Marla Kane is a seasoned educator and an avid wine lover. She is a Wine Marketing Consultant for Artisan Wine Group and is a contributing writer for vinotripping.com.
Understanding Bordeaux Red Wine and How To Read the Labels
You say Left Bank, I say Right Friday night we covered red Bordeaux. I talked a lot about the wine and the region, having spent a week in the region last July and having created my own itinerary through extensive research. I am sharing information below that I didn’t have time to cover in the live tasting, but is important …
Champagne… ’til we meet again
Champagne: We expected about an hours drive to Reims, and when we arrived we found the city to be a bit drab. We checked in to our really different hotel, Grand Hotel Des Templier, and headed out to see the center of it all, the avenue where all of the big champagne houses are… Taittinger, Veuve Cliquot, Ruinart…. The area …
Burgundy and surprises
Burgundy: I had been warned I may see things I couldn’t unsee in Burgundy. I wasn’t sure what that meant, and my imagination certainly played out the possibilities before we arrived, but overall we had a great time. It was about a 5 hour drive from Bordeaux, so we got on the road early. The drive was easy and beautiful. …
St. Emilion and the Right Bank of Bordeaux
St. Emilion – We drove by the cutest city, all up a hill of limestone. The ancient city still stands and it is laced with cobblestone streets and little shops and cafes. The city is built on this limestone hill. The area was once underneath a great sea, and so the soil is limestone with shells and fossils. We learned …
Day 2 on the Left Bank of Bordeaux
The next morning we breakfasted and bid goodbye to Erwan, jumped in the car and headed up the Medoc towards the ocean. We arrived at Chateau Fieuzal and were greeted by Annabelle Denis, their Chargée de Communication. Annabelle has worked at Fieuzal for years. They had sent her to intern in Napa the previous year, so her English and her …
Cite Du Vin and beyond
The Cite du Vin is located in the city of Bordeaux on the bank of the river. The design was architected to look like wine swirling in a glass and it is a beautiful building. The exhibits were really interesting, all based around understanding wine, its history and enjoying wine… without actually having a glass in hand. There were many, …
Day 3 and 4: Bordeaux – Left Bank – Graves, Bordeaux and Medoc
Planning: I always do intense internet searching for any trip. Through searching, reading about tours, blogs, trip advisor and other reviews, I found castles where anyone can spend a night and it’s reasonably priced for such a special venue. Tip: If you email or call properties directly, often times they will give you a better rate than online. You may …
Vinotripping Through France
Day 1 & 2 Paris and the Loire Day 1 – Paris and beyond: I am turning 50 this year, the BIG birthday!!! I wanted to ask for a really special trip for my big birthday. I wanted it to be something out of the ordinary, and something I have dreamed about for a long time. It wasn’t so difficult …
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Day 2: Sonoma – Flanagan Winery and Riley’s Rows
Day 2: Flanagan Winery The next day we woke up early, as it was the one day we had dedicated to touring Sonoma (definitely not enough time!). We had a special invitation from Flanagan Winery to meet up with their Director of Business Development & Hospitality, Sarah Kelley, and their Owner, Eric Flanagan. We didn’t realize that we were in …