Though my parents were not wine drinkers once I got into my late teens I discovered the joys of the grape.  My first tastes were of the very sweet and inexpensive variety:  Yago. Sangria:

Blue Nun White Wine:

Lancer’s Rose which came in a beautiful stoneware bottle:

Riunite Lambrusco:

Chianti in a straw basket:

Beringer White Zinfandel

 

As my taste buds matured and my waller expanded I have gone on to  discover a treasure trove of delicious flavorful wines.  One of my favorites is Vouvray, a French White Wine which has varieties ranging from dry to sweet to sparkling.  And the only vineyards that produce this wine are in the Loire Valley.

During my journey through the Loire Valley I had the opportunity to visit the Domaine Huet Winery.  .  First, we were taken down into stone caves , although this time instead of seeing mushrooms, we saw rows and rows of tilted chilled bottles of sparkling and non sparkling vouvray varietals ( in this case they sometimes mix years, not grapes as in Merlot).

The bottles are tilted and varied angles depending on age, so that the impurities can settle at the top neck of the bottle – they are then removed when the bottles is finally corked.

 

We then had a tasting of five different vouvrays that ranged from semi dry to very sweet.

 

Now very mellow, we took a turn through the grape wines – simply divine:

To cap off the day we returned to our small chateau/hotel  where our suites were efficiency apartments complete with a full kitchen. We decided to cook dinner or rather our guides Massimo (an Italian expat living in Paris offered to make his special mushroom risotto using some mushroom purchased at the caves.  We added in cheeses and wines from the farm.  The wine flowed and it was a grand night!

 

Ah la vie!

 

#