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4 French Wines for the Olympics



Woman drinking Champagne by Eiffel Tower
Raise a Glass to the Paris Olympics!

All eyes will be on Paris this summer as the world’s best athletes compete in the Olympic Games from July 26 to Aug 11. As you sit on your couch cheering on your favorite long jumpers, gymnasts and divers, I’ve got four French wines for the Olympics that you should be sipping.

 



Bottle of Clos Cibonne
Cult Classic Rosé

Clos Cibonne Tibouren Cuvee Tradition

This was hands down the favorite rosé in a recent class I taught on Provence wines. I wasn’t surprised. The Clos Cibonne Tibouren is the most interesting, complex and unexpected rosé I’ve ever tried. It’s been a cult classic among French wine lovers forever and it dispels the notion that rosé can’t be serious. You could easily age this wine for a decade…if you can resist uncorking it for that long.

 

The wine is 90 percent Tibouren and 10 percent Grenache. Tibouren is a finicky thin-skinned grape that needs the perfect growing conditions found at the Cotes de Provence vineyards of Clos Cibonne. The wine is a salmon pink color, boarding on the color of orange wine. On the nose you’ll get stone fruit, fresh raspberries and hints of hazelnuts and blood orange.

 

This is a wine meant for food. So grab some Provencal Roquefort cheese, or whip up a salad Nicoise.

 



Champagne bottle and box
Celebrate the Olympics with Champagne


Ayala Brut Majeur

Bubbles always means joie de vivre and celebrations making it a perfect pairing for the Olympics.

 

In 2021 I visited the House of Ayala in Ay, a small town in the Champagne region. I was staying in an apartment on the iconic Avenue des Champagne in Epernay where many of the major Champagne houses sit, but I wanted to experience a lesser-known producer as well.

 

Ayala dates to 1860 and focuses on low-dosage Chardonnay-based Champagne crafted from the cru vineyards throughout the region. It was one of the first to focus on a drier style of Champagne. While Ayala began as a small, family-owned house, it was acquired by Bollinger in 2005. Thankfully, the property remains charming, and the Champagne still sticks to the Ayala tradition.

 

The Ayala Brut Majore typifies the Ayala style. It’s a blend of more than 70 Champagne crus coming from Côte des Blancs, Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne, Aube, Vitryat, and Sézannais. Aged for three years on lees, it’s a blend of 55% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir and 15% Meunier. It’s a balanced wine with notes of citrus and flower.

 

 



bottle of white Burgundy
The best Village Burgundy available


2020 Domaine Bernard Moreau Chassagne-Montrachet

I’m a huge fan of white Burgundy, so I was thrilled to share the Domaine Bernard Moreau Chassagne-Montrachet during a class I taught on Burgundy wines. This is easily one of the best village-level expressions of Chardonnay in all of Burgundy.

 

It's a full-bodied, powerful Chardonnay with 1/3 of the grapes coming from Chassagne-Montrachet and 2/3 from Puligny Chassagne-Montrachet. The wine has great acidity with notes of orchard fruit and oak.

 

The winery is family-owned and dates to the early 1800s. The grapes are hand-harvested and the winemaker takes a minimalist approach to its production.

 

I enjoyed many premiere cru white burgundies while I was in the region and none were as good as this Chassagne-Montrachet.

 



bottle of reisling
A crisp Alsace is perfect for the summer Olympics

2022 Paul Blanck Riesling Classique

If you’re a wine lover looking for a wine region straight out of a fairy tale to explore, the Alsace is it. I’ve been to this region twice and its storybook villages and phenomenal white wines make it one of my favorite underrated European wine areas.

 

Paul Blanck has produced wine in the Alsace since the 17th century. Located in northern France near Germany, it’s no surprise that Riesling is a standout varietal in the region. This certified organic expression offers up a bouquet of jasmine and honey on the nose along with apricot, green apple and underripe mango. You’ll also get that telltale petroleum note that Riesling is known for.

 

Going to the Olympics


hotel lobby
Relax in the Hotel Montalembert's cozy lobby

If you’re heading to the Olympics (or planning a trip to Paris after) the Hotel de Sers near the Champs-Elysées or Hotel Montalembert near the Louvre are two affordable luxury hotels in the city. There are plenty of wine bars in the city, but my two favorites are Willi’s Wine Bar and Au Pere Louis, the bar my husband and I had our first date.   

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