French Wine News

Michelin releases its 100th guide

2009-03-03T12:09:00.000+02:00

Several chefs have opted out of Michelin's system in recent years, saying the personal and financial investment needed to maintain its standards only pays off for restaurants with a large and fast turnover.

Nine new two-star restaurants and 63 new one-star restaurants were also announced in the latest version.

The guide's first edition was released in 1900, but it didn't come out during the two World Wars or in 1921.

The Michelin guide is published by the French tire company and is considered the bible of French gastronomy. From its start in France, it now publishes guides covering 22 countries.

French winemakers angered by Government move to cut alcohol intake

2009-02-28T00:43:00.001+02:00

Wine drinking is in decline in France, a trend exacerbated by government initiatives to curb binge-drinking

French wine exports slip in recession

2009-02-22T20:41:00.001+02:00

France exported$11.7 billion worth of wine last year, said Claude de Jouvencel, the head of the French Federation of Wine and Spirits Exporters.

Though the world export market held out surprisingly well and was just under the record-breaking result of about 9.4 billion euros in 2007, de Jouvencel said the outlook for 2009 is murky.

"It will be a difficult year, without a doubt," de Jouvencel told journalists at a news conference.

While exports of Champagne and wines from Burgundy slipped, and exports of table wines and Bordeaux were up — mainly on sales of the critically acclaimed 2005 vintage, which went on sale in early 2008, the group said.

Champagne sales lose some bubbles

2009-02-09T11:07:00.000+02:00

There doesn't seem to be much to celebrate these days, what with social unrest, economic doldrums, terrorism and civil war. So, it should come as no surprise the beverage most associated with celebrating is suffering a sales slump.

France's Champagne Vintners' Committee this week announced shipments of Champagne within the country and abroad fell 4.8% in 2008 compared to the previous year.

One consolation may be that the 322,453,852 bottles sold is slightly more than in 2006.

The industry group said in a statement that exports to European Union consumers outside France were down 6.5% per cent in bottle terms, and non-European exports were down 6.2& per cent in 2008. Shipments within France were down 3.6%.

Koreans have enjoyed French wine most last year

2009-01-31T17:29:00.000+02:00

Imports of wine decreased in terms of quantity but increased by a large margin in terms of value due to the weaker Korean currency and preference of high priced wine by drinkers.

Korea Customs Service said Saturday that Korea imported 28,795 tons of wine worth $166.5 million last year, down by 9.5 percent in quantity but up 10.7 percent in terms of value.

Korea imported $65.7 million worth of wine from France, accounting for 39.5 percent of the total, followed by $29.7 million worth of Chilean product and $24.1 million worth of Italian product.

Sour grapes for French wine in 2008

2009-01-24T20:15:00.001+02:00

BORDEAUX, France (AFP) — 2008 has been all sour grapes for French wine, a once proud symbol of the nation's identity now swirling in a cocktail of alcohol abuse legislation.

Long viewed as a quintessential part of the French lifestyle, along with fine foods and good living, wine is slumping so low in the national esteem that winemakers have even complained of being treated like drug dealers by the government, and their websites put on a par with porn.

One recent survey highlighting the change in popular attitudes to wine showed that 51 percent of people now considered the national drink "risky".

The oft-maligned wine of France, California

2009-01-20T14:19:00.000+02:00

TERRE HAUTE — There’s comfort food, the comfortable recliner, and those comfortable old shoes.

Then there is the oft-maligned but comfortable Merlot.

Merlot’s reputation as the punching bag of all wine snobs reached its zenith in 2004 in the movie “Sideways.” The movie is a bittersweet comedy with a central theme of wine, Pinot Noir to be specific.

The main character, played brilliantly by Paul Giamatti, is a wine geek trying to find great Pinot Noir while on a ‘bachelor’s” trip prior to his buddy’s wedding. His buddy is merely interested in exploring his freedom before tying the knot.

Value-priced wines from France do exist

2009-01-13T21:41:00.000+02:00

In the depths of our Chicago winter, you may find yourself dreaming of a sun-washed cafe in the south of France, the warm Mediterranean breeze mingling scents of the sea with kitchen aromas of grilling sausages, onion tarts and cassoulet - the region's fabled bean-and-meat stew, prepared with the cafe proprietor's family recipe, bien sur. As you peruse the menu - no hurry, no worries - the garçon pours your vin rouge, blanc or rose from a carafe. You sip and savor. You think, "Why can't we have delicious and affordable wine like this back home?"

BAM! Back to cold reality, where, even if budget permits overseas travel, it will be months before the Cote d'Azur warms to outdoor dining.

