Food & Wine — Sparkling Wine

  Continued from Part I Jeanne Krug: Mme Krug married into the 3rd generation of House Krug. She distinguished herself not as a widow, but as a formidable leader and an heroic individual during her husband’s imprisonment in Germany between 1915 and 1917. A young woman and mother of a toddler, she guided the winery through the First World War. During the thousand-day bombardment of Reims that destroyed 80% of the village, Mme Krug opened up the House Krug cellars to shelter Reims citizens and troops during the bombardment, providing a school, chapel and infirmary in the cellars. She also led...

Historically, men have dominated the field of winemaking. When it comes to champagne, it is surprising that women have been pivotal in transforming the beverage from an overly sweet, cloudy carbonated dessert wine to the glamorous, sparklingly-clear champagne celebrated today. Some aspects of champagne’s Methode Traditionnelle can be traced directly to the Grandes Dames de Champagne—the women who seized the reigns of champagne houses through inheritance and bravado.  Les Grandes Dames In 19th-century France, women could not own a business without the permission of their husband or father unless they were widowed. The widows who controlled champagne houses in that...

The celebration of the Chinese New Year is upon us. Just across the Pacific Ocean, communities in Asia celebrate their biggest holiday of the year. The festivities will last typically two weeks long. In a none covid year, usually there will be multiple family gatherings and lavish meals. According to a recent survey commissioned by Vinexpo, Chinese red wine consumption is now the largest in the world, surpassing France and Italy. Much of this will also influence how Chinese food will be paired with wine. In the spirit of the new year let's march to this year's lineup of wines to...

Fresh, light and slightly sweet, Clairette de Die is an excellent alternative sparkling for your meal.  Clairette de Die, a sparkling wine older than Champagne is one of the oldest sparkling wine in France.  According to local legend, the process of making Clairette de Die was accidentally discovered by a Gallic shepherd. The shepherd was chilling a bottle of local wine in the cool waters of La Drôme river and forgot about it. Upon discovering it in the Spring, the wine was found to be carbonated. Gallic tribes would then leave jars of wine in the river over the winter and...

Mother's Day in coming up very soon and time is running out. However there is still time to do something sweet to give Mom a little sugar. We suggest trying this recipe for Blueberry Lavender Waffles! The wonderful lavender aromas add a beautiful flavor complexity to the dish that delight and surprise her. Just be sure to use edible lavender from the spice section of your local market and not from the sachet in her sock drawer. Serve these up as breakfast in bed or for dessert after a long day of spoiling and relaxation. Of course you can always...