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Displaying items by tag: Loire Valley
Loire Valley Wine Map
This wine map of the Loire Valley has been designed by Wine Scholar Guild to illustrate the French Wine Scholar® study & certification program.
This map is made available for individuals to use for their own learning and edification. Any use of this map in online or print publications, presentations, apps or any other media is strictly forbidden without obtaining written permission.
10 fabulous facts about Loire Valley wines
The Loire Valley is one of France’s most dynamic wine regions. For every famous, household-name wine (such as Sancerre), there is at least two lesser known wines just waiting to be discovered!
The Loire has it all: dry and sweet, still and sparkling, white and red. It has so much to offer… Did you know that:
PODCAST: Andrew Jefford on "Wine Education, Wine Writing, the Business of Wine, and a Fresh Look at the Loire"
Award-winning author and columnist for Decanter Magazine and World of Fine Wine Andrew Jefford has joined the Wine Scholar Guild team as Academic Advisor in addition to his existing roles as seminar and immersion trip leader.
Wine meets food: Tomatoes and Sauvignon Blanc
The best thing about studying wine is the moments that call into question every “truth” you think you know. These are the tiny lightbulbs that impel questions to be asked, that engender reflection and that ultimately serve as the springboard to a deeper understanding of wine. It is often the interaction of wine and food that delivers these teachable moments for me—when I am relaxed, not hurried, and free to ponder at will.
This series of blog posts shares my memorable discoveries about what happens when wine meets food. Read part 2 and part 3.
Common Knowledge: The Massif Central
There have been moments in my career as a professional winophile where I’ve realized I haven’t retained a bit of information that perhaps I should have learned in grade school had I been paying attention. Everyone needs a refresher once in a while and this series of blog posts aims to fill in possible gaps of knowledge that your grade-school mind may not have realized you would use in your fabulous wine career.
As an American student, French geography was sadly lacking in my education. An examination of the Massif Central (ma-seef cen-trale) was not taught alongside the study of The Rocky Mountains.
Loire Valley Wine Who's Who (Part 2 - Anjou, Saumur and Touraine) with Pascaline Lepeltier MS
Summary:
Every classic wine region is associated with a list of producers who manage to bring out the best in soil, site and grape. Their wines have purity of flavor, layers of flavor and concentration of flavor. In essence, these producers manage to bottle the soul of the region itself.
In the Loire Valley, diverse soil types and grape varieties give us three producer groupings who have set the bar for excellence and distinctiveness. In order to cover them well, we will host two webinars.
Part 1: Loire... Opposites Attract
Here, we will focus on the still whites from the western Pays Nantais (Muscadet) and the still whites, rosés and reds eastern vineyards of the Centre Loire (Sancerre, Pouilly, Menetou-Salon, Quincy, Reuilly and Coteaux du Giennois) with a bonus glimpse into the Auvergne. Yes, it will be a “who’s who”, but it will also be a “who’s doing what!” at both ends of the Loire! Click here to access PART 1.
Part 2: The Loire’s Magic Middle
This webinar will focus on the heart of the Loire—the exquisitely beautiful and breathtaking stretch from Anjou to Touraine. We will take a look at historic estates and edgy newcomers and see how both are tackling tradition and innovation within every wine style. There is magic in the Middle Loire. Discover the best of the best.
Presenter: Pascaline Lepeltier MS
Blame the Château d’Yquem 1937 for convincing 2010 StarChefs.com Rising Star Sommelier Pascaline Lepeltier to begin her brilliant career in wine. Detouring from a master’s in philosophy and a career as a university teacher, the Loire Valley-born (Angers), Lepeltier began her obsession with wine at the two star Michelin-rated L’Auberge Bretonne under celebrated Chef Jacques Thorel, starting as assistant sommelier and soon presiding over a list of more than 4500 wines.
Within a year, Pascaline accomplished the remarkable feat of being named both Best Loire Valley Young Sommelier and Best Brittany Sommelier. While working as Beverage Director at Rouge Tomate in Brussels, she decided to intern at the George V in Paris under the direction of Best European Sommelier Eric Beaumard to train for the 2008 Best French Sommelier competition which paid off with a second-runner-up finish: the best result ever achieved by a woman. She again placed as the second-runner-up in 2010 and 2012. Currently Beverage Director of Rouge Tomate NYC, she was named one of the five best new US sommeliers of 2011 by Wine & Spirits magazine, one of the "New Wine Prophets" by Time Out NY and one of the “40 under 40” beverage influencers by Wine Enthusiast.