Curtain raises again on Jacques Verges

2009-01-06T19:33:00.000+02:00

He requests French wine - which can cost up to US$162 a bottle at the Raffles Hotel Le Royal in Phnom Penh - but the legendary and controversial French attorney Jacques Verges has to settle for $8 glasses of house red when he stays at impoverished Cambodia's swankiest hotel.

He's a celebrity lawyer whose fame now equals that of some of his most notorious clients; and he gained it by defending the indefensible. His abysmal win rate might embarrass a lesser personality - before France abolished the death penalty in 1981, he had earned the nickname "Monsieur Guillotine" - but not Verges.

A significant portion of the French wine industry is facing economic problems

2008-12-25T19:41:00.000+02:00

According to an analysis performed by the wine investment specialists of the Rabobank in the Netherlands, a significant sector of the French wine industry is facing a severe crisis. Many businesses are currently not earning sufficient money to secure future requirements, or to attract investors. Howevr, this problem is not only affecting France, but also many wineries in Spain, New Zealand and other parts of the New World, however the conclusion applies particularly to France and Italy. According to the Rabobank analysis, many wine producers are able to survive purely based on their cash flow. As a large part of their investments is already written off, this is sufficient for survival.

However, this means that measures aimed at improving quality cannot be financed, which is a threat to future survival. This circumstance means that in many cases the next generation prefers to distance itself from the family business, and investors are not being attracted. A large portion of the producers in the New World, particularly those in California, are in a better position to face the challenges of the future.

French Wine Explorers Releases New Website

2008-12-18T20:24:00.000+02:00

French Wine Explorers, America's leading luxury French wine tour company, is offering its most exciting tour season ever in 2009.

The tours include the ultimate in luxury hotels and chateaux and Michelin-starred restaurants, and feature France's most exclusive and prestigious wine estates. The 2009 schedule includes five scheduled departures, plus private and customized wine vacations to Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, the Rhône Valley, Provence, the Loire Valley, and Tuscany and Piedmont in Italy.

Among the highlights of the 2009 season: Bordeaux Prestige, the ultimate wine tour experience, including VIP tastings at all five First Growth chateaux (Lafite Rothschild, Latour, Margaux, Haut-Brion, Mouton Rothschild) and the most legendary estates of Pomerol, Sauternes and Saint Emilion; Great Estates of Burgundy, an in-depth exploration of the Côte d'Or's finest estates; and Burgundy and Champagne Prestige, a blend of the best that Burgundy and Champagne has to offer. New to their lineup of scheduled departures is a special Grand Cru Barge Cruise, a 6-night tour aboard a luxury barge and a unique opportunity to taste the 33 Grand Crus of Burgundy, as well as special winemakers' dinners on board complete with unparalled access to owners of exclusive estates.

France Spurns Grape, Censors Wine Writing

2008-12-10T14:15:00.000+02:00

France seems set on destroying a thousand-year wine culture that New World countries have spent decades trying to emulate. Whatever happened to “a meal without wine is like a day without sunshine,” as Brillat-Savarin declared?

It all started back in 1991 with the controversial Evin Law, named after Minister of Health Claude Evin. It placed severe restrictions on alcohol advertising and publicity, banning ads on TV and in cinemas. The Internet, in its infancy, was not on the list of media permitted to run wine ads.

Leading the French prohibitionist charge, the National Association for Prevention of Alcoholism and Addiction has filed several far-reaching lawsuits against wine and beer advertising this year -- and won.

French wine Beaujolais Nouveau perfect for the holidays

2008-12-07T08:38:00.000+02:00

For years, celebrating the release of Beaujolais Nouveau on the third Thursday in November was a tradition for us. We had planned to revisit our tradition two weeks ago with an extensive tasting of Beaujolais Nouveau -- literally, new Beaujolais wine from France.

That went out the window when, to our dismay, we found just one Beaujolais Nouveau available in Pennsylvania state stores.

While the 2008 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau ($13.99) was a fine example of a nouveau -- clean and fresh with tart fruit -- tasting just one producer's effort was not nearly as fun as tasting, say, 10.

Wine.com Releases Second Annual Wine.com 100 List

2008-12-03T19:29:00.000+02:00

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 3 2008 - Wine.com, the nation's #1 online wine retailer, today announced its second annual Wine.com 100 list based entirely on customer preferences. The only list of its kind is generated by ranking the top 1 percent of bottle sales of the over 10,000 wines sold nationally on Wine.com during the first 11 months of 2008. For a complete list, go to http://www.wine.com/100.

