At the 48th parallel, Champagne is the most northerly wine region in France. The challenge of ripening at such a northerly extreme can be a challenge, and quality can vary widely from year to year. Through the centuries, the large merchant houses of Champagne developed a system of blending from multiple vineyards and vintages as a means of maintaining a consistency. And although the "méthode champenoise" process is mimicked worldwide to create sparkling wine, the distinctive flavor of Champagne has yet to be replicated anywhere else on earth. 

While 96% of all Champagne is produced by either a grande marque or a co-op, the popularity of "farmer fizz" has risen steadily. One can confirm that a wine was grown and produced by a small grower by looking for a tiny code on the bottom of the wine’s side label. If the code begins with "RM" (Récoltant Manipulant), it means the growers grew the grapes and made the wine themselves.

I recently wrote a few words about Champagne on our website. Click here and scroll down to read more about all the diversity and pleasure that the Champagne has to offer. 

 

Images from previous visits to the Jura: 1. The Jura near Arbois; 2. Arbois Vineyard; 3. River Cuisance in Arbois; 4. Arbois; 5. Tasting at Henri Maire; 6. Tasting Château-Chalon; 7. Jesse and Jacques Puffeney; 8. Puffeney's dinner; 9. Voile; 10. La Cuisance in Arbois; 11. Chicken and Morels; 12. Vines in Pupillin; 13. Pierre Overnoy peels potatoes; 14. Beth sips a Macvin du Jura. 

We're eagerly anticipating the arrival of our first container of wines from France and Italy that will include wines from our two Jura producers: Domaine Pignier and David Geneletti. This is a fascinating region that has been surging in popularity here in the United States thanks to a handful of dedicated importers and more than a few enthusiastic consumers. 

To the uninitiated, the wines of the Jura can seem strange and almost of another era. The wines are sometimes knowingly and deliberately oxidized and many of its grape varieties are quite uncommon. Jura wines are some of the world's most long-lived and reward the patient collector with an extraordinary array of flavor and texture after years of cellarage.  They are also some of the world's greatest wines at the table. No piece of Comté cheese should ever be served without a nutty glass of Vin Jaune and no pâté en croute is complete without a savage Trousseau to accompany it. 

I recently wrote a few words about the Jura to accompany the Jura selections on our website. Click here and scroll down to learn about its unique grape varieties, unusual methods of production and the specific vocabulary surrounding the remarkable wines of the Jura. 

 

 

Photos from a visit to Chablis in December 2008: 1. Bernard Raveneau; 2. Tasting at Domaine François Raveneau; 3. Tasting at Agnes et Didier Dauvissat; 4. Jesse on a cold winter day in Chablis; 5. Domaine Louis Michel et Fils; 6. Chablis in the snow. 

We just received word from the importer that the highly anticipated wines of Thomas Pico's Domaine Pattes Loup have finally arrived in San Francisco. We took a position on these wines after tasting them for the first time back in January and have been eagerly counting the days when we could taste them again and ship them to our customers throughout the United States. 

I recently wrote a few words about the special flavor of Chablis to accompany the Chablis selections on our website. Click here and scroll down to read more about why we believe Chablis produces some of the most unique and flavorful white wines on the planet. 

Photos from the Sommelier Journal Terroir Experience 2011. Cool climate Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah from the California coastline.