Our favourite Cotes-du-Rhone, the Vidal-Fleury 2005, is no longer available (I have to say we have drunk our fair share of the Aussie contingent...), so we tried the 2007 vintage.
Although still very good, it was not as smooth as the 2005 vintage.
This triggered a new search, and we went onto try the Saint-Cosmes 2009, and the Clos Petite Bellane 2007.
Read our review on our Wine page
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To celebrate our first birthday, we are introducing a newsletter to keep you posted (so to speak...) on anything new on our blog or elsewhere on our website.
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* Of Gods and Men, http://www.frenchfilmfestival.org/Films.aspx?articleId=4483
* My Father's Guests. http://www.frenchfilmfestival.org/Films.aspx?articleId=4493
* The Women of the 6th Floor. http://www.frenchfilmfestival.org/Films.aspx?articleId=4508
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* Potiche. http://www.frenchfilmfestival.org/Films.aspx?articleId=4480
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 I had heard of Andrew Guard before, but never had a chance to try any of the wines that he imports mainly from France.
Having lunch today at Fratelli's in Potts Point, one of our favourite Saturday lunch spots (if you can find a table...) we were enticed to try a Domaine Les Genestas 2007, a Cotes-du-Rhone that turned out to be exceptional in its character and suppleness.
Interestingly enough, looking at the label at the back of the bottle (Is there a back and a front to a cylindrical object???...), we found out that it was part of the small collection of wines imported by Andrew Guard. We found out much later over a second cup of coffee taken at the bar, that Fratelli also have a Cotes-du-Ventoux from the same merchant.
Domaine Les Genestas is a relatively new winery, part of the cooperative "Cave des Vignerons d'Estezargues" , where vignerons can contribute collectively, or under their own label. They all practice organic and biodynamic grape growing and winemaking techniques.
This particular wine is 50% Shiraz, 30% Grenache and 20% Mourvedre, an interesting combinaison.
For reference, my favourite Cotes-du-Rhone from Vidal-Fleury is 50% Grenache, 30% Shiraz and 20% Mourvedre and should be rounder than Les Genestas, but the jury is out there to decide which one is going to be my new favourite...
The vineyards are at Southern end of the Appellation and on the Pont du Gard side of the Rhone river, on your way from Avignon to Uzes, and are part of a new appelation created in 2004: Cotes-du-Rhone Signargues.
I have posted links to reviews and corresponding websites on our "links" page.
Yes, one year already! And over a thousand visitors, most coming from Australia and New Zealand, followed closely by North America and Europe, which were our target markets from the onset.
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And here are a few more photos for your enjoyment!
 Some of the treasures we brought back from Canberra and its surroundings Well, for most of you, dear readers, it would be winter, but obviously, "Down Under" it is still summer - sort of, if you exclude floods, cyclone Yasi, and no more bananas... - and we had some scorching days here in Sydney.
summer is a very special time in Australia as it coincides with Christmas and no more work than in August in France...
It is only after Australia Day on January 26 that the nation comes back to life, with most tradies coming back to site and children going back to school.
So, what one does during that long period of semi-activity or plain lethargy?
One goes to the beach, one gets to discover other parts of Australia or the World (at any given time one out of every 43 Australians is overseas!), and enjoy company of spouse and children, or extended family and friends sharing seafood and fruits around the "barbie" with a beer or a good bottle of wine,
or one can read:
I thought I would share with you the three books that are relevant to our conversation here as they are about France and/or French people.
I managed to read or finish a few other books as well:
The Arrival City, by Doug Saunders, which is relevant to us as recent migrants to Australia, Sacred Games by Vickram Chandra Sacred Games by Vickram Chandra, an epic book about life (and death, and lust...) in India: (exhausting...but very well written once you get into it), and The Pregnant Widow by Martin Amis, a mainly narcissist waste of paper and ink at 470 pages, but occasionally interesting as a mirror of one's adolescence if you are a baby boomer (and obviously there are plenty of us out there!)
But now to the ones that are relevant to this blog:
BORDEAUX CHATEAUX - A HISTORY OF THE GRANDS CRUS CLASSES SINCE 1855 - Flammarion
A beautiful complement to "The Heart of Bordeaux" previously featured on our Wine page, magnificent photos, well researched text and lots of historical documents like the original hand-written notes of the original 1855 classification and beyond.
