By: Tom Kearney | Feb 06, 2011 | #
Dive Bouteille
So we’re fresh off the plane from a wine tasting excursion to the Loire Valley with Jenny & Francois, our favorite wine importers. We did this trip two years ago and it was brutal work, visiting winemaker’s homes from 8am til midnight tasting countless wines driving for hours across the French countryside. I know that sounds phony and affected but it’s true. This time we focused on just a few visits to domaines and a couple salon-style tastings. One of the coolest tastings was the Dive Bouteille, a natural wine producer’s tasting that takes place at Château Brézé near Saumur in the middle of nowhere. There’s definitely an element of mystery and romance involved here. Over one hundred natural winemakers gather in the underground 12th century caves of this incredible castle. It’s a kind of all-star game of French natural wines. It’s also a place where you can discover new winemakers getting into the biodynamic scene. Overall pretty thrilling to taste all afternoon on into the night in the chilly french air with the warmth and smoke from bonfires all around. The tasting lasts two days and ends with a grand dinner where everyone gets to swallow instead of spit. Hmm, that doesn’t sound right.
