February 15, 2012, by: Stephen George
Pierre Bernault with his windmills
Anyone who knows much about winemaking knows that the romantic stereotype of life in the vines is just that – a stereotype. Winemaking can be romantic, of course; but it can also be risky and fraught with uncertainty. After all, Mother Nature has a long history of being a fickle master.
Consider Pierre Bernault, owner of an ancient chateau and plot of vines in Montagne Saint Emilion where he and Stéphane Derenoncourt craft Montesquieu Winery’s Moulin du Paradis blend: “You can lose an entire year’s income by surprise in the course of three weeks because of weather,” says Pierre. “But I like to take risks.” View Full Post
February 13, 2012, by: Lisa Duff Khajavi
Ahhh romance…here at Montesquieu Winery we love to celebrate, and Valentine’s Day is a favorite. Who can resist the classic pairing of love and wine? Not us!
As we celebrate this year, we’d like to share some delicious pairings for some of our favorite Montesquieu Wines—we raise a glass to love, romance and delectable wines!
In water one sees one’s own face. But in wine, one beholds the heart of another…French proverb
In this spirit we share our winemaker Hélène Mingot‘s idea of the ideal romantic pairing:
“For me the perfect tête-à-tête wine is our Moulin du Paradis paired with a beef stew if it is raining, or paired with duck breast or beef entrecôte grilled outside on a vine-wood fire. We gather the canes from pruning and burn them in our outdoor barbecue, pruning is always in season for Valentine’s Day. Start with our Gabriel Simon Grand Cru Champagne and a duo of fresh and smoked salmon. French wines are the best to celebrate love! But I am French, so I’m not very objective!” View Full Post
February 10, 2012, by: Lisa Duff Khajavi
Valpolicella Classico
It has been said that there is hardly an inch of Italy that isn’t suitable for growing grapes for wine production. As a result, Italy has the most diverse array of individual wine styles, micro-climates and indigenous grape varieties in the wine world!
One of the most distinctive and treasured of all Italian wines—and one that we at Montesquieu Winery believe has a particularly interesting history—is the Amarone della Valpolicella from the Veneto region in the province of Verona. Valpolicella has been producing wines since ancient times, and even its name reflects a longstanding relationship with wine— “Val polis cellae” means “the valley of many cellars”. View Full Post
January 29, 2012, by: Lisa Duff Khajavi
Michel Rolland and Doc Hendley in Napa
It’s always a pleasure to spend time in Napa. But when you’re there to finalize the details of a special project with two people as passionate and impressive as CNN Hero Doc Hendley, founder of Wine to Water, and renowned winemaker Michel Rolland, as we were recently, well it’s all that much more exciting. We are thrilled to announce our joint project—one that pulls together all of our resources and passions to provide permanent sources of clean water for Dale, a community in Ethiopia that is in desperate need (see the press release here).
6 out of every 10 people in Dale lack access to clean water, resulting in death due to waterborne diseases. Lack of clean water is actually the number one killer of children worldwide—more than HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. It is terribly tragic, but the good news is that there is something we can all do about it! View Full Post
January 24, 2012, by: Lisa Duff Khajavi
In the wine world this time of year there are plenty of lists featuring resolutions, reflections looking back, predictions looking forward and the like. Join us as we keep an eye on the following trends, which we at Montesquieu Winery feel will be especially interesting to watch in 2012.
China will continue to grow and make headlines. In 2011 China surpassed the UK in becoming the fifth largest consumer of wine in the world by volume. As wine drinkers’ tastes migrate and expand, new markets and opportunities will continue to emerge which will surely result in the popularity of a wider variety of wines and the various regions and countries they hail from. Recent studies show an increase in the number of women wine drinkers in China and that they are drinking more white wines, with white Burgundies reportedly in hot demand. View Full Post
December 31, 2011, by: Lisa Duff Khajavi
We at Montesquieu Winery wish everyone a most Happy New Year! Reflecting back on 2011, it has been such an eventful year full of unique and wonderful wine adventures including our first Montesquieu Grand Cru Champagne, the release of our coveted 2007 Derenoncourt California wines, our first Juntarse from the Uco Valley co-produced with Michel Rolland, our developing relationship with Doc Hendley and his team at Wine to Water and so much more!
