05
Feb
2013
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Category: On the Road with the Grape Guy
When I first heard of “Growers Champagne” I thought the Apple Cider company from BC was branching out. But then it was explained to me that Growers Champagne is just what it sounds like – Champagne (from the actual region in France) made by the actual growers themselves, instead of the large Champagne houses … these “growers” aren’t looking for consistency in the bottle from year-to-year, they want the difference of each vintage to shine through, as well as the characteristics of their own vineyard to show in the glass. According to Stephen Cohen, owner of Groupe Soleil – an Ontario wine agent specializing in these Champagnes, there are over 5000 of these growers Champagnes being made and many are organic and biodynamic. Groupe Soleil usually has 20-30 different kinds at any one time but in very small amounts.
Today we tried 6 of these particular bubblies – four of them are reviewed below: (to read about the four wines reviewed, click here)
To read about more interesting adventures thru the world of wine check out the On the Road With the Grape Guy blog.
04
Feb
2013
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Category: On the Road with the Grape Guy
There are times you get invited to tastings of wines you have never heard of. It’s easy to say yes to the Latours, Bouchards, Masis and Frescobaldis of the world, but when you hear a name like Abbotts & Delaunay from the Languedoc (Southern France) you wonder if it’s worth your time – afterall there are only so many hours in a day. You think I’m being egotistical, but every wine writer worth his salt thinks the same way … but, and this is the determining factor: every wine writer is also a very curious sort, and the chance to try something new pulls on his or her heart strings even more than the timing-factor pulls against. Which was why I find myself at the table today at the ex-Jamie Kennedy establishment now just called Wine Bar.
Many will remember, or think of the Languedoc-Rousillon region as the bulk wine ghetto of France – and that was true years ago … but as they say, that was then, this is now. These days the Languedoc-Rousillon is changing its image, producing first class wines at very reasonable prices – and that truly is the key … the price of Languedoc wines are, for lack of a better term, “cheap” (I know my mom hates when I use that term) compared to the quality in the bottle.
The story of Abbotts & Delaunay is not your typical one... (to read about the wines tasted click here)
To read about more interesting adventures thru the world of wine check out the On the Road With the Grape Guy blog.
