It’s great to introduce people to adventurous and exciting grape types like Cabernet Franc. If you’re not familiar with this varietal, it is one of the common blending grapes in Bordeaux, mostly used on the right banks of Pomerol and Saint Emilion. The Loire Valley also grows this grape (most commonly seen as “Chinon” on the label.)

I recently attended a luncheon at NoMi where I got to enjoy the lively and elegant wines of Pascal Jolivet, a dynamic producer from the Loire Valley, with a perfectly paired menu of fresh, seasonal foods. And, the best part was having the opportunity to learn about each of the wines we were sipping from Monsieur Jolivet himself.

OK, maybe you say it would taste good WITH chicken. But I think this bad boy is a flavor experience all by itself.
Famed blogger Dr. Vino, aka Tyler Colman, was in Chicago today at Just Grapes speaking about some wines coming out of France that do more than part with tradition—they go running from it.
Our fifth wine was [...]