Our journey to make and find truly distinctive wines has taken us around the world and back again, and we’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the relationships old and new that make it all happen! So we raise a glass to you wine lovers everywhere– clients, winemakers, wine brokers and all–we value your part in making our community so vibrant, cheers!
May your enjoyment of wine among friends and family highlight the best of times, soothe the edges of challenges and bring a smile and spring to your step as we look forward to 2012!
Happy New Year to all!
December 22, 2011, by: Lisa Duff Khajavi
Villa d'Este, Lake Como
On the shores of Lake Como at the historical five-star hotel Villa d’ Este, the third annual World Wine Symposium (WWS) took place in November — and we at Montesquieu Winery were thrilled to participate. The WWS, also known as the “Davos of Wine”, was created by François Mauss, president and founder of the prestigious European Grand Jury wine tasting organization.
Several years ago, François partnered with some of the world’s most famous winemakers – Aubert de Villaine, Angelo Gaja, Pablo Alvarez (Vega Sicilia), and Alain Vauthier (Ausone) – to bring together the leading players in the wine industry from all over the globe for several days of sharing, learning and networking.
It is their belief that wine is not simply a commercial commodity, but rather a product with unique historical and cultural dimensions that must be protected and defended. This concept is paramount to these famous producers— for example, Villaine is leading a campaign to add the Côte de Beaune and the Côte de Nuits, along with their system of climats (specific vineyard sites), to the list of Unesco World Heritage sites. View Full Post
December 2, 2011, by: Lisa Duff Khajavi
Winemaker's Dinner with Thierry Haberer
Just before the release of our groundbreaking 2010 Montesquieu Juntarse at the end of October, we had the pleasure to reconnect and share a great meal and wines with Thierry Haberer, winemaker for the renowned Michel Rolland. Thierry oversees wine production for the international Rolland Collection including the Mariflor wines from the Uco Valley, which we represent exclusively here in the U.S.
Thierry is also an integral part of our collaboration with Michel in our new project together, a series of co-branded wines from Mendoza’s Uco Valley crafted especially for our Montesquieu clients. The Juntarse– a maverick blend of Cabernet, Syrah and Malbec from some of Michel’s top vines – is our first release from this venture. Throughout the process, Michel and Thierry worked closely with our team to create a wine of exceptional quality and singular character. View Full Post
November 25, 2011, by: Lisa Duff Khajavi
As we enjoy leftovers and reflect on our Thanksgiving celebrations—savoring quality time with friends and family sharing delicious dishes and favorite wines—we would like to be sure to say thank you to all the wonderful people that make up our Montesquieu Winery community.
Thank you to our clients all over the country, who have joined us on our journey of discovering and drinking some of the world’s most delicious and exciting wines. We are privileged to work with you, to get to know you and your preferences and share each other’s stories as we seek to enhance quality of life through the appreciation and enjoyment of wine. We are constantly inspired hearing how our wines have been a part of your lives; being a part of your wine experience is very meaningful to us! View Full Post
November 17, 2011, by: Lisa Duff Khajavi
2005 Hospices de Beaune, Auxey-Duresses 1er Cru Cuvee Boillot
With Thanksgiving just a week away, we would like to share some traditions and recipes from past Thanksgivings with some of our favorite Montesquieu Wines, plus a few tips for including wines in some of your cooking. Wines as well as spirits make a wonderful layering component for flavor when added to various dishes! And of course, as W.C. Fields said best, “ I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.” So open a bottle of one of your favorites, and enjoy these recommendations and this delectable holiday! View Full Post
