Food & Wine — travel

  Ban des Vendages or Jurade de Saint-Emilion is a celebration of wine harvest and heritage of the medieval town of Saint-Emilion. Usually held in late fall or at the start of harvest season, the Jurade (Ambassadors of the wines of Saint-Emilion) organizes the festival and lead a parade through town in their traditional crimson robes. Ban de Vendage literally translates to "lifting the ban of the harvest", in other words, putting an end to the period during which grapes-picking was forbidden.  Historically, the Jurade was originally set up as a quest for quality and the experts were sent into the...

A 14-hour journey will land you in this picturesque country filled with exotic nature, hospitality, food, and wine like you have never experienced. Travel to New Zealand though a bottle of wine or book your next vacation to “Middle earth”.   New Zealand’s two elongated islands, geography and link with maritime climate makes this region one of the best for producing world class wines. New Zealand is divided into two parts. The North Island, which is slightly warmer (closer to the equator), and the South Island, which is a bit cooler and home to the more famed wine growing appellations....

Check out our Virtual Tasting with the wines of Montpellier and our latest imports from France.  Without the luxury of traveling, let's reminisce some of our current discoveries from a historical wine region from France. Imagine the Southern Coast of France shaped like a crescent with Provence to the east and Rousillon to the South. The city of Montpellier is located 6 miles from the coast, is about 2 hours from Marseille, 1.5 hour from Perpignan and a 4-hour train ride from Paris. It is famous for its University, one of the oldest in the world, founded in 1160. Nostradamus, the...

Plaza Mayor, Madrid When you come to Madrid you will finally understand why Madrid is the center of Spain. The Puerta del Sol Gate of the Sun is a busy square located in the middle of the city. This is exactly 0 kilometers of the network of Spanish roads. In fact, there is actually a plaque on the square that symbolizes the 0 starting point. It is in Madrid where we start our journey of discovering Spanish food and wine. Just a few minutes walking distance southwest of the square is another famous structure called Plaza Mayor. Finished in 1619,...

Just under two hours away from Paris  awaits one of the most magnificent region for wine production. Specifically the region of Champagne, the king of all sparkling wine. Some people say you only drink Champagne for special occassions, however here at Plume Ridge Bottle Shop we tend to differ. Champagne should be enjoyed at any time and paired with meals just like you would with regular still wines. To understand Champagne, one must also understand how it is made and why it is so different from all the other sparkling wines on the market. View our article on the difference...