This week there are two complementary posts on Les 5 du Vin on organic wine. Firstly on Monday David Cobbold wrote about what annoyed him about organic wine. Then, today, Michel Smith posed 15 questions on organic wine here.
Showing posts with label Les 5 du Vin. Show all posts
My post today on the Les 5 du Vin blog features some irreplaceable bottles drunk over the weekend including the 1985 Chave Hermitage above.
Yesterday David Cobbold complained about the very poor selection of wine available at a café in Bordeaux station.
Pierre-Jacques Druet and Marc Vanhellemont celebrate the first anniversary of the conception
Our cooperative blog Les 5 du Vin was conceived during lunch in the press room over a bottle of Pierre-Jacques Druet's rosé (2008 vintage) at last year's Salon on Tuesday 2nd February 2010. Les 5 du Vin's gestation was short with the first post on the 6th. For comments on the 2009 rosé see here.
Three of Les 5 du Vin in Tuscany: Marc Vanhellemont, Hervé Lalau and ...
See the Tuscan posts from the trio on Les 5 du Vin site.
2006 Le Masse di Greve, Chianti Classico Riserva, Lanciola
Sadly we had a pretty disappointing range of wines from Lanciola at our opening meal at the Ristorante Gustavino. They included a rather sweet, oaky Chardonnay rather in a Californian style and Pinot Noir with cooked fruit, presumably because the site is too hot. Quite why one would bother to plant Pinot Noir in Tuscany at a relatively low altitude (200 metres) is beyond me. The above single vineyard 2006 Chianti Classico Riserva was perhaps the best wine. It didn't help that the wines were served a little too warm.
More evidence that so called 'international' varieties such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, although widely known and popular, do not suit all climates. Onwards and upwards, I trust!
More evidence that so called 'international' varieties such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, although widely known and popular, do not suit all climates. Onwards and upwards, I trust!
Fortunately the evening was rescued by a very fine tie – I can't claim great expertise in this area of clothing but I can distinguish class when I see it. However, the hue wasn't quite right for the vin santo...
40% of 5: Marc Vanhellemont and Hervé Lalau
Piazza Santa Maria using the Andrew Barrow effect also homage to Pisa
I'm now in Florence waiting to meet up with the 17 other journalists on this multi-national press trip to Tuscany. Among the 17 are Hervé Lalau and Marc Vanhellemont, two of my co-bloggers on Les 5 du Vin, so 40% of Les 5 are together in Tuscany for a few days.
This morning at Gatwick it was quite a rare occasion as the QueasyJet to Pisa actually left early. Once we arrived in Pisa I caught the bus to the centre of Florence, which took an hour or so and gets you to Florence's main railway station. We are staying tonight in the Hotel Roma on the Piazza Santa Maria – just a very short walk from the station.
Sunrise in Forest Hill, South London
Over the Alps
Rather dubious statue@Pisa Airport – may be entitled Silvio, perhaps?
Via della Scala – view from Hotel Roma – dusk falling
Hervé's post on Les 5 du Vin is also about this trip.
Modération considers a chilled glass of Vinho Verde
Enjoying glass avec Modération and further reflections on matching cyclists to wine
Modération: You know Jim it is high time you had a break. You have been slaving over that laptop all day. You deserve a drink. Time to enjoy the evening Lisbon sunshine.
Modération: You know Jim it is high time you had a break. You have been slaving over that laptop all day. You deserve a drink. Time to enjoy the evening Lisbon sunshine.
Jim: As usual, you’re right Modération! Time for a glass.
Modération: I’d suggest a nicely chilled Alvarinho Vinho Verde.
Jim: It would be rude to argue. I’ll do as you say.
Arising from a serendipitous meeting over a glass of Pierre-Jacques Druet's Bourgueil Rosé at lunch in the press room at the Salon des Vins de Loire on Tuesday, five of us decided to launch a bi-lingual, cooperative blog: Les 5 du Vin
The five are:
Jacques Berthomeau
Jacques also has his own blog, which he started in 2005. He won the Loire section in the 2010 Wine Bloggers Trophy
Jacques also has his own blog, which he started in 2005. He won the Loire section in the 2010 Wine Bloggers Trophy
Hervé Lalau
Hervé also has his own blog, which he started in November 2007. It has attracted nearly 400,000 visitors and won the award for the best writing in the 2010 Wine Bloggers Trophy.
Michel Smith
Michel is a well-known wine and food journalist based in the Roussillon. He writes for a number of French magazines but is a virgin blogger.
Marc Vanhellemont
Marc is a well known wine journalist based in Belgium, writing for a number of French and Belgian titles. Like Michel, he is a virgin blogger.
Marc is a well known wine journalist based in Belgium, writing for a number of French and Belgian titles. Like Michel, he is a virgin blogger.
Jim Budd
Each of the five contributors will make at least one posting a week: Jacques on Monday, Jim – Tuesday, Hervé – Wednesday, Michel – Thursday and Marc – Friday.