Lepeltier makes sure she is as knowledgeable about winemaking as she is about tasting, spending much time in vineyards and working harvests. It was through such visits that she discovered the world of natural wine. Called the “Natural Wine Evangelist” by Ray Isle in Food & Wine, Lepeltier’s strong advocacy of this authentic and pure approach is reflected in the large number of organic or biodynamic wines on her Rouge Tomate wine list, awarded in 2013 by the NY Times as one of the best in NYC, and 3 stars in 2014 by the World of Fine Wine. It is not surprising that she has written for various prominent wine guides and books in France -- including Art of Eating and Wine & Spirits- and was featured in numerous food and wine publications -- NY Times, Wall Street Journal, Wine Spectator, Decanter, Wine & Spirits, Food & Wine, Saveur, The World of Fine Wines, La Revue des Vins de France, etc.
Loire Valley Wine Who's Who (Part 1 - Pays Nantais and Centre Loire) with Pascaline Lepeltier MS
Summary:
Every classic wine region is associated with a list of producers who manage to bring out the best in soil, site and grape. Their wines have purity of flavor, layers of flavor and concentration of flavor. In essence, these producers manage to bottle the soul of the region itself.
In the Loire Valley, diverse soil types and grape varieties give us three producer groupings who have set the bar for excellence and distinctiveness. In order to cover them well, we will host two webinars.
Part 1: Loire... Opposites Attract
Here, we will focus on the still whites from the western Pays Nantais (Muscadet) and the still whites, rosés and reds eastern vineyards of the Centre Loire (Sancerre, Pouilly, Menetou-Salon, Quincy, Reuilly and Coteaux du Giennois) with a bonus glimpse into the Auvergne. Yes, it will be a “who’s who”, but it will also be a “who’s doing what!” at both ends of the Loire!
Part 2: The Loire’s Magic Middle
This webinar will focus on the heart of the Loire—the exquisitely beautiful and breathtaking stretch from Anjou to Touraine. We will take a look at historic estates and edgy newcomers and see how both are tackling tradition and innovation within every wine style. There is magic in the Middle Loire. Discover the best of the best. Click here to access PART 2.
Presenter: Pascaline Lepeltier MS
Blame the Château d’Yquem 1937 for convincing 2010 StarChefs.com Rising Star Sommelier Pascaline Lepeltier to begin her brilliant career in wine. Detouring from a master’s in philosophy and a career as a university teacher, the Loire Valley-born (Angers), Lepeltier began her obsession with wine at the two star Michelin-rated L’Auberge Bretonne under celebrated Chef Jacques Thorel, starting as assistant sommelier and soon presiding over a list of more than 4500 wines.
Within a year, Pascaline accomplished the remarkable feat of being named both Best Loire Valley Young Sommelier and Best Brittany Sommelier. While working as Beverage Director at Rouge Tomate in Brussels, she decided to intern at the George V in Paris under the direction of Best European Sommelier Eric Beaumard to train for the 2008 Best French Sommelier competition which paid off with a second-runner-up finish: the best result ever achieved by a woman. She again placed as the second-runner-up in 2010 and 2012. Currently Beverage Director of Rouge Tomate NYC, she was named one of the five best new US sommeliers of 2011 by Wine & Spirits magazine, one of the "New Wine Prophets" by Time Out NY and one of the “40 under 40” beverage influencers by Wine Enthusiast.
Lepeltier makes sure she is as knowledgeable about winemaking as she is about tasting, spending much time in vineyards and working harvests. It was through such visits that she discovered the world of natural wine. Called the “Natural Wine Evangelist” by Ray Isle in Food & Wine, Lepeltier’s strong advocacy of this authentic and pure approach is reflected in the large number of organic or biodynamic wines on her Rouge Tomate wine list, awarded in 2013 by the NY Times as one of the best in NYC, and 3 stars in 2014 by the World of Fine Wine. It is not surprising that she has written for various prominent wine guides and books in France -- including Art of Eating and Wine & Spirits- and was featured in numerous food and wine publications -- NY Times, Wall Street Journal, Wine Spectator, Decanter, Wine & Spirits, Food & Wine, Saveur, The World of Fine Wines, La Revue des Vins de France, etc.
PODCAST: Pascaline Lepeltier MS's Loire with Andrew Jefford... really good schist!
Pascaline Lepeltier, MS, discusses the itinerary for the upcoming WSG Study Trip to her native Loire.
In this podcast interview with Decanter's Andrew Jefford, Pascaline discusses the Loire’s best and brightest…all of which happen to be estate visits on the upcoming five-day journey she'll be leading students on in October.
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