After the harvest is done winemakers from all over France descend on Paris to push their product. There is a wine tasting nearly every monday and three-day events starting each Friday during the month of November. On top of the vente des vin des Hospices (Burgundy) and Beaujolais Nouveau, these tastings make November an important sales month for the domaines and for a lot of work for the trade.
Last Friday was Le Grand Tasting at Le Louvre, hosted by Bettane and Desseauve, and is one of the splashiest events of the year. For €20 you get to drink all the great wines from France and beyond; Valandraud, Dom Perignon, great Burgundies, Ch Climens, Ch Rayas, etc. It is also a time for the established new stars; Nicolas Rossignol of Volnay (too extracted for my taste but imported in the US by Martine's wines), Vergnon of champagne, Dom Richaud (Rhone), etc.
Monday there were two tiny (by comparison) tastings, a Montlouis then a Savoie tasting. At SYDR (a hip and modern bar near the Arc de Triumphe) some of the best producers from the Vourvray's sister village (Montlouis) were on hand. F Chidane and his biodynamic chenins was the most notable, among 20 or so young and dynamic producers. A mostly trade event the movers and shakers of the industry were there to taste including Jacqueline Friedrich.
Next was the Savoie tasting at Les Fines Gueules, and tiny and progressive wine bar next to the Banque de France in the 1er arrondissement. The bar in itself reminded me of a bar in Cambride, MA the Miracle of Science, in it's triangular shape and the wines...mondeuse, mondeuse and more mondeuse. All organic producers and one rebellious biodynamic producer who, instead of using copper sulfate on his wines, treated them with essential oils...Here we have the true pioneers (sic) of winemaking, and with yields all under 20 ha/hl....tough way to make a living.
Later this week is the salon des Vigneron independants in Paris so stay tuned.....
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