Mourning in Paris

Paris is a good place to mourn. It takes itself very seriously in a way that is sometimes tedious when you are young and full of the future, but is perfect when you are entering middle age and walking down cobblestone streets and missing someone you loved very much, particularly if that someone lived there. Paris is tonally at its most appropriate when you realize that somehow that someone, who was so intricately woven into the city — someone who, for you, was Paris — is no longer there and yet the city remains itself. The city somehow survives. But Paris absorbs your sadness like it has absorbed hundreds of years of sadness. [ . . . ] Read at NYTimes

It’s Officially Holiday Season, 2017 Beaujolais Nouveau is Here

Enjoy a snapshot of the vintage when the 2017 Beaujolais Nouveau is released, and look forward to celebrations across the country and globe.

It’s Beaujolais Nouveau time again and the verdict is in on the 2017 harvest: great quality and small quantities. And starting Thursday, drinkers can judge for themselves as the young, fruity purple wine is poured from thousands of bottles around the world.

While the great sense of occasion that has surrounded the release in the past may have lost some luster, the 2017 vintage is still worth celebration.

Beaujolais Nouveau provides the first view of the harvest. And this year, it wasn’t clear sailing. Frost, hail and then drought resulted in limited quantities of small grapes with tough skins. In the end, thanks to some rain, the harvest delivered on quality with the ripe grapes producing great wine.

Beaujolais Nouveau will be released Thursday at 12:01 am.

In the past, the wine couldn’t leave Beaujolais until release time, and lorries and cars would race dangerously across Europe to deliver the wine to thirsty consumers in time for breakfast. Now, the wine is distributed ahead of time—you just can’t buy it until the magic hour [ . . . ]

Four Beaujolais Nouveau Wines to Look For

  • Georges Duboeuf The First Wine of the Harvest Beaujolais Nouveau (Imported by Quintessential Wines)
  • Henry Fessy Beaujolais Nouveau (Imported by Louis Latour Inc.)
  • Joseph Drouhin Beaujolais Nouveau (Imported by Dreyfus, Ashby & Co)
  • Bouchard Aîné & Fils Beaujolais Nouveau (Imported by Boisset Collection)

Source: It’s Officially Holiday Season, 2017 Beaujolais Nouveau is Here | Wine Enthusiast Magazine

Southwest France wins 2017 Wine Region of the Year Award

Southwest France wins 2017 Wine Region of the Year Award

Wines of Southwest France is delighted to announce it has been named 2017 Wine Region of the Year by the Wine Enthusiast Magazine. This outstanding distinction is given each year as part of the Wine Star Awards to the region that has made an exemplary contribution to the wine industry by adopting an innovative vision and committing to sustainable excellence.

Southwest France, a lush and hilly region with a temperate oceanic climate, has received global praise over the last few years for its wines of superior value and finesse, yet highly affordable and easy to pair. With its exceptional array of 120 native grape varieties and inspiring bouquet of aromas, Southwest France is fast becoming the preferred region for both sommeliers and consumers who are looking for high-quality wines that won’t break the bank.

“Southwest France is truly honored to be internationally recognized as 2017’s top wine region,” said Paul Fabre, Managing Director of the Interprofession des Vins du Sud-Ouest. “This award not only honors over 2,000 years of hard work selecting the region’s best grapes, but also acknowledges the passion of today’s winemakers who are creating crowd-pleasing wines that are versatile and approachable.” | Read More: Southwest France wins 2017 Wine Region of the Year Award

Chagall’s Romantic Love Story Leads Sotheby’s Impressionist Sale

 

There was an unmistakable disconnect at Sotheby’s auction Tuesday evening that reinforced the results at Christie’s the night before: despite a low-energy salesroom and few bidders on each lot, some people spent a lot of money on art.

Marc Chagall was the man of the night, with his “Les Amoureux” — depicting the artist in a loving embrace with his first wife, Bella Rosenfeld — which sold for $28.4 million with fees, a high for the artist, over a top estimate of $18 million. It went to a client bidding on the telephone represented by Irina Stepanova, head of Sotheby’s Moscow office [ . . . ] More at NYTimes