Billy’s Online Wine School: French Lessons

frenchwinesFrench Lessons

The LCBO is currently doing a French wine education theme that I highly recommend for novice drinkers. Some of the wine picks (paid promotion) are not the best, but what’s important is your opportunity to understand the origin of the major grape varieties. Australia did not invent Chardonnay or Shiraz!

If you’re interested, I’d like to offer a few of my French wine learning tips.

1. Memorize the following wine region name, Cotes-du-Rhone.
It’s the Mecca of red wine. A place where grapes, soil, sun and man have combined to deliver a perfect product at an everyday price. Check out the two Louis Bernard wines.
LOUIS BERNARD 08 Cotes du Rhone, France 581645 $11.80
LOUIS BERNARD 08 Cotes du Rhone Villages, France 391458 $12.85
2. A light French red to explore for summer patio/picnic drinking is the bright, cheerful Yvon Mau Shiraz. Shades of a rustic Beaujolais. Refreshing and very gulpable. Lightly chill.
YVON MAU 08 Shiraz, VDP de l’Aude 621979 $9.79
3. Something new in French wine packaging is the fun, Cest la Vie label. The wine is light, rustic and simple but I like it. Because it offers a traditional French café wine experience. No pretence.
C’EST la VIE! 08 Pinot Noir/Syrah, VDP d’Oc, France 166934 $11.95

Kato Wake is an entrepreneur – a creative thinker and a visual maker with over twenty years experience in the design business. She possesses strong communication skills and has managed teams and groups of many sizes. Creative, resourceful and curious by nature – Kato is an ideas person and a problem solver. She sees the big picture, the practical steps needed to achieve it and the means to do so. Experienced with both print and web, she is motivated by serving the client and communicating ‘their story’ – however it needs to be told. She has been involved in the restaurant and hospitality industry for almost as long as Billy – but hasn't drunk quite so much. Over the years, Kato has instructed hundreds of hospitality workers in 'the art of service' and has implemented training programs for several restaurants. Presently, Kato manages both the print and web for Billy’s Best Bottles (www.billysbestbottles.com) and has designed 10 editions of Billy’s Best Bottles annual wine book – which has been a Canadian best seller each year. She also designed Kathy Guidi’s book on Canadian Cheese (published by McArthur and Company) and is currently designing a breakfast cookbook for County resident Elizabeth Pulker. As Billy's 'right hand woman', she helps him conduct seminars is is the 'operations manager' behind the Wine with Life Tours. :)

2 Comments on "Billy’s Online Wine School: French Lessons"

  1. Andrew Bloomfield says:

    I’m a big fan of Louis Bernard (feel-good-fun-with-food) and the Yvon Mau (down-to-earth-honest) so I had to give the C’est la Vie a whirl. Not what I expected at all…

    It has a little of the liveliness of a pinot and the mouth-filling smoothness of some shiraz. Felt odd – like flannel sheets on a summer night. Not sure I get it. I’ll try the bottom half of the bottle out of the fridge tonight to see if the chill brings out the brightness.

    Let the adventure continue!

  2. Kathryn says:

    I tried the C’est la Vie, partly because of the name, but also because it was the first bottle of the three that I found. I really liked this wine. The blend is interesting. I don’t know if it is my fondness for reds or, perhaps without knowing it, I have an affinity for cafe reds. If that be the case, bring ‘em on … or bring on case.

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