indoors.

Last Monday’s postcard post saw a sun-drenched bike ride.

But, back in Tours, while enjoying its centuries-old city center…

The clouds open, drench, and, drive us…well…into a bottle shop (surprise!):

Maison des Vins de Loire de Tours. A group of winemakers and negociants wanted to educate visitors about the Loire’s many wines, grapes, and regions. So they set up tasting rooms in Tours, Saumur, Nantes, and Angers.

Yes, it’s for tourists. But mostly locals popped in: partly out of pride, partly because the prices are low.

Overwhelmed by their range, hospitality, and knowledge, we visit it twice. Here are some highlights: Continue reading →