French Cheese and Wine

Over the last (almost) 13 years I've covered a lot of topics here on Chez Loulou, and the one that I still love to talk about and am most passionate about is French cheese.
But lately cheese has been getting some competition.

My project to taste all the cheese slowly progresses and I continually nerd out with books like The Oxford Companion to Cheese and Mastering Cheese.
I always want to learn more, read more and eat more cheese.

Also, for the last few years I've had the incredible opportunity to offer a French cheese tasting workshop with Paris by Mouth. It is the highlight of my week and the most fun I ever imagined a job could be.



French cheese will always be my greatest love, but now I've fallen for something else.
I'm having a little fling with French wine.

(shhh....don't tell cheese)

Over the summer I enrolled in an intense, online French Wine Scholar certification program and I honestly had no idea what I was getting myself into. I thought that after 15 years in France, enjoying the regional wines and even living in a wine making region for 8 years, I would have a pretty solid base to work from. Well....



Now I wake up in the middle of the night and my mind automatically starts listing the principal villages of the Côte de Nuits from north to south and notes which ones have Grand Crus.
I spend time on the Métro memorizing the unusual grape varieties of SW France and remembering which grape dominates which area of Champagne. Terms like gneiss, semi-carbonic maceration, Portlandian marl and sur lie swirl around in my head. I have flash cards and a dozen highlighters.

I am in awe of how much there is to learn and just how much I didn't know. And it's so much fun! I mean, my brain hurts most of the time and I'm slightly terrified of the exam I have to take at the end, but wine is a fabulous subject to study.

Here's to my new love!



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La Conversation

Yesterday, totally out of the blue, my husband said to me, "honey, your idea that we should move to France was the best idea you've ever had."

I couldn't agree more.

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Photo du Jour - So Many Choices

An organic wine fair, the 18th annual Millésime Bio, kicked off In Montpellier on Monday, offering an impressive selection of wines from 12 different countries. I spotted producers from France (of course!), Spain, Egypt, Italy, Hungary, Austria, the US, Germany and Greece.
While making the rounds, the things that impressed me the most were the passion and the knowledge of the producers and the sophistication of their wines.

Of course we didn't have a chance to taste them all in just one day, so here are a few of the highlights: 
Erbaceo white wine and Selvato red from Puglia
The wines of Domaine Allegria and Château Pech Redon from the Languedoc-Roussillon
The Rieslings from the Domaine Bernhard Reibel in Alsace
A Saumur Blanc from the Domaine du Pas Saint Martin in the Loire Pin It

What is Your Favorite French Wine? The Twitterverse Responds

Twitter is one of my favorite ways to stay connected with real friends (those of whom, like me, can't resist constantly updating their status in 140 characters or less) and virtual "friends" who share links, recipes, thoughts, jokes, restaurant reviews, travel information and news.

From time to time I like to throw a question out into the Twitterverse and see what people have to say.
Last January I asked What Dish Says "France" to You? and in March I posed the question, If you were a French cheese, which one would you be?

Most recently I asked about your favorite French wines.  Here's how you answered;

doeif  Champagne for me, please! Closely followed by Bandol, Faugeres and Viognier...

LostNCheeseland I keep wanting to contribute to this but I barely drink so my idea of a good wine is one that is slightly sweet!

cowgirlchef  Champagne. Definitely.

gitesdirect  Florenbelle, a crisp citrussy white wine from the Gers, is my favourite

BarbraAustin Champagne!

veronicafrance  Chablis of course. Or Sancerre

pro_vence  always discovering new wines...  but I do like the Côtes du Rhône Beaumes de Venise (muscat, sweet for apéritif)

LaFranglaise dry and palest brick-orange rosés for me http://www.domainedusacrecoeur.com 1998 was just lovely & very local :)

petitfranceblog  I'm really into Bandol red lately, but it's a bit heavy in alcohol content, drinker beware :)

ormiga  if can cheat, #champagne; for coolest name+taste, #criotlebatard #montrachet; else #petrus 95=1fav

foodwinediarist  Much as I love Burgundy, a southern red would be the top wine for me - Bandol.

Stocius Gevrey-Chambertin.

Idreamoffrance Pinot Noir!

KirstenStroud champagne

 

TheLittleChef Mas De Daumas Gassac, Ch. Figeac (St. Emilion), or Chateau Suduiraut Sauternes. I just can't decide

Elisabeth850 Clairette de Die!

TheWineRules  Chateau Simone

  
WeekendInParis  I love #champagne of course & toured Vadin Plateau where I fell in love w/it in France. Gr8 price & gr8 taste!

cutestmidget oooooooh Gewürztraminer vendange tardive. without a doubt. pure decadence in a bottle.

spacedlawyer  Chambolle Musigny

LYNZINTHESUN  mine a crisp Sancerre or a pudding sweet Monbazillac as an aperitif with ice x

louloufrance Viognier or Muscat St Jean de Minervois

And my favorite Tweet: 
TheBoldSoul Champagne. Yesterday, today, and always.

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Château de Gourgazaud

Last night I took a sip of Chardonnay that knocked my socks off.

In the past, I was not, repeat not, a big fan of Chardonnay.  Too much butter, too much vanilla, often too oaky.  Like licking a strip of bark slathered in butter.

Then came my Chardonnay revelation in the form of a white Burgundy that was included in the Tour de France of Wine tasting at Ô Château in Paris. 
That Chardonnay was an entirely different creature, with its bright aromas of apple and almond, and hints of pineapple, tangerine and cream.  Nothing like the over-oaked abominations from California.

So I've happily sought out bottles of white Burgundy, all the while carefully avoiding any bottle that includes the words élevé en fût de chêne*.

Then the other day, thanks to a local vigneron and her family, I learned that oak barrel aged Chardonnay can be a sublime experience.

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Languedoc Cheese Course

Sometimes you just have one of those perfect days... Pin It

Summertime Sangria

Our local co-op sells Minervois rosé for the bargain price of €1.30 a liter.
We enjoy its thirst-quenching, refreshing qualities all summer long, and like to do all we can to support our local vignerons!

Husband recently decided that we should try to make Sangria with rosé instead of red so I happily mixed up this concoction late this morning and left it to sit and infuse in the fridge for a few hours. At lunchtime we poured ourselves a couple of icy cold glasses to taste.
What a wonderful flavor!
Tangy, not too sweet, invigorating and delicious. I'm so happy with the results!


Loulou's Summertime Sangria

• 1 bottle of dry rosé
• 1/4 cup Cognac* or brandy
• 2 lemons, cut into pieces
• 1 orange, cut into pieces
• 3-5 tablespoons sugar
  

Put all of the ingredients in a large pitcher and stir until the sugar dissolves. Taste and add more sugar if you like your Sangria a bit sweeter.
Leave in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight to allow the flavors to blend.
Serve over ice.

¡Salud!

*no need to use your best Cognac for this recipe

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Photo du Jour - Minervois Wine

La Livinière's winemakers hosted a great wine and tapas evening last night.

In addition to wine, charcuterie, moules frites and duck breast sandwiches (not exactly my definition of tapas, but we're in France, not Spain, so I guess it's more loosely defined) the evening offered live music by a very traditional brass band and a separate dance floor complete with a modern, Mararena-playing DJ and flashing disco lights.

Not a bad way to spend a Saturday night. Pin It

Photo du Jour - Wine in a Can?

Forget your Coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew or Fresca.
Who needs Coors, Fosters or Heinekin.
Now there's WINE IN A CAN!

Yes, good ol' vin de pays d'oc red or rosé. In a can. Only 85 euro cents each. Pin It