05/26/17

So we both started today thinking it was tomorrow. By that I mean we woke up, went to breakfast, and chose our 10mi walk with a very specific destination in mind. We arrived at Eglise Saint Germain des Pres with 45min extra time and made the delightful discovery of a cafe called La Rhumerie we ate a snack of cod fritters and a caffe-frappe (cold coffee). Jeff’s mind was blown so simple but so good. Reminder to self, the next time we go it needs to be after the 2hr French lunch. The place was packed to the gills!

The church was having a wedding so the front became a zoo while we were waiting there for our food tour. Guides came and went but we were still there twiddling our thumbs, finally Jeff decided to take a stance and call the tour company…no answer. At this point I am overheating, caffeine fueled, and ticked off. I call our Marriott concierge, 20 min later we are informed that our tour is booked for yes… tomorrow….sweet.

Notre Dame is fantastic and packed, Jeff discovered a  tour to the top of the towers but the line wraps the entire building! We are determined to wake up tomorrow and make it happen, fingers crossed since our attempt will take place on Saturday.

I break out my meager French skills at a bakery, she hands me the things I asked for. Jeff is seriously impressed, he asks me how I knew that. I inform him I took 3 years of French in high school, he is shocked (Apparently he thought I could speak Spanish?(Where was this question for the rehearsal dinner?)). 10 miles later we are chilling in the AC at the hotel, drinking wine and eating pastry that tastes like Christmas Cookies  (almond yum).

Tonight’s tasting ❤

Wine #1 Bourgogne- Hautes Cotes de Beaune -Domaine Bonnardot- Chardonnay

• Flavors: Citrus, Vanilla, Caramel (from oak)
• Paired w/ Cow Cheese: Burrata

Wine #2 Bordeaux- Saint-Emilion Grand Cru- Chateau Vieux Taillefer- Merlot

• Flavors: Smokey, currents, ripe fruit, prunes, hint of chocolate.
• Paired w/ Irish strip steak, roasted potatoes, and celery root puree.

Wine #3 Loire- Vouvray- Sebastien Brunet- La Folie- Chenin Blanc

• Flavors: Green apple, honey, honey suckle
• Paired w/ Wild berries cheesecake

New (to us) Wine Facts!!!

Champagne

• Champagne is made from 3 types of grapes Chardonnay (white grape), Pilot noir (red grape), and Pinot Meunier(red grape). (The skins of the grapes are removed so the wine is white and absent of tannins.)
• The narrow champagne glasses keep the carbon dioxide from escaping the champagne quickly.

Barrels

• American oak lends coconut flavors
• European oak adds clove, cinnamon, caramel

Age

• Young red wines have a purple tinge
• Old red wines develop a brick color
• Corks are best for red wine because it needs to breathe to develop.

• Young white wines have a green to silver tint.
• Old white wines are golden or amber colored.
• Screw tops are best for white wines as they do not need to breathe.

Climates- Color

• Warm climate: Thick skinned grapes, so dark the wines are hard to see through.
• Cold climate: Thinner grape skin, lighter colored wines.

Bordeaux Region

• Right bank is fruity and smooth, usually Merlot
• Left bank is structured and powerful usually Cabernet Sauvignon.

Th-tha-that’s all for tonight folks!