Vicky's adventures

Blog

Beaujolais vs Burgundy: an example of why France is losing market shares

French wine ranked 5th in British sales announced the media last week… Should we all drop a tear or wake up and walk? While the new wine countries are rising and advertising like we have never seen, civil wars are still occurring in France. I am now spending my time in the beautiful Beaujolais region at the border of Burgundy, in the middle of a conflict much older than me. Burgundy mainly grows Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Since 1937, nine of the crus of Beaujolais, that grows Gamay grapes, have the right to call their wines Burgundy. The Burgundy organization, celebrating its 20 anniversary, wants to stop this permission, saying that it would be betraying costumers by selling Gamay wines...

What Women Like

It is commonly thought that women drink light white and rosé while men drink red. Rosé isn’t a wine and even if it was, with such a color it wouldn't be the one for a real man. We all agree that red is much more masculine isn’t it? White would do in hot weather, but it is often too light: wine has to have character, and the stronger the better, of course. Others like to think that women prefer to drink sweet wine, which makes sense because they also prefer sweet cocktails, while men prefer it dry. It is true, a woman is just like a child: fragile. Her palate is very sensitive and we must be careful with what...

Harrods Loves Wine

It seems like once I start talking about wine or about London, I can never stop. So when I drink wine in London, it needs at least two posts to sum it all up. Harrods looks magic, but I have never liked it. It is one of those places that was built to make you dream but makes more than one Londoner sick. Legendary temple of luxury, only tourists put it on their “10 things to do on a Saturday afternoon”, contributing to the giant anthill: Something to run away from. But Harrods loves wine. The wine department was rather empty when I came in, the perfect time to taste some of the biggest names in Italian and Australian wine...

London St Pancreas International : Welcome To Paradise!

There are Old Wine Countries New Wine Countries, and there is London. From the West to the East, bars to shops, park to sidewalks, everything you can dream about can be found in London city. Love it or hate it, this place to me is a paradise, a paradise for people, food and wine lovers. Don’t look so surprised! if the British can’t cook, they ask the best chefs to cook for them or have enough Kebab shops to allow you a drastic selection after midnight. If they can only make cider and spirits, they’ll import cheap wines but also the best wine on the planet. And if they sometimes prefer the comfort of communities to world diversity, they are...

Why the bottom of the bottles are pushed in?

I was hanging around a wine shop innocently drinking an easy white Menetou- Salon when a question I had heard many times before it struck my mind. WHY ARE THE BOTTOMS OF THE BOTTLES PUSHED IN? As soon as I had said that, the wine merchant looked at me with round eyes and laughed. You must understand that there is a specific word for this placement on a bottle in French that is "cul-de-bouteille" which literally means A**-of-a-bottle" in English. And when you talk about an a** early at a wine tasting, whether it is the bottles' one or any other, it sounds out of place. I guess this is not only because of the name but also the shape....

Champagne’s Super Powers

As objective as the idea of a smell can be, I can say I rather dislike the smell of Champagne and get bored after two flutes. The only good thing about it is that it reminds me of some of the best times of my life.This is not to be underestimated. Unlike with some other smells, studies show that Champagne’s molecules affect the brain by reaching some very specific receptors in the nose. They also reach the "olfactory map" part of your memory. This receptors are connected to your desire and your libido and iare receptive to smells with heavy molecular masses like the ones presents in Champagne. They are also stimulated by some very volatile molecules released by the...