I was devastated to learn that Béatrice Bernard of Le Cellier du Palais in Apremont, Savoie died suddenly earlier this week, very much too young. I had known her wines and tasted with her for several years. She was exceptionally kind to me; last year we enjoyed a couple of lunches out together and I… View more
In preparation for my new self-published book in the making, I’ve been spending some time pondering what makes wines from the French Alps so special. I’ve also been trying to define where the wine regions of the French Alps begin and end, and indeed why. My first book, Jura Wine, seemed impossible to create when… View more
In the absence of that wonderfully useful annual guide Wine Report – no 2010 has been published and 2011 is unlikely – I thought a roundup of random news from Savoie might be useful. Some of these items are not so new at all, but Savoie news travels rather slowly. The text I provided for… View more
To truly understand the world of wine and indeed the liquid itself, it helps to develop an expertise in world geography, geology, climatology, environmental science as well as world history, politics, economics, marketing and current affairs; sciences including plant biology, microbiology and chemistry; and last but not least the art, or is it the craft… View more
I reported on this blog back in April, and Decanter have now (4 months later) reported, that Dorling Kindersley will no longer publish Wine Report, the annual wine guide that I have written for since its inception with the 2004 edition. However, all is not lost. Firstly, the author Tom Stevenson still has hopes of… View more
For those who believe that a European ski trip should be the last ‘luxury’ to be dropped in these times of the strong euro, then this one is for you … well at least for those who believe in lunch on the piste. This is, in part, a completely shameless plug for the French Alpine… View more
As Christmas and the end of the year approaches, instead of writing about yet another wonderful restaurant meal or wine tour that I’ve been privileged to enjoy during the year, I’m offering you a chance to participate in Menu for Hope. What is Menu for Hope?Menu for Hope is an annual fundraising campaign hosted by… View more
Just looking at this stunning Provence vineyard shot taken by Mick Rock of Cephas makes me want to jump in a car and get down there now. It’s that wild inland Mediterranean look that I love – much as the coastline can be spectacular (exploring the calanques for example) the allure of the green mosaic… View more
The first wine region that should have been covered on Wine Travel Guides ought by rights to have been Savoie. After all, I do live part of the time just over an hour away from the vineyards. But, I was so busy editing and promoting the rest of the site I never got to writing… View more
Ampelography is the study of grape varieties and nowhere in France do they get more interesting than in one of my specialist areas – the Savoie. Last week I attended the first general meeting for a new centre for Alpine Ampelography – Le Centre d’Ampélographie Alpine Pierre Galet. The centre is at Cevins where Michel… View more
