France Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Dr. Liz Thach, MW

Antique Chenin Blanc Vines in the Loire Valley at Plou & Fils Winery

80 year old chenin blanc vine (Monday, May 19, 2014) Our next stop was a small family winery called Plou & Fils that was located in the Amboise AOC. Started in 1508, the vineyard and winery had been passed down the generations to the current general manager and enologist, Matua. He was tall, energetic, in his early 30’s, and with a great sense of humor. He beckoned for all 31 of us to follow him up a small dirt trail to the top of a hill where their vineyards were situated. As we were walking towards an amazing vineyard of ancient gnarled vines, [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T15:07:31-08:00December 31, 2014|

Snapshot of Loire Valley Wine Statistics

Castle in the Loire Valley The Loire Valley is about a 1.5 hour drive south of Paris and stretches 800 km (approx. 500 miles) from the east in Sancerre to the Atlantic Ocean. It is the longest wine region in France. With a continental climate, the vineyards are greatly influenced by the effect of the Loire River and the Atlantic. They have a special soil called “tufa”, which is a type of soft yellow limestone. Many of the castles and caves of Loire are made from this stone, and it can be found in many vineyards along with some clay [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T15:18:05-08:00December 25, 2014|

Tasting Champagne at Krug in Reims, France

After lunch in Reims at a small sidewalk cafe where I had a fresh green salad with huge slabs of foie gras, we went to the House of Krug, which is located on the outskirts of the downtown area. Though not an official tasting room, we were received with warm cordiality by Julie and Mylene, both in charge of Hospitality and Public Relations. Our delegation was divided into two smaller groups and we were escorted through the cellars where we saw the barrels in which Krug ferments the base wine before transferring to stainless steel tanks to finish. Next the [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T15:19:27-08:00September 5, 2014|

Visiting the Champagne Region – the CIVC and Domaine Gatinois

Today was a fairytale day filled with multiple glasses of exquisite Champagne. Our bus departed Paris at 7am and we arrive in Epernay for a visit and tasting at the CIVC. It was extremely informative, and we learned of the huge trademark protection issues the Champagne brand battles around the world. This concluded with a delicious glass of 2004 Moet & Chandon. Next we walked down the street for the mandatory photo with Dom Perignon’s statue before driving to Ay. This small village is world-renown for it’s Grand Cru status and perfumed pinot noir. We were honored to meet with [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T15:19:50-08:00September 5, 2014|

Back in Paris – Visiting the Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral

How exciting to be back in France again! This time for a two-week wine tour with 28 of my wine business students from Sonoma State University. Our non-stop Air France flight from San Francisco touched down in Paris right on schedule at 11:40am, and we were able to clear passport control, find our luggage and pass through customs with no problems. Francy, our tour guide, was waiting to greet us, and ushered us onto a large comfortable tour bus. It was a clear blue-sky day, and even though the temperature was only 63 F, the bright sunlight made it feel [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T15:20:14-08:00September 5, 2014|

Charming Collioure France: Banyuls Wines & La Balette Restaurant

June 2012 - We have rented an apartment for a week in the seaside town of Collioure in the far southwestern region of France only 20 kilometers from the Spanish border. I visited here once before 15 years ago and fell in love with the charming little village with its calm bay surrounded by church, tower, chateau and stone seawalls. It has narrow streets with houses and stores painted in pastel colors and flowers are everywhere. It is the place where many famous painters came to paint including Matisse, Picasso, and Derain. In addition to sunbathing on the pebbly beaches [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T20:45:08-08:00June 21, 2012|

Moseying Around Monbazillac – a Mini Sauternes

June 15, 2011 – On Wednesday morning we had a lazy breakfast, then packed and cleaned our apartment before checking out. We headed towards Bergerac and the Monbazillac AOC which was only a 30 minute drive from Le Bugue. On the way we passed an amazing site of over 100 white swans on the Dordogne River. We stopped to take photos and marvel at their beauty. They appeared to be feeding in the river, and were in a section that was covered with the tiny white flowers that grace the river in such an exotic fashion. An artist was sitting [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T20:47:53-08:00June 29, 2011|

The Wines of Bergerac – A Mini-Bordeaux

During the four delightful days we spent in the Dordogne, the main wine region represented in every restaurant was Bergerac. Each “verre de vin blanc, rouge, or rose” we ordered was always from a Bergerac appellation, but since the 13 AOC’s in the Bergerac region are part of the department of the Dordogne, that makes sense. Before leaving home, I checked my wine atlas to verify the types of grapes allowed in Bergerac wines, and they are identical to Bordeaux – for the most part. Bergerac reds are a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and cabernet franc (Bordeaux is also [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T20:48:14-08:00June 29, 2011|

Delightful Dordogne – Land of Foie Gras, Truffles, Medieval Cities, Castles and Caves

June 12 – 15 – We departed Bordeaux around 10am on Sunday morning taking the toll way to the Montignac exit – one of the entry points to the Dordogne region. We arrived just before noon and were completely enchanted with the charming little town decorated with flower streamers above the streets. We found a quaint restaurant with outdoor tables along the river, and proceeded to order a foie gras salad and a half a carafe of Bergerac Blanc – made primarily of sauvignon blanc and muscadelle. After lunch we wandered around the town and found an ice cream shop [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T20:48:53-08:00June 29, 2011|