Wine Tasting in France

Another Bonz random idea!

Dabbled with wine tasting a couple of summers ago but have come up with the idea to do this properly for my birthday this year with some mates.

I rec it'll be ace and a good laugh. Not a clue where to start though as there is so much choice on the internet! Been looking for ages, but keep getting lost in all the choice and info available.

Any suggestions on where and any advice or poniters in general, please?

Dunno. Here we just rock up to the nearest cellar door. :) Yes we have at least 10 of them round here.

If you want to do it proper in Oz you should go to the Barossa (South Australia) or Hunter (New South Wales) Valleys. They have been making wine there for about 150 years and the winery buildings look like castles.

Bonzette wrote: Another Bonz random idea!

Dabbled with wine tasting a couple of summers ago but have come up with the idea to do this properly for my birthday this year with some mates.

I rec it'll be ace and a good laugh. Not a clue where to start though as there is so much choice on the internet! Been looking for ages, but keep getting lost in all the choice and info available.

Any suggestions on where and any advice or poniters in general, please?

My French teacher at school told us that French students, upon passing their exams, get in the old 2CV and head down the Loire valley, stopping at each vinyard to sample it's produce. The journey continues in this manner until the Deux Cheveaux ends up in the river.

COuld be the very model you're looking for?

I shall tell you on Facebook!

Rhones are the best French wines. If I was wine-touring France I'd search out the Cote Roties. Supposed to be the best French wine. Mind you, I am a right posh bastard

For a wine trip, I'd probably go for the Chianti trail in Italy though. Done a little bit of it and it's a fabulous part of the world with some great wines.

I bet it's a laugh in Spain as well. They know how to get pissed.

Face it, it's gonna be a laugh whatever you do.

Did you see the series that Dom Joly did? He went around wine tasting with his mate.

Just remember not to mix yer reds and whites on the same day! They have alot of wineries around here, and my wife went out with her friends 'wine-tasting'... got right hammered but was mixing the colors all day. Hell of a hangover for her and I had to take care of her for 36 hours.... not fun cleaning up after that mess.... red wine doesn't come outta the carpet nicely you know....

If it's white yer like, try a Puligny Montrachet

wine tasting trip in france sounds a fantastic idea bonz.might give it a go soon nice drop of spicy red syrah. yummy

ermm,will you be spitting it out ?

I swallow personally :)

EdelBrock wrote: Just remember not to mix yer reds and whites on the same day!

Blanc sur rouge, il y a tout qui bouge.Rouge sur blanc, tout fout le camp.

Rev Big wrote: Rhones are the best French wines. If I was wine-touring France I'd search out the Cote Roties. Supposed to be the best French wine. Mind you, I am a right posh bastard

Côtes du Rhône are a bit strong. Well less than Bourgogne but more than Bordeaux.

Bonzette wrote: Any suggestions on where and any advice or poniters in general, please?

In matters of wine, you can avoid all the North, North West. They do not make wines.

In general : For white wines, draw a line between Nantes and Strasbourg (mind Champagne is in between). For strong red wines, Bourgogne. For lighter ones, make your way down from Bourgogne between Lyon and the sea. For rosé wines, the Riviera is best. For the most natural ones, from river Rhône to Toulouse (an old law do not allow people from here to add sugar in wines or mix it with other wines - which it is not the case in all other areas). For Bordeaux, South West (around Bordeaux is the best). Problem with Bordeaux is that a cheap Bordeaux is not a proper Bordeaux (they are mixed with other wines). Try only expensive ones if you want to taste real ones.

Well, if you succeed to make this Tour de France without losing your driving licence, you're ace !

there's always the wine exhibition/ show in london & the wine museum that does trips there too...

Jiphy wrote:

EdelBrock wrote: Just remember not to mix yer reds and whites on the same day!

Blanc sur rouge, il y a tout qui bouge.Rouge sur blanc, tout fout le camp.

Not a wine drinker (actually can't stand the stuff), but it is good to know.... well at least if I read French. Didn't know there was a specific order to it. I'll pass it onto the wife...

at the moment I drink germans Liebfraumilch - a cheap brain-breaker, I like it:)

Jiphy wrote:

Côtes du Rhône are a bit strong. Well less than Bourgogne but more than Bordeaux.

Sorry Jiphy I think you're missing the point here

Chris Nash wrote: I'd recommend:

Don't go to France, (sorry Jiphy) go to Spain. Visit the Rioja - lots of great vineyards and bodegas within a very short distance, everything is cheaper and the views and food are fantastic.

Spanish white wines are often overlooked and are (in my opinion) far superior to most of their French counterparts.

