Canada Wine Tasting Trip

The Art of Spitting!

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Here are some shots from our recent trip to Canada, they have have so much to offer – you can learn more here, you can participate in a wine tasting event. We also took a trip up t Valley to visit some of the fine vineyards in this region.
On a recent trip to the beautiful Vinho Verde region of Portugal, I learned that there is a lot more to the white wines of this renowned appellation. I discovered that in addition to the rolling green hills, fantastic food and friendly people, the white wines of Vinho Verde have much to offer for the money.
Sometimes, we in the wine world are so focused on the latest and greatest cult wine or hottest new trend in wine, that we forget about wines with genuine pedigree and history. Wines that deserve more attention and praise than they often receive. Such is the case with the incredibly classic and consistent wines of Robert Mondavi in Napa Valley.
In America, the Fourth of July celebrates the anniversary of the day we declared our independence from
Great Britain. In France, July 14th celebrates the historic day the oppressed citizens of France stormed
the Bastille – a prison and citadel that stood as a symbol of the hypocrisy and corruption of the
aristocratic government – and declared their independence from the repressive rule of King Louis XVI.
The French recognize Bastille Day as the end of the monarchy and beginning of the modern republic.
Taking a page out of the newly minted American government, the French celebrated their freedom from
patrician rule and embraced the belief that the right to govern should be organized by ordinary citizens
and not the King.
Today, Parisians celebrate Bastille Day as a national holiday with a grand military parade up the Champs
Elysées, colorful arts festivals, and raucous parties. Hmmm, sounds familiar. So, in solidarity, I am
dedicating this week’s Wine of the Week to drinking French wine in honor of our Bastille Day. Time to
storm the cellar and uncork a bottle of French wine! And not just any French wine, but specifically wines
from one of the most prolific and prominent wine families in all of France; E. Guigal.
I love rosé wines in the summer (and fall, winter and spring). The 2015 E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône Rosé is
an exceptional example of the quality and value that can be found in the Rhone Valley. It is a beautifully
structured, dry rosé bursting with flavors of red raspberry, strawberry and watermelon in the mouth.
The long finish is bright and refreshing, buoyed by intriguing hints of Provencal herbs and notable
minerality. According to several winemakers in the region, the 2015 vintage is one of the best vintages
in half a century. $15 for a piece de resistance.