You’re a savvy wine country traveler. You have been to the Napa Valley and Sonoma on your own several times. Now you are ready to explore the Bordeaux wine country of France. Let me assure you that your best choice is to hire a driver for your visits to wineries. Bordeaux is a vastly different … Read more
A visit to Château Smith Haut Lafitte in Graves For our third and fourth visits to wineries in Bordeaux, we move to the southern area of Bordeaux to Graves. Today we visit a most charming and friendly winery, Château Smith Haut Lafitte. Upon our arrival, a cordial man opens the door for us and welcomes … Read more
Visits to this grand Chateau are difficult to make. Are you a customer of a fine wine shop in your area that sells Chateau Margaux? It is possible that the proprietor may be able to make a request on your behalf to arrange a visit for you. This is how we managed a visit to … Read more
When is a sparkling wine from the Loire not a Crémant? This is not a Crémant as one might expect of sparkling wines from the Loire Valley. This is a natural sparkling wine made by Domain de Veilloux winemaker Arnaud Quenioux in the AOC of Cheverny and near the village of Chitenay. A Crémant is … Read more
Just outside of the town Caune-Minervois, where we are staying in the South of France, is one of the best known and most famous wineries in the Minervois wine region of the Languedoc. It is Chateau Villerambert-Julien and indeed it is one of the most spectacular wineries we have visited on our current wine country … Read more
The name of the house is Collard-Picard and is located in the village of Villers sous Chatillon. Olivier Collard is the winemaker and his wife Caroline Picard runs the PR side of the business. Both Olivier and Caroline come from families who have been renowned grape growers in Champagne for years.