Category Archives: FRANCE

Bubbles For New Year’s Eve—England ‘n’ France, Sparkles ‘n’ Spats

Posted on December 31, 2011 by intoxreport

Little known Champagne fact:  Dom Perignon did not say, “I’m drinking stars,” he said, “I’m seeing stars” after being clubbed over the head by a British arquebus. Verily, there’s been little love lost between France and England over the centuries, … Continue reading →

Posted in Champagne, ENGLAND, FRANCE, GENERAL | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Planet Bordeaux: Bord In The U.S.A

Posted on November 23, 2011 by intoxreport

Time was, the vignerons of Bordeaux thought that the wine world revolved around them.  Is this where Planet Bordeaux is coming from? Granted, they are in the market to push the Département Gironde, and their splashy and convivial website (planet-bordeaux.com) … Continue reading →

Posted in Bordeaux, Cab/Merlot, FRANCE | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Beaujolais Nouveau Est Blasé! But Still Okay…

Posted on November 16, 2011 by intoxreport

Forget that it’s essentially grape-flavored alcohol juice.  Ignore the ten crus in the appellation that are by far superior.  Disregard the fact that it occupies lowest rung on the Burgundy ladder.  It’s time to pull out the stops along with … Continue reading →

Posted in Beaujolais, FRANCE, Gamay, Gamay | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The House of Wine Awards, 2011: Amy

Posted on November 6, 2011 by intoxreport

When your ten-year-old asks you what ‘irony’ means, here’s what you tell her: “Amy Winehouse will go down in history for giving detox a bad name…” The July death of the twenty-something drugstress—who may have been on the rock-ravaged road … Continue reading →

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Gustatory Gascony: France’s Hidden Heartland

Posted on October 20, 2011 by intoxreport

Apparently, thanks to yet another mediocre film adaptation, there’s going to be a brief resurgence of interest in The Three Musketeers, so here’s a useless bit of trivia:  d’Artagnan was a real guy. Charles Ogier de Batz de Castelmore, Comte … Continue reading →

Posted in Gascony | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Château Simard, 1999: The Right Bank’s Right Stuff

Posted on September 6, 2011 by intoxreport

If you still find some latent gratification in partying like it’s 1999, at least pour a 1999. Along with Pauillac, Margaux and Saint-Julien, Saint-Émilion posted some sexy swallows in the century’s final harvest, and age-wise, they’re coming into their own. … Continue reading →

Posted in Merlot, Saint-Émilion | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Holy Trinity Wine: The Pope’s Got A Seat On High—And Another One Down Under

Posted on August 31, 2011 by intoxreport

Barossa! Just growling out the word is sort of a charge, like it could be the name of some Somali warlord hijacking vessels off the Horn of Africa, or a military operation to liberate fertile swaths of Uzbekistan so that … Continue reading →

Posted in AUSTRALIA, Barossa, Grenache, Mourvedre, Rhône, Syrah/Shiraz | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Upper Loire: How White Was My Valley?

Posted on August 29, 2011 by intoxreport

How white? Apartheid white.  Pillsbury Doughboy white. University of Mississippi, pre-1962 before-the-fire-hoses white.  White enough to say to Johnny Winter, ‘Nice tan, dude’… I’m talking about the wine. The wild Loire is the longest river in France, and the associated … Continue reading →

Posted in Loire, Sauvignon Blanc | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Château de Campuget’s Vivacious Viognier

Posted on August 29, 2011 by intoxreport

How about a little role playing?  Let’s say you’re a savvy bevvy marketer trying to get a leg up on the next big wine fad.  Let’s say you want to go about this by waxing overly poetic about a specific … Continue reading →

Posted in Costières de Nîmes, Rhône, Viognier | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Chablis: Chardonnay Never Had It So Good

Posted on August 26, 2011 by intoxreport

It used to be cute to mispronounce ‘Chablis’;  to say it like Johnny Lunchbucket would if he didn’t happen to possess your enological erudition and snobbish grasp of French orthography, because it sort of made you sound ironic and clever … Continue reading →

Posted in Burgundy, Chardonnay | Leave a comment