"Our annual ranking is unique in that it reflects the opinions of our customers," said Rich Bergsund, Wine.com CEO. "The trend we've seen is that wine enthusiasts are looking for the greatest value -- highly rated wines at lower price points -- and are increasingly choosing wines from South America and Australia."

The Wine.com 100 list shows customers are choosing both quality and price, with 94 of the wines rated 90 points or higher from leading wine critics, including Wine Spectator, and over 70 wines priced under $20. The Wine.com 100 list also demonstrates consumer demand for notable brands such as Silver Oak, Caymus, Dom Perignon, Cakebread, Duckhorn, and Jordan.

Wine Pick: 2006 Chateau de Gaudou (Cahors, FR) $10

2008-11-19T10:23:00.000+02:00

It's interesting how the fortunes of grapes and wine regions can change. Not that many years ago, the wine industry in Argentina was on the ropes and no one heard of a French ex-pat grape planted there called malbec. But now Argentina is not only doing very well, but the popularity of its malbec wines is influencing the fortunes of an ancient French wine region called Cahors.

In the 1980s the Argentine wine industry was in a nosedive. The locals, who made up about 90 percent of the wine market, pretty much stopped drinking wine and the country had no viable export market. To boot, the wines were so mediocre that creating an export market was a real long shot. But producers hunkered down and improved their wines and soon became known for a relatively obscure grape called malbec, which the French planted there some 150 years ago. Now the only region in France that relies predominantly on this grape has Argentina to thank for a renewed interest in its wines.

Cahors is south and east of France's famous Bordeaux region and has for centuries relied on the tough and tannic malbec for its wines. At one time the wines were so massive they were referred to as the "black wines of Cahors." More recently the wines have been tamed by modern vineyard and winery techniques that, combined with the popularity of Argentine malbec, have poised Cahors for another shot at stardom.

Jean-Michel Lorain gives his take on modern French cuisine

2008-11-11T11:04:00.000+02:00

Crown Macau said its goodbyes on the weekend to Jean-Michel Lorain, with the three-Michelin-starred chef having accepted an invite to attend as part of this year's Wine and Gourmet Asia.
Having prepared a series of lunches and dinners for Crown's guests, the masterchef's most memorable meal was surely his dinner event last Thursday, with oysters, caviar and truffles abounding, coupled with exquisite wines including the Bouchard Pere & Fils, Morey St Denis 1975.

Speaking to the MDTimes the following day, Chef Lorain was highly complimentary of his staff and team, not to mention the patrons.
“The guests said the food was very good,” he said, adding “in fact we did most of our signature dishes [that night].”

With his assistants having worked from 8:00 am till midnight each night of his residency, they are no doubt thankful for some free time, although perhaps more thankful for the imparting of knowledge that inevitably follows from such an initiative.
Not that it was entirely smooth sailing for Jean-Michel, who acknowledged that being in a foreign kitchen made things somewhat slower. “When you don't know the place you lose a lot of time looking for utensils and produce,” he said.

Every ingredient was flown over from France, with Crown getting in touch with Chef Lorain's own suppliers and ordering the relevant produce.

French Winemakers Complain Of Difficulty Producing, Selling Vino

2008-10-30T12:56:00.000+02:00

Paris, France (AHN) - French winemakers are complaining about the increasingly difficult business environment they face caused by the rise of anti-alcoholism sentiment in the country. They fear the French wine will one day go the way of the cigarette, which has been banned in public places.

At the heart of their anxiety is a government proposal last week to raise the legal age for purchasing alcohol to 18 from 16. Aside from hiking the legal age, the proposal will also prohibit the sale of alcohol at highway gas stations and will not allow all-you-can-drink open bar evenings at French high schools.

Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot explained the ministry had to step in following a 50 percent rise in hospital confinement of French youths under 15 years old for drunkenness the past four years.

These French wines are hauntingly good

2008-10-19T01:36:00.000+02:00

"Parents carry their wine glasses from porch to porch," Parker said. "What you see are plastic pumpkins and crystal."

So what does he recommend as "porch-to-porch" wines? He suggested what he described as two "offbeat, good values" from France.

For a white, Parker chose the 2007 Novellum Chardonnay, selling for $12.99. Critics have awarded high marks to this wine, which comes from respected importer Eric Solomon of European Cellars.

Parker said that while the wine was aged in oak, it's brighter and fresher than many of its California counterparts. I agree.

