The Story The Petit Bourgeois Loire Sauvignon Blanc 2019 is an IGP Valle de Loire wine (the back label calls this a “table wine” which is a designation below IGP). It is the entry-level Sauvignon Blanc from Famille Bourgeois and winemaking family that has been producing wine in the Loire Valley for ten generations. They…
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The Story The Domaine Angelliaume Chinon 2018 is a $12.99 Costco wine. The winery is Domaine Angelliaume and the name of the wine is Domaine des Falaises which translates to English as Field or Place of the Cliffs which is the name of the estate vineyard that the Cabernet Franc grapes were farmed. The vineyards near…
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The Story The Domaine de La Noblaie Chinon Goutte de Rose’ 2018 is a Rose’ of Cabernet Franc sourced from 2 Estate hillside vineyards in the Chinon district of the Loire Valley in west-central France. The vineyards have been certified organic since 2005 and Domaine de La Noblaie has been worked by the family for four…
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The Story The Maricool Muscadet 2018 is a $4.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive, an AOC designated white from the Loire Valley in France. The grape used for Muscadet (the “det” is pronounced day) is Melon de Bourgogne a grape that long ago was prevalent in Burgundy and now is found in the Loire Valley. This is one of…
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The Forty Ounce Rose’ 2017 is a blend of 53% Gamay, 33% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Pineau d’Aunis sourced from vineyards in the Muscadet and Touraine regions of the Loire Valley in France. Gamay is the grape used in the making of Beaujolais and Pineau d’Aunis is a very old French grape that was…
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The La Jaglerie Rose’ D’Anjou 2016 is 80% Grolleau and 20% Cabernet Franc sourced from the Anjou AOP of the middle Loire Valley located south and west of Paris in France. The Loire Valley runs for 300 miles along the Loire River with vineyards along the hillsides on both sides of the river. The Anjou region,…
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The La Croix de Maunay Vouvray 2016 is a $7.99 Trader Joe’s import exclusive. Vouvray (inside the Loire Valley growing area) is located south and west of Paris and the vineyards are situated along the Loire River and boundaries are defined by 8 villages, Vouvray being the most important. The grape they grow in Vouvray is…
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The Holy Snail Sauvignon Blanc 2016 is ($9.99 Whole Foods) sourced from contracted vineyards in the Touraine region in the central section of the Loire Valley in France. The Holy Snail is produced by Domaine Joel Delaunay and is a Val de Loire IGP wine, meaning this is a Sauv Blanc indicative of the Loire Valley,…
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The Pascal Janvier Jasnieres 2013 is 100% Chenin Blanc (known locally as Pineau de la Loire) sourced from Pascal Janvier estate vineyards in the Jasnières AOC located in the northern section of the Loire Valley in France. Chenin Blanc is the only grape grown in Jasnières AOC. It had been a premier growing area for…
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The Domaine Dozon Chinon Rose’ 2014 is 100% Cabernet Franc sourced from a sustainably farmed vineyard on the hillside above the Vienne River in the Chinon AOC of the Loire Valley in France. Cabernet Franc is one of the grapes approved for Bordeaux Red blends. But, in the Chinon AOC, Cabernet Franc is not only…
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The 2011 Bernard Baudry Chinon Les Granges (translates to the barns) is 100% Cabernet Franc sourced from organic Estate vineyards in the Chinon AOP inside the Loire Valley in central Western France. If you see Chinon on the label of a Red wine the grape will be Cabernet Franc, usually as a single varietal, but…
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The 2010 Francois Pinon “Les Trois Argiles” Vouvray is a freaky good 100% Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley’s François Pinon, who sourced the grapes from three different clay-soiled areas of his vineyards. A sniff of the 2010 Les Trois Argiles (French for “the three clays”) gives up sweet spice and bushels of juicy citrus and pear….
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The Vickery Park Chardonnay Brut is an $8.99 Trader Joe’s import exclusive sourced from Chardonnay grapes grown in vineyards located the Loire Valley and also a few select vineyards in the south of France. Vickery Park is an English wine company, their main brand is Griffith Park Sparkling wines which are sourced from Australian grapes….
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Most people avoid French Wines because they are…confusing and so, well, French. They don’t label things what they are, and you’re just supposed to know what’s in the bottle because they’ve been growing it there, that way, in that style for forever and that’s that. So, I’m sure you’re wondering, what the heck is Vouvray?…
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The 2010 Barton & Guestier Vouvray is sourced from contracted vineyards in the Vouvray AOC near the village of Tours inside the Loire Valley. The only grape grown in the Vouvray AOC is Chenin Blanc. The nature of Chenin Blanc changes with variations in the growing conditions, in cool growing seasons mostly dry Chenin Blanc’s…
Read MoreThe Louise d’ Estre’e Brut Rose’ Sparkling wine is a $7.99 Trader Joe’s import exclusive. The wine is produced by Marcel Martin, who makes both still and Sparkling wines in the Loire Valley in France. Marcel Martin makes a Brut Rose’ Cremant under his own label (Cremant = Sparkling wine, it can only be called Champagne if…
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So I used to avoid French wine because the labels were confusing and I never knew what to expect. But I decided to pick up this white from the Vielle Vigne commune in Touraine, which is a popular sub region of the Loire Valley in France. They primarily grow Chenin and Sauvignon Blanc in Touraine,…
Read MoreThe 2009 Barton and Guestier Rose’ is a blend that included a grape you probably have not had before, 70% Grolleau Noir and 30% Cabernet Franc. Grolleau Noir is grown mainly in the Anjou AOC of the Loire Valley in France. Barton and Guestier have been making wine since 1725. A Rose’ is made from…
Read MoreVouvray is the name for Chenin Blanc grown in the Vouvray growing region near the town of Tours in the Loire Valley, France. The Lacheteau Vouvray is exclusively imported for Trader Joe’s and sells for $6.99. Lacheteau is one of the largest negociant’s in the Loire Valley, which means they do not grow the grapes,…
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