By that I mean, wines from Nice. “But wine doesn’t come from Nice!†I hear you exclaim, “It comes from Champagne, and Bordeaux, and…†Mais oui, this is true… but it also comes from Nice. The only AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) within city limits, Bellet is […]
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The 39th assembly of UNESCO, held in Bonn Germany on July 4, saw five cultural sites accepted – two in Denmark, one in Turkey and two in France. Both French sites are recognized for their viticultural heritage; the hillsides, houses and cellars of Champagne around Reims […]
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Ever protective of their terroir, in October 1954, a municipal decree was passed, forbidding UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects) from landing on, taking off from, or flying over any of the vineyards in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The decree also stated that should any extra-terrestrials disobey this law, their spacecraft […]
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Absolutely. There’s no law that says you have to pay hundreds of dollars for good Champagne, and no guarantee that cheaper bottles will be rubbish. The fact is that an increasing number of growers are producing their own excellent bubbly, so why not give them a […]
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The first thing that comes to mind when anyone mentions French drinks is wine, so of course, with France being the world’s second largest wine producer (Italy comes first), wine rightly deserves to be at the top of anyone’s list of boissons françaises. It should come […]
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After Israel and the United States, and with around half a million members, France has the largest Jewish population on the planet, so it may seem surprising to discover that there is only one kosher vineyard in the whole country. However, given that in the entire […]
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It’s no secret that the rest of the world considers the French to be the epitome of sophistication when it comes to alcoholic beverages; whether it’s wine, beer, cider, apéritifs, liqueurs, or spirits, French booze generally beats everything else into a cocked beret. I say beats… […]
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One of the lesser-known – but nevertheless fascinating – areas of Northern France, Nord-Pas de Calais, is taking advantage of its beer heritage in a bid to boost tourism. The region is already famous for its wines and cider, and the brewers of Nord-Pas-de-Calais are hopeful […]
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Next week (November 20th) sees the release of this year’s Beaujolais Nouveau, the first vintage of 2014 from the Beaujolais region. If you think this is no big deal, think again – Beaujolais Nouveau Day is a wonderful time of fireworks, food, and festivals. And of […]
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Cider is not a beverage one usually associates with France but traditionally, it is the favoured drink for All Saints’ Day (November 1st) and All Souls’ Day (November 2nd). Historically, apples were the only fruit still around at this time of year, whether they were the […]
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