You will find here some of the most famous wines and chateaux, like Ducru-Beaucaillou, my favourite St Julien, and I will share with you the notes for 1982, of which I drank many a bottle:
Start of harvest: September 13
Yield: Very large
Quality: Exceptional
Comments: Magnificent wines that will age well into the 21st century - well, if you can find any left, that is...
If you do, let me know!
The Gourmet - Une Gourmandise - by Muriel Barbery - Gallic Books - Gallimard  The book itself is a "gourmandise"!
The back cover tells it as it is:
"France's most celebrated food critic is dying, after a lifetime in pursuit of sensual delights. But on his deathbed, Pierre Arthens is in torment as he struggles to recall the most delicious food ever to pass his lips..."
The translation in English is extremely good, but I am dying (lol...) to read it in French, as I am sure, I would find another level of insight and humour in the original Muriel's prose.
And it is like a degustation menu: although it looks very small, it fills you up very nicely.
I can't recommend it more.
PARISIANS - An Adventure History of Paris - Graham Robb - Picador  What a great idea and a great read!
Take a period in the history of Paris, find a true anecdote or story about it, and explore the City of Lights for the clues left over by this event in today's Paris.
Here are some of the chapters/stories:
"The Man Who Saved Paris"
"Madame Zola"
"The Notre-Dame Equation"
"Sarko, Bouna and Zyed"
Maybe I should translate it French...
 Tucked away in bushland north of Sydney, along the Hawkesbury River, and accessible only by water, this restaurant has been an icon of the Sydney food scene for a very long time under the guidance of Gay Bilson originally and until 1995, and since 2007 by Dietmar Sawyere of Forty One fame. (I had a chance to dine there about 10 years ago and thought that was the best meal I had in Australia at that time...).
During Gay Bilson tenure, my wife and her Australian business partner sent hundreds of high profile French corporate clients to BWI and they all raved about it. But until now, none of us had a chance to experience the place first hand: c'est chose faite maintenant!
I took our 24th wedding anniversary as an excuse to surprise my wife with lunch at this amazing place:
Rebuilt years ago under the baton of Glen Murcutt (who I have the privilege to know well and work with) and refitted recently by Koskela Design, the place strives on a 27deg summer day, cooled by a strong breeze coming through the smart glass louvres covering the entire facade. The decor breathes a kind of understated elegance of light leather and Australian timber. The 4kms drive down to the Hawkesbury river is magnificent and then, you have the added bonus of a short ferry ride to the restaurant. You could choose to come by seaplane and have it parked just it front of the building, or come with your own boat...
Then, you can sit down confortably, and design your own degustation menu from a dozen or so courses, sipping a glass of French Champagne, and browsing through the extensive wine list, until you find the perfect match...Heaven on Earth!
You can read my full review on our "restaurant" page.
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 Just added my tasting and travel notes from a recent trip in and around the Australian Capital, Canberra. This spectacular region, with a cooler climate, has a variety of vineyards in a 50-100kms radius from Canberra.
Find my own view of Lark Hill, Yass Valley Wines, Clonakilla wineries and more to come...
I will soon post an "Ode to Canberra", as a tribute to a city that most Australians would rate as "boring" but that I actually find captivating.
Stay tuned!
 After a summer/Christmas break, I thought we should start the year with a Bang! and a photo of the famous NYE fireworks in Sydney...We celebrated in style with some very good friends at Nick's Bar & Grill at King Street Wharf around a couple of seafood platters and some bottles of NZ Sauvignon Blanc, in this case (no, we didn't drink a case of it...) a Wither Hills 2010, probably a bit too young to my liking, as it tends to gain a lovely creaminess with age, but there is very little left of the previous vintages, in part due to my own addiction to that particular vineyard...(ouf, that was a very long sentence, wasn't it?).
Talking about wine, we had the chance to taste a particularly wide array of styles and origins over what the Aussies call the "crazy season", and thought it would make a perfect first entry for 2011. Read my tasting notes here on our "Wine" page.
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