The Spanish reds are unequalled for body, colour, strength, flavour, etc.

Where else can you buy a superb wine at the equivalent of 70p a bottle?

Try HERE

Some good advice from Mr Nash. I concur. Wonders will never cease.

Where's our invites, Bonzer?

EdelBrock wrote:

Jiphy wrote: Blanc sur rouge, il y a tout qui bouge.Rouge sur blanc, tout fout le camp.

Not a wine drinker (actually can't stand the stuff), but it is good to know.... well at least if I read French. Didn't know there was a specific order to it. I'll pass it onto the wife...

You are right. Do not mix. That was just a little motto in order to remember not to mix.

Chris Nash wrote: I'd recommend:

Don't go to France, (sorry Jiphy) go to Spain. Visit the Rioja - lots of great vineyards and bodegas within a very short distance, everything is cheaper and the views and food are fantastic.

Spanish white wines are often overlooked and are (in my opinion) far superior to most of their French counterparts.

The Spanish reds are unequalled for body, colour, strength, flavour, etc.

Where else can you buy a superb wine at the equivalent of 70p a bottle?

Try HERE

I am not offended. The subject was wine tasting tasting in France.

Otherwise a lot of stuff are cheaper in Spain, right. I go shopping there as the border is less than 1:30 far by car - mainly for cigarettes + parents-in-law live there...

Then, without wanting to be arrogant, there is a culture here. Nothing to do with "we know how to" but with daily habits, so that my standards are local. And no doubt about the fact that the Spaniards know how to accomodate their wines with their food. Just (personally) amazed by the massive use of garlic in their food and ajunction of sugar in their wines.

Don't feel sorry, Chris. Let me tell you that my favourite red wine is from Eger, Hungary (even cheaper than Spain...)

Rev Big wrote:

Jiphy wrote:

Côtes du Rhône are a bit strong. Well less than Bourgogne but more than Bordeaux.

Sorry Jiphy I think you're missing the point here

I'll go back to the cellar, then...

arek wrote: at the moment I drink germans Liebfraumilch - a cheap brain-breaker, I like it:)

Liebfraumilch, as far as my German goes, does that not mean "young woman's love milk"?

"Glass of fanny oil please barkeep".

Thanks all for the advice. I would love to go to Spain or Italy but think the idea is to go to France as it's slightly nearer/ cheaper etc...this time round anyway!

Taken ages to sort out, but think i've worked out a good wine tasting trip to France - looks like we're ready to book up!

Looking forward to it, will defo be different and lots of fun i'm sure!

Watch out for me in the Sunday Observer Magazine come the end of the year!

There are so many options. Do you intend doing all of France, or be more restricted to a couple of areas? Do you know what you like when it comes to French wine? For starters I would suggest going to a wine tasting in this country, there are several each year. Base your decisions on what you like and go for it.

I'm a Rhone Syrah fan and also like Languedoc wines.

You could do 3 areas easily if you do Sancerre, south to Bourgogne (Pinot Noir & Chablis) and on to the Rhone proper, Chateauneuf du Pape etc...

Doctor? wrote:

arek wrote: at the moment I drink germans Liebfraumilch - a cheap brain-breaker, I like it:)

Liebfraumilch, as far as my German goes, does that not mean "young woman's love milk"?

...or milk for a lovely lady. it depends on how you read it. do they actually still make that piss? at least they are no longer spelling it Leibfraumilch.

I was a bit worried when I saw people drinking wine coolers on Canberra Day. I really thought we'd moved on from that.

Doctor? wrote:

arek wrote: at the moment I drink germans Liebfraumilch - a cheap brain-breaker, I like it:)

Liebfraumilch, as far as my German goes, does that not mean "young woman's love milk"?

"Glass of fanny oil please barkeep".

usually there is a Virgin Mary on the bottle label, so you are actually right.

Kevin Smith wrote: There are so many options. Do you intend doing all of France, or be more restricted to a couple of areas? Do you know what you like when it comes to French wine? For starters I would suggest going to a wine tasting in this country, there are several each year. Base your decisions on what you like and go for it.

I'm a Rhone Syrah fan and also like Languedoc wines.

You could do 3 areas easily if you do Sancerre, south to Bourgogne (Pinot Noir & Chablis) and on to the Rhone proper, Chateauneuf du Pape etc...

We're only doing a couple of days. It's very beginners! I intend to improve my tasting skills though for future trips! Don't think i'll have time to check out the wine tasting places here in the UK before we go, but will defo try some out when we get back!

Or, it might be dead boring and i'll stick to my football and Becks!

You can take the girl out of Camden but............

Emily really........I'm not angry, just disappointed!