Sh*t got real this week in my world of wine studies. I dove head first into France…the regions, the sub-regions, the laws, the grapes. I’m cross eyed and stumbling around the house and I haven’t even had a sip of the stuff yet, yeah, it’s that intense. One of the tips my mentor gave me to help with the process is to have a glass of something I’m studying to make it more fun and identify the flavor profiles with the regions. You have to try it to know it, right? So while I’m making up mnemonic devices to remember the geography (Bought the Lightest Champagne Already Because Beautiful Rainy Valleys are South with Perfect Lighting – Bordeaux, Loire Valley, Champagne, Alsace, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Rhone Valley, South of France (which includes Provence, Languedoc Roussillon)) I’m opening up this bottle of goodness from the “Rainy Valley”. Sante!

Featured Wine: Grandes Serres Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Southern Rhone region, France, 14% Alcohol, $24.95 at BevMo (have to admit I spent too much, I was in a rush and bought something I knew would give me the flavor profile of the region…next time TJ’s), would be lovely paired with grilled meats, pastas with red sauce something with a punch because it packs a BIG one!

A few fun facts:

• Unlike New World wines labeled by the varietal (Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon), most French wines are labeled by the area they come from
• Châteauneuf-du-Pape permits up to thirteen different grapes to be used in their red wine blend but it is predominantly Grenache
• Flavor profiles include black fruits (blackbery, black currant, blueberries), earth and oak
• Châteauneuf-du-Pape tends to be high in alcohol and has very little if any sweetness
• I’m kind of obsessed with the blue of this label and wrapper…may have just found the inspiration color to paint the bedroom dresser…yeaher!