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Northward along the Rhône...

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Four Ways

In 1895, at age 56 impressionist painter Paul Cezanne had his first solo show in Paris. His 150 paintings were a revelation to artists and collectors, and the show secured his place as a leading artist of his time. But despite his first real commercial success, Cezanne returned south to live out his final decade in his beloved Provence.

The towns of Volnay and Pommard are the two finest red wine towns in Burgundy’s Côte de Beaune. Hugh Johnson describes Volnay as “fragrant and ethereal,” Pommard as “dark” and “potent.” Together they’re a perfect example of the power of Burgundian terroir: they share a border and the towns themselves are less than a mile apart, but their identifying characteristics…

Ansonia Weekly Video Update: March 28 SAINT CLAIR Crozes-Hermitage "Etincelle" 2015 FOULAQUIER Violetta 2015 MIXED CASE: Grenache Sampler THOMAS St-Aubin 2015

The wine regions of France are enormous and diverse. The wide range of styles, grapes, and and traditions produces a staggering variety of wines. That offers enough diversity to keep us busy for years, and in some regions we feel as though we have barely scratched the surface.

VIDEO UPDATE: March 21, 2017 LAFONT MENAUT Pessac-Leognan red 2014 BOURÉE Bourgogne rouge 2015 BELLAND Santenay 1er cru blanc 2014 POGGERINO Labirinto 2015

VIDEO UPDATE: March 14, 2017 BARDOUX Champagne NV BELLAND Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru 2014 MIXED CASE: Northern Rhône Sampler DESVIGNES Givry 2014

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, $13 will take you farther here than just about anywhere else.

VIDEO UPDATE: March 8, 2017 COLLET Chablis 1er cru 2015 GROS Fontaine-St-Martin red 2014 BAGATELLE Tradition 2014 BOYER-MARTENOT Meursault 2014

The impossibly steep hillsides of the Côte Rôtie seem like the last place in the world to grow vines. With slopes reaching 60 degrees in places, all field work — planting, pruning, treating, harvesting — must be done entirely by hand. Every time we visit we wonder aloud what on earth would drive people to plant vines here.

Ever since one half of the Ansonia team relocated to the coast of Maine, our collective fish and shellfish consumption has risen rapidly. With fresh catches rolling in daily, it’s hard to avoid the stuff -- and who would want to? Of course our white wine consumption has spiked as well, and we keep a handful of favorites at the…

VIDEO UPDATE: March 1, 2017 PRUNIER Bourgogne 2014 BOYER-MARTENOT Aligoté 2015 MIXED CASE: White Wines for Fish BONNEFOND Côte Rôtie “Rozier” 2014

Winter in Harpswell has its own rhythm. Up and down the Sound the boats are gone and the docks hauled up. The front yards of lobstermen hold mountains of empty traps. Ospreys and Eiders have left for warmer weather, leaving the Bald Eagle and the Buffleheads behind. Our experiment in aquaculture...