Tag Archives: France

Last Tango in Paris: Saint-Chinian red blend, Saint Joseph Syrah, and the Paris Opera

Posted on December 28, 2015 by waywardwine

This is the end. Our seven month, thirteen country EU Austerity Drinking Tour finally, achingly, grinds to a halt. 188 days of tasting Europe’s best value wine, whiskey, and beer has trialed our sanity, budget, and marriage.

But today the SNCF takes us from Reims, Champagne to Paris: Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Blind tasting, drink, Food, France, Opera, Paris, Paris Opera, Saint Chinian, Syrah, travel, wine | 3 Comments

Taittinger Champagne Caves

Posted on December 14, 2015 by waywardwine

Wayward Wine’s tour of Champagne continues after last Monday’s post (read here).

Today we leave the frozen tundra of Reims above for the subterranean caves that turn wine into fizzy, magical Champagne.

Our hosts recommended we reserve a tour of the caves of
Taittinger: a producer we love. So we cross town, trudge uphill, and find the unassuming complex: Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Champagne, Food, France, Reims, taittinger, travel, wine | 3 Comments

Champagne 1: The City of Reims France

Posted on December 7, 2015 by waywardwine

Champagne. We cannot end our seven month, thirteen country EU Austerity Drinking Tour without stopping in Champagne. The beer in the Czech Republic, Germany, Holland, & Belgium have revolutionized our thinking.

However, Champagne is Champagne. My wife dropped her Diet Coke habit for Champagne. No other region manages to make a product as expensive, iconic, and controversial as Champagne. So, goodbye Amiens. Hello Reims! Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Chalk, Champagne, France, Reims, rome, Savart, travel | 5 Comments

Amiens France: Somme, Mimolette Cheese, Jules Verne, Cathedral and Pilfered Bordeaux

Posted on November 30, 2015 by waywardwine

Wayward Wine leaves Lille for Amiens. This is industrial Northern France, where your le Creuset pots come from. Soon our public transport crawl will reach Champagne. But for today we explore this snow-bound spot. Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Amiens, Cheese, Food, France, Jules Verne, mimolette, The Somme, travel, wine, World War, WWI | Leave a comment

Return to France: Lille: Home of Flanders Beer and Foie Gras Macarons?

Posted on November 23, 2015 by waywardwine

183 days have passed. 13 countries have been conquered. Beer has dominated our EU Austerity Drinking Tour for months. Sure, Belgian and Dutch beer shocked us into appreciation of how fine beer can be. But finally, we step foot back into France: home of wine. Champagne, that fizzy light at the end of this trip’s tunnel is in sight. Continue reading →