I have just a few minutes here to talk, and wanted to let you know what I've been up to.
I spent the majority of the last two weeks on the road with one, or more, of the winemaking team. We have been visiting more Co-ops (you're all experts on how they fit into the scheme of things here now) and Chateau's to taste and discuss the wines, as well as make our first try at discussions of quality and get some notion of what the producers are expecting in terms of pay, vs. what the negotiants are willing and able to pay. Some of the conversations have been tense, and others have simply ended quickly with what appears to be a quick dismissal of our proposed spend. They've all been fun to watch -- kind of like the world's longest game of charades.
I have also been given two large projects to work on here. Exciting for me to be brought into the fold and asked to help out. The first is a huge oak trial. The staff is using many types of oak adjuvants (this means oak aside from the traditional barrel) but focusing mainly on oak