France Archives - Circle of Wine Writers

Occitanie Wine School launches series of educational videos

Posted on November 9, 2020November 9, 2020 by Amanda Barnes

During these quiet months, Bureau de la Région Occitanie UK has been busy on its new initiative to support wine trade professionals who haven’t had the usual essential tastings, training and travel to enjoy. A new series of Occitanie Wine School videos has been swiftly filmed, to let them watch and learn anytime, anywhere in just five to ten minutes. Each video is a compact, fast facts guide on a...

Promise amongst the peaks and the pumice

Posted on September 6, 2020September 9, 2020 by Wink Lorch

Continuing on from her introductory article in August’s Circular on the Côtes d’Auvergne region in the Puy de Dôme department, within the volcanic part of France’s Massif Central, Wink Lorch visits producers big and small, and finds plenty of potential in the region that has altitude and ash to its advantage. With only about 400 hectares (ha), Côtes d’Auvergne inspired me to think once again abou...

An eruption of Gamay in Côtes d’Auvergne

Posted on August 8, 2020 by Wink Lorch

In the first of two articles, Wink Lorch leaves the French Alps and veers into volcanic mountain territory to explore the Côtes d’Auvergne, a wine region that has risen from the ashes, and is joined by fellow CWW member and Loire expert Jim Budd. The second instalment is due to appear in September’s edition of The Circular. Having been lucky enough to spend lockdown high up in my French Alpine ho...

Living it up at Livres en vignes

Posted on February 4, 2020February 7, 2020 by Jon Wyand

Jon Wyand shows what to expect on bringing out a wine book with a French publisher as he goes under a hedonistic house arrest at Château du Clos de Vougeot. One benefit of struggling through the production of a wine book with a French publisher is that you’ll probably be invited to Livres en Vignes, when it has been published. It’s a kind of house arrest at Château du Clos de Vougeot, where you s...

Book review: Wines of the French Alps, by Wink Lorch

Posted on October 7, 2019October 9, 2019 by Dave DeSimone

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Wink Lorch releases Wines of the French Alps book

Posted on September 8, 2019September 11, 2019 by Amanda Barnes

Wink Lorch has released her second book, Wines of the French Alps: Savoie, Bugey and beyond, which she self-published at the end of July under the imprint Wine Travel Media. Wink had advance funding from 450 backers of the Kickstarter campaign she ran in 2017. She notes that backers were extremely supportive when she had to put back publication several times due to the illness and subsequent de...