Cotes du Rhone is the second largest appellation in France, exceeded only by Bordeaux. This massive wine producing region has over 44,000 hectares and 140,000 acres under vine. This adds up to over $100 million worth of wine production, every year. The largest buyers are from the UK, with France a close second. The Beginning of […]
Bordeaux wines meet up @ Bagatelle in Manhattan
For those who need to be seen, the go-to French Mediterranean restaurant in the Meatpacking district of Manhattan is Bagatelle. Gentlemen take note: The name means the “light courtship of a woman.” Designed and managed by French Aymeric Clemente & Remi Laba, this restaurant creates an atmosphere and menu that suggests the flavors of the […]
New Yorkers Discover French Roses
Picture this: It is a late on a summer afternoon; you are relaxing with friends on the terrace of your Manhattan penthouse. The weather is hot, humid, damp, rainy, definitely undesirable. What wine is the perfect selection for improving the mood? A French Rose! Not any French Rose… but the French Rose from Chateau de Berne (Provence) that […]
The Prosecco Selected by Trainer to the Stars and C-suite Executives
Question: Can you identify the wine that is low in sugar and calories and recommended by Shawn Benson, the trainer to the stars of stage and screen as well as road warrior executives? Answer: Prosecco! This bubbly white wine delivers only 80 calories (per 125 ml), fewer calories than a glass (125 ml) of red […]
Italy: Wines of Emilia-Romagna
Located in northern Italy, Emilia-Romagna is a prolific wine region covering more than 136,000 acres under vine (2010). The 15-mile area spans almost the entire width of the northern Italian peninsula and is located between Tuscany (to the south) Lombardy and Veneto (to the north) and the Adriatic Sea (to the east). This unique region […]
Spanish winery architect brings attention to Baigorri wines
There are wineries and then there is Baigorri (started in 2000), currently owned by Pedro Martinez Hernandez. This Rioja winery is an outstanding architectural achievement and engineering marvel, set in a beautiful landscape that creates the perfect environment for the production and enjoyment of world-class wines. Located between Logrono and Laguardia, in the town of […]
Spain’s secret: Txakoli wines
The first mention of Txakoli (pronounced cha-ko-lee) wines dates back to 1520. The wine was locally consumed and rarely enjoyed beyond Basque Country borders. Historically, home-made in baserris (Basque farm houses), it was considered low-quality wine, and frequently used as barter between neighbors. It was fermented in old oak barrels and carried with it a […]
Drink like a New Yorker
NY drinks NY wines: History and hybrids
New York Wines: Disaster in the Beginning Historians have documented the fact that grapes were first introduced to New York by the Dutch (1647-1664); sadly, the crops failed. A few years later, the French Huguenot settlers in Ulster County tried to plant European varietals (1667) and they too were unsuccessful. William Robert Prince (1795—1869) Finally, […]
It is wine time: Meet the new competition
The Association for the Promotion of Wines and Spirits in North America (APVSA), headquartered in Montreal, Canada, provides assistance to European wine and spirits producers who want to export their products – especially to North America. To reach this objective, the association schedules 6 tours per year primarily in the USA, Canadian and European markets. […]