For the careful shopper, the Languedoc can be an abundant resource. Long deserving its reputation for mediocrity, the region has only recently become a source of value. There’s still plenty of bad wine made in the vast region, but if you make good choices, $16 will take you farther here than just about anywhere else.
In our fast-paced and impatient world, cellaring wine has become rare. Not all wines are meant to age, and indeed the wine world’s style continues to shift toward early maturity. But for wine that is built to be cellared, the transformation by bottle aging is nothing short of magic. Today we’re suggesting 2012 Morey-St-Denis 1er […]
The weather has finally turned colder here in Boston. And though we enjoy the rosés and Muscadets of summer, we’re excited for the contents of our glasses to turn darker and richer.
Gevrey-Chambertin is at the bold, masculine end of the red Burgundy spectrum. Gevreys are still complex, beautiful Pinot Noir, but they show a rugged richness that makes them meatier than most of their neighbors.
We’ve collected four reds that are dark, woodsy, and full of character. Think of this as pulling out that box of wool sweaters from the closet -- you’re not quite ready to wear them yet, but now they’ll be there when you are.
The best values in Burgundy are often the simplest wines from top producers. Most vignerons make their Bourgogne-level wines with the same care and precision as their top cuvées, and the cost remains a fraction of the famous names.
We’re not sure what the temperature is where you live, but chez nous it’s hot and humid. Across the pond the Burgundians are sweating it out too, with temperatures in Beaune reaching 100 degrees this week. Wherever you are, we hope you have air conditioning and a fridge full of something chilled.
Burgundies span a wide range of prices. We try to find values at every level, from simple, everyday house wines to ageworthy Grand Cru trophy bottles. Today we’ve collected two new samplers: white and red Burgundies under $40/bot.
If you have trouble finding Saint-Péray on a map, you’re not alone. The tiny Northern Rhône appellation is tucked just south of Cornas on the Rhône River, and covers only three tenths of a square mile. But Vinous’s Josh Raynolds calls it “currently the most exciting appellation in the northern Rhône Valley.”
If Sancerre had a grand cru vineyard, it would be the Monts Damnées. This most famous of Sancerre’s terroirs abuts the hamlet of Chavignol west of the town. Sancerre produces popular wine from every corner of its appellation, but the hillside of the Monts Damnées is special.
The Loire Valley is a pastoral land of magnificent chateaux and humble goat cheese makers. The range of wines across its 250 mile expanse is just as dramatic: sparkling and still, dry and sweet, and everything from almost-clear Muscadet to deep purple Chinon. There’s a wine here for every palate. For this case we’ve selected […]
We think summer wines should be refreshing, affordable, and served cool. Usually this means whites, and we’re thrilled about the new Sancerres we added to our site yesterday. But sometimes the menu or the moment calls for a red.
The French have a long tradition of eating outdoors. From harvest tables in Burgundy to breezy rooftops in Paris, a French meal en plein air is full of beguiling aromas, clinking glasses, and hearty laughter. In France and at home we like to eat sur terrace, and we find that wine (and really food in general) tastes better outside, with…
Oysters are a common sight at French markets. Huitres are a natural pairing for wine, in both the gustatory and philosophical senses. Just like wine, they’re an expression of terroir (or merrior, if you like) whose character changes with their origin. And in matters gustatory, well, it’s a match made in heaven.
We often joke that inhabitants of the Beaujolais consider themselves Burgundian, but that the rest of Burgundy isn’t quite as sure. And while differences between the two halves abound -- grape varietal, soil type, landscape, etc. -- they share a tradition and style as well.