France allows regions to do away with traditional 'ban des vendanges'

2008-09-30T17:30:00.000+03:00

The Graves region of Bordeaux and Bourgeuil in the Loire have become some of the first appellations to do away with the traditional harvest start date, or 'ban des vendanges'.

As part of wine sector reforms initiated by the national appellations office (INAO), wine regions throughout France have been given the freedom to decide whether or not they wish to abolish the ban.

Allowing areas to abolish the harvest date can, in some cases, put an end to early harvesting and increase quality.

'Winegrowers went harvesting as soon as the ban was proclaimed without even looking at the maturity of their grapes,' one Loire winemaker told French wine site Viti-net.com.

The head of the Bourgeuil winemakers' union, Philippe Pitault said that his organisation would continue testing maturity and issue a 'correct' harvest date.

French wine export volumes fall, but values rise

2008-09-02T11:12:00.000+03:00

French wine producers exported less wine in the first half of this year but got more for it than a year earlier as overseas markets opted for more expensive wines, a report said.

Ubifrance, the French export development agency, said export volumes fell 8.7 percent in the six months through June. However, the value of French wine sent overseas increased by 8.2 percent to 3.2 billion euros ($4.7 billion).

The author of the report, Herve Henrotte, warned against celebrating the rich returns, which "concerns only a small category of products, hiding a less euphoric reality."

While fine Bordeaux and other vintage wines are popular exports, lower-quality wines and lesser-known wine regions struggle against competitors from countries such as Australia, Chile and the United States.

French wine exporter borrows some new world tricks

2008-08-13T13:31:00.001+03:00

PARIS (Reuters Life!) - A small French wine exporter is seeking to raise the game for southern French regional wines by taking a page out of the new world wine marketing book.

LGI Wines in the southwestern city of Carcassonne invents catchy names, designs trendy labels and produces wines targeted at regional tastes just like competitors in Australia, New Zealand, California and Latin America.

Their wines may have names like Tortoise Creek, labels with pleasing pictures and a clear description of the grape varieties just like their new world competitors, but don't be fooled.

St Emilion classification finally ruled invalid

2008-07-04T21:17:00.000+03:00

A Bordeaux court yesterday ruled that the 2006 St Emilion classification is invalid and can no longer be used.

Chateaux must now remove the classifications of Premier Grand Cru Classé A or B, or Grand Cru Classé - which should have applied from the 2006 vintage up to 2016 - from labels on wines dating from the 2006 vintage.

'The commission decided that the wine tasting mechanism was not an impartial system,' said Philippe Thévenin, the lawyer who acted for the châteaux that fought the new classification.

Wines of France sweepstakes offers the chance to live life in vino veritas

2008-06-23T12:47:00.000+03:00

The wine-centric trip involves six days each in Bordeaux and Burgundy, the holy grail of wine regions. The winner will be exposed to harvesting grapes that make the world's most famous wines and will get to experience vinification with a range of reputable wine producers. It won't all be work, though. There will be plenty of time doing what the French do best: enjoying life, eating and drinking, with a special focus on all things local. Plus, an essential stopover in Paris will span two days of more epicurean heaven, where they will visit gourmet markets, fine wine shops and eat at the city's bustling bistros and brasseries.

Master of Wine and Wines of France spokesperson, Sheri Sauter Morano, has spent time in both Burgundy and Bordeaux and is a huge supporter of French wines. She says, "This is the chance of a lifetime. France is home to some of the best wines in the world and to equally amazing food. Experiencing French winemaking firsthand will not only provide a great learning experience, but a very delicious one at that."

French legal tangle souring wine on web

2008-06-11T11:00:00.000+03:00

BORDEAUX, France (AFP) — Lingering uncertainty over whether or not wine ads on the Internet are legal in France is angering wine professionals in Bordeaux.

"It is ridiculous not to be able to use the Internet, the law must be adapted," said Alain Vironneau, president of the Bordeaux Wine Board (the Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux, or CIVB).

"It's an extraordinary communications tool and it would be idiotic for the development of the wine business not to be able to use it."

Top ten French wines

2008-05-20T23:24:00.000+03:00

prices in Bordeaux and Champagne continue to rise, with modestly-priced examples in either region hard to come by, but elsewhere in France fascinating and rewarding wines are easily found.

Alsace remains a particular favourite of mine, with tasty, aromatic, food-friendly whites of a style and charm that you simply won't find anywhere else.

The Rhône Valley is hard to beat for reds of real character and value, while Languedoc-Roussillon and the more obscure appellations of the Loire, southwest France and Provence are home to some delightfully quirky and individual wines, made both from the classic varieties as well as from rediscovered and revitalised local ones.