So as my time in France is soon coming to an end. I have realized that I really haven't tried that many different wines and cheeses since I have been here. Maybe I have, but not really when you consider France is famous for having a different cheese for every day of the year (365) and probably 15 times that many different wines! Therefore, for the month of June, I have stated that I wil try 100 different wines and 50 different cheeses. Budget permiting, I will have to resort to anything and everything to make this challenge a reality. 1) Wine shops typically have weekend degustations (tastings).
2) Special wine tasting events. Here at a natural wine store called Vinea, they had 12 winegrowers who only produce wines using natural process that are similar to those of ancient times. No chemicals, no chemistry, just natural science of the vine.
I am pretty sure I knocked out close to 30 of the wines off my list just this day. Some natural wines are incredible and have a dynamic profile that is far different from the characteristics of normal, production wines. For all those back home who are getting concerned, these are "tasting" events, not "drink the entire bottle" events. I have close up pictures of the spit buckets if I need to prove that I am not an out-of-control, raging French wine drinking alcoholic :)
Resources to try 50 cheeses have primarily come from visits to my 5 favorite markets every Sunday morning (Blvd Jean-Juares, Victor Hugo, Carmes, St. Aubin, and "One Behind my House that I Can't Remeber Name Of The Street "Market). The fromage mongers put samples out on the counter to promote the cheese of the week that is on sale. I can usually knock 3 or 4 cheeses off the list at each stop. Of course their is the buy and eat method, which is the most enjoyable and the commonly used steal a chunk from your roommates and landlord when they are not in the kitchen method that has proven very budget-efficient. As I read what I write, I don't think this is really going to be much of a challenge........................Cheer's and Bon Appetit to me!
So as my time in France is soon coming to an end. I have realized that I really haven't tried that many different wines and cheeses since I have been here. Maybe I have, but not really when you consider France is famous for having a different cheese for every day of the year (365) and probably 15 times that many different wines! Therefore, for the month of June, I have stated that I wil try 100 different wines and 50 different cheeses. Budget permiting, I will have to resort to anything and everything to make this challenge a reality. 1) Wine shops typically have weekend degustations (tastings).
2) Special wine tasting events. Here at a natural wine store called Vinea, they had 12 winegrowers who only produce wines using natural process that are similar to those of ancient times. No chemicals, no chemistry, just natural science of the vine.
I am pretty sure I knocked out close to 30 of the wines off my list just this day. Some natural wines are incredible and have a dynamic profile that is far different from the characteristics of normal, production wines. For all those back home who are getting concerned, these are "tasting" events, not "drink the entire bottle" events. I have close up pictures of the spit buckets if I need to prove that I am not an out-of-control, raging French wine drinking alcoholic :)
Resources to try 50 cheeses have primarily come from visits to my 5 favorite markets every Sunday morning (Blvd Jean-Juares, Victor Hugo, Carmes, St. Aubin, and "One Behind my House that I Can't Remeber Name Of The Street "Market). The fromage mongers put samples out on the counter to promote the cheese of the week that is on sale. I can usually knock 3 or 4 cheeses off the list at each stop. Of course their is the buy and eat method, which is the most enjoyable and the commonly used steal a chunk from your roommates and landlord when they are not in the kitchen method that has proven very budget-efficient. As I read what I write, I don't think this is really going to be much of a challenge........................Cheer's and Bon Appetit to me!
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