The Irish are coming........

The next day after another hearty meal in Bordeaux, Jean Michel Cazes took us on a tour of the Lynch-Bages winery. It was in full working force since the wine vendage was done a week ago. Red opaque liquid was pouring out several steel vats like a Roman Bordeaux bath house. Mr Cazes told me that this was going to be a very special year in Bordeaux. The grapes were as plump and juicy as in many great vintages. As we walked besides the steel containers, I could smell the pure sweet raison awaking my senses. Jean Michel handed me a glass of the grape juice that is destined to become a great Bordeaux. It tasted like warm sweet wine sans alcohol laced with pure tannin. Absolute anti-age tonic in a mouthful! And to think it may have been one of my Irish ancestors who helped founded Lynch-Bages. My grandfather Sullivan's mother maiden name was Lynch. Thomas Lynch made his way to Bordeaux in 1691! Then, to round out the Lynch dynasty, there is my favorite wine transporter and bon vivant, Kermit Lynch. That is a good enough excuse to drink a little bit more of this red nectar...I have it in my blood!

Stop in Savigny- les- Beaune

Every time I make the car exodus from Paris to Provence, I try to plan a stop over in Burgundy. One, because it cuts the eight hour drive into two reasonable four hour days. And two, because it gives me a chance to do a little wine hunting...I get a chance to pull out all those little wine tasting notes that I have been storing on my iPhone and try to find the secretive little wine domains in my favorite pinot noir country.  What better place to stop off than Savigny-les Beaune.  I did not have enough time nor energy to hit the northern Cote d'Or section so I settled tasting a local wine, a favorite of the inn keeper of Le Vieux Moulin, where we were spending the night.  One of the things I love about wine hunting is that I get a chance to actually meet the faces behind the wine label.  I love asking the winemakers questions about our mutual passion , wine.  I also learn a lot about the on going family feuds or regional politics. I am a big fan of Kermit Lynch, a  San Francisco wine lover who has a mind blowing wine store in Berkeley. Kermit was one of the first to introduce French wine to the American palate. His love for Burgundy, Cotes du Rhone and of course, Bandol  was really music to my ears.  I truly wish we had a Kermit Lynch wine store here in France. I know that sounds silly but not when you read his newsletters about his latest finds ...go to.....newsletters@kermitlynch.com. I highly recommend reading his "Adventures of the Wine Route" which was penned twenty years ago but reads like it was written last summer. He also has a  dry sense of humor and is a musician to boot. Plus I heard he resides not too far from my home in Provence.  We love you Kermit!!