Oliver's Chili Peppers

Oliver's Chili Peppers

Sunday, April 10, 2011

French Fling

It's nearly Spring, right? While it may not quite feel like it here in Calgary, one of the surefire ways to make our greyish brown days a little more interesting is with wine! I was lucky enough through the generosity of fabulous friends to score a ticket to the French Fling at Willow Park. We celebrated several French wines, alongside delicious cheese, pâté and baguette. 

Some of the Goodies that I picked up
The distributors and reps were all very knowledgable, and some had fantastic stories about the old family vineyards where they produce their wines. If you don't know a lot about wine, or even if you do, I would highly recommend that you attend one of these events. So much better than a larger scale event held at a cold conference centre because these people are actually interested in teaching, and telling stories. Stories that bring you closer to your bottle while sharing it with your friends. Wine speaks to a tradition of patience, of caring for vines, earth and grapes, of aging and waiting. I love that wines are nurtured into something brought to tables all over the world, shared over meals, between friends and family. And, in this age of instant gratification, there is certainly something to be said for that. 

Fantastically French!
Among several others, one of the goodies that I was lucky enough to pick up was from a small family vineyard in southwest France...100% Malbec (Malbec from France!?) that is a gem; Domaine La Berangeraie Cuvée Maurin Cahors 2007. For $12.49 a bottle a Willow Park, this wine is a steal of a deal, and such a surprise. If you are interested, here is some their story, awards and information. The wine is organic and low sulphite too! 

We tried wines from $10 to over $100, some great, some not. We had a great time, and learned a lot. My generous friends are soon headed to the Rhone valley of France, and may just have a chance to speak directly to some of these vintners, and maybe to see, smell and feel all of the aspects that make these wines delicious. I wonder if they would be generous enough to take me with them? 

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