Undergound Wine Tasting
Posted: 06/13/2010 Filed under: Wine, Wine Pairings | Tags: Cave de la Grande Brosse, Loire Valley, Pairings, Philippe Oudin, Touraine, Wine Leave a comment »
Situated deep underground, through what seems like a labyrinth of underground tunnels, is the Cave de la Grande Brosse. This cave, at the entry to the Sologne and between the Loire and Cher rivers, is surrounded by the châteaux of the Loire Valley. The surrounding fields are green and sunny; however, be prepared, for even on the hottest of summer days, the cave that stores the wine and serves as host for the wine tastings stays nice and cold (perfect for storing wine). I wasn’t at all prepared for the drastic temperature change once we started our way down the long path of the cellar, but the warm welcome by winemaker Philippe Oudin helped me forget all about the chill. At the bottom of the cave there is a long reception hall with a large fireplace carved into the stone. It was there, nestled close to the fire, that we began the wine tasting. Read the rest of this entry »
Cheverny Revisted: Domaine de Veilloux
Posted: 06/09/2010 Filed under: Wine, Wine Pairings | Tags: cheverny, France, Pairings, Tintin, Wine Leave a comment »When I think of Cheverny, I think of Tintin and wine. Right in the heart of cheverny is the Tintin castle, or rather the château that inspired the residence of this beloved character. The Château de Cheverny, owned by the Hurault family for more than six generations, is magnificent and full of interesting history. We went on a raining day, but that didn’t seem to bother anyone since the interior, filled with lots of art and antiques, was just as interesting as the outside gardens. Although the chiens de chasse or hunting dogs where definitely the highlight of the trip.
Cheese and White Wine
Posted: 05/27/2010 Filed under: Gastronomy, Wine Pairings | Tags: France, goat cheese, Loire Valley, White Wine, wine pairing 1 Comment »The Cheese
When I got my position teaching English in Blois (a town that my friends back in the States still can’t pronounce), I had no idea how lucky I was. It isn’t because I love the quiet promenades through the medieval pathways, nor the romantic castle with a “secret room,” rather it’s the cheese! (the wine’s not too bad either)
Before moving to the Loire Valley I never truly appreciated the delicacy of goat cheese, or chèvre as the French call it. Chèvre means goat in French, but it gets more complicated than that. There is a multitude of chèvres, each with their distinct story and taste. My personal favorite, however, has become Selles-sur-Cher.
Selles-sur-Cher is an artisan goat’s milk cheese that is fabricated in the village of Selles-sur-Cher (Cher being the neighboring river), right in the middle of France. You can find this cheese made from both lait cru (raw milk) and pasteurized milk, but I have a personal preference for the raw version. The outside is coated with a thin layer of wood ash, giving it a blue-gray color. As the cheese ages, molds grow under the ash, and the soft paste becomes firmer, bringing out the full flavors. The taste is earthy and fresh, not overly salty, but buttery and with a hint of pepper and mushroom. Read the rest of this entry »
Wine Club Tasting
Posted: 07/19/2010 | Author: simmerandsip | Filed under: Wine, Wine Pairings | Tags: Comments, France, Tastings, Wine | Leave a comment »Once a week, a wine club meets in Cheverny under the direction of Christine Louet, oenologue and winemaker of Domaine du Vivier. Christine Louet is a wonderful women, and extremely knowledgeable about wine. Small and energetic, she teaches her “students” with passion and understanding. Many people begin coming to her club barely knowing the difference between red and white wine, but, by the end, they can discern the aromas and talk about the different wine regions. A few weeks ago, the group met for the last meeting of the year, and, thanks to a mutual friend, I was able to join them for the last tasting. The wines we tasted were French wines, but all of them from different regions. All of them great wines, but some more suited to my taste than others. Here’s a short resume of what we tasted…