BOTTLES + BATTLES: Recent Episodes
Richard Carden
Sancerre is a wine that sparks visceral reactions - both positive and negative. When done well, it can be one of the great expressions of sauvignon blanc, and one of the reasons wine lovers talk about terroir and minerality. But Sancerre is more than just great white wine. It is also a region that makes some lovely pinot noirs. And it is a region that fought with great determination during the French Wars of Religion in the 16th century. Join us to celebrate the wine and the history of Sancerre.
As Viking invaders moved inland from the Atlantic towards Paris, the Benedictine monks of Tours fled west, eventually settling in Chablis where they would develop one of France's great vineyards. But the true magic of Chablis begins 150 million years ago at the bottom of a sea. Join us as we trace the history of Chablis and learn what makes its wine the paragon of minerality and one of the ultimate expressions of Chardonnay.
Champagne is the go to wine for celebrations and special occasions. But how did it reach its lofty reputation? Join us as we discuss the importance of women to champagne across the centuries, and as we look at the champagne region during the world wars. Finally, come along with us for a tasting of an outstanding example of champagne from a house founded and once again run by the women of Champagne.
In 1907, winemakers in the south of France revolted against the proliferation of fake and adulterated wines flooding the market and the French government's failure to address the problem. Led by an unassuming but charismatic resident of the small village of Argeliers, Marcelin Albert (nicknamed the Cicada), the winemakers aroused the passion of hundreds of thousands. Their efforts eventually forced the government to put laws in place that serve as the basis for the modern French wine industry.
How do you use wine tasting and analysis to your advantage when you are in real-life environments like bars, restaurants and wine cellars? We give you an overview of the wine tasting process and how you can take what you learn and build your personal database of preferred taste profiles. The more you develop that database, the better you will become at working with sommeliers and wine shop attendants to find wines you will like, wherever they are from.
We take you on a virtual tour of Minerve, walking you through the history of the Albigensian crusade by the Catholics against the Cathars. We take you through the five-week siege of Minerve in the summer of the year 1210. And then, we do two wine pairings that match beautifully with the experience of visiting Minerve. After listening, we hope that you will want to put Minerve and the Languedoc region of southern France in your upcoming travel plans!
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