” ‘Down here in Aube, we used to be called ‘the bad boys of Champagne’ ‘ says Bertrand Gautherot, winemaker and owner of Vouette & Sorbée. “But not anymore,” he adds, smiling broadly. Actually, there is no time for either tasting or visits, work in the vineyards must be prioritized, said Bertrand at my initial […]
Tag Archives | France
Champagne: grower champagnes and house champagnes, is there any difference? | wine tour
Grower champagnes and house champagnes. Is one better than the other? You can decide that for yourself in Champagne in September. We will visit both small growers, smaller houses and larger houses. There are, of course, lovely champagnes from producers of all sizes. Sometimes you choose a growers’ champagne because it feels like a more […]
Favourite Bordeaux Restaurants And Wine Bars | Britt on Forbes
Bordeaux is definitely worth visiting, even if you are not a wine fanatic. Lately, we have discovered some very interesting restaurants and wine bars. So even if you are out touring the chateaux and the vineyards during the day, you will have no problem finding somewhere to spend your evenings. Read more on Britt’s article […]
Bordeaux, April 15-19, 2020
Bordeaux, a classic wine tour destination! Luxurious châteaux and ambitious winemakers! — In Bordeaux you find world famous châteaux and world-famous wines but also a lot of new exciting initiatives – less famous but maybe more important for the future of Bordeaux! – and young enthusiastic wine makers. On this trip we will visit both […]
Champagne, September 16-20, 2020
Champagne wine tour: luxury and gastronomy on the highest level — Nothing else in the world of wine brings out the festive feeling as champagne does. But on this wine tour we will discover that champagne is so much more than a drink just for celebrations. It is above all a very exclusive and delicious […]
Bordeaux, September 30 – October 4, 2020
Bordeaux, a classic wine tour destination! Luxurious châteaux and ambitious winemakers! — In Bordeaux you find world famous châteaux and world-famous wines but also a lot of new exciting initiatives – less famous but maybe more important for the future of Bordeaux! – and young enthusiastic wine makers. On this trip we will visit both […]
Champagne should be served in the right glasses | wine tour
If you order a glass of champagne in France, you often ask for “une coupe de champagne”. A coupe is – in principle – the big champagne glass, shaped like a flat bowl and pretty hopeless to drink from. It was popular in the old days but actually it has made a small comeback. But […]
Champagne stories and history enhances the wine experience | wine tour
About 2 billion bottles of sparkling wine are produced in the world each year. Champagne accounts for 15% of this volume. The demand for bubbles has increased by 30% in ten years and it shows no sign of slowing down. Champagne’s competitors are getting better and better. But we definitely believe that Champagne will retain […]
Three generations of pioneers at Champagne J Lassalle | Britt on Forbes
Champagne J. Lassalle started to export to the United States already in the 1970s. It was one of the first independent Champagne growers to be sold in the US. Today, a big part of the family’s production goes to the US market. The estate is run by Angéline Templier and her mother Chantal Lassalle. Grandmother […]
Exceptional champagnes from small growers give you more bang for the buck
There are around 3000 small champagne producers, growers and similar, but only about 300 so-called “houses”. The “houses” are the big, well-known brands but it is mainly among the others, the small producers that you today find the most exciting champagnes. The market is of course dominated by the marketing-driven big and famous brands but […]
“No thanks, not Chardonnay, but yes please, a glass of chablis”
The wine producers in Chablis love the Swedes and the Swedes love Chablis. So it is. Eight percent of the production in Chablis is gobbled up in a Swedish home, in the sailboat, on the beach or on a picnic. Although the wine producer himself may have a moderate interest in geography, Sweden, thanks to […]
Enjoy exclusive wines and top-class gastronomy | wine tour to Bordeaux
In a way it is strange. Bordeaux is not really known for any gastronomic specialties. Well, yes, there are oysters from Arcachon, Pauillac lamb and grilled entrecote. But still, it is a fairly modest, and not very original, collection of “typical” dishes. What makes it even stranger is that it is probably in Bordeaux that […]
The unknown side of Champagne is the best side | wine tour
Champagne is not just the famous “houses”. Champagne is above all the small producers who make wine with passion and enthusiasm. The two largest (world famous) producers make 30 and 12 million bottles annually. Large-scale. That is one of the reasons why, on our travel program, we mainly have producers that you might not be […]
Prestige chateaux and family vineyards in Bordeaux | wine tour
On the Bordeaux wine tour we will visit Medoc, Saint Emilion, Sauternes and other famous appellations. You will see some luxurious show-piece chateau but also “the real” Bordeaux where a family runs the vineyard and live in the so-called chateau. The harvest is either in full swing or has just finished so there will be […]
Champagne is prestige but also magnificent wines | wine tour
People all over the world drink more and more sparkling wine. Everything is not champagne, far from it. Champagne accounts for 15% of the volume but 40% of the value. Champagne is prestige, champagne has a special aura, and why it is so you will understand better when you are there. We will taste many […]
Prestige chateaux and family vineyards in Bordeaux | wine tour
Touring Bordeaux is something a wine lover must do at least once. During the tour we will visit grand and well-known prestige chateaux, but also smaller family producers. We will have gastronomic lunches at chateaux with matching wines, sometimes older vintages. Our wine tour lunches are famous. This is a golden opportunity to discover or […]
Champagne, small growers and big houses | wine tour
You want to buy a bottle of champagne from a small grower? Look for the letters RM on the bottle, often in small print, very small. RM means récoltant-manipulant in French and this indicates that the producer has used only his own grapes and has produced the champagne in his own winery. We like to […]
Gastronomic surprises in Bordeaux | wine tour
The food in Bordeaux offers some surprises. Did you know, for example, that the most popular cheese in Bordeaux is brébis des pyrénées, a sheep cheese from the Pyrenees? And that this is the only cheese in France that you serve with jam? (No, it is not really customary to serve something sweet, jelly or […]
Champagne, the real thing | wine tour
Does “real Champagne” exist? No! Either it is Champagne or it is not. There are many sparkling wines in the world but only one that comes from the region of Champagne. And nothing else can be called Champagne. But it used to be common practice that whenever people drank wine with bubbles, they drank “Champagne”, […]
A new champagne house aims for the premium segment, Frerejean Frères
Starting a brand new champagne house is probably not easy. The process to make champagne is very outdrawn, with substantial capital costs, and there’s a fierce competition with high-budget marketing. But the brothers Guillaume, Rodolphe and Richard Frerejean took the challenge. In 2005 they founded the house Champagne Frerejean Frères and they have managed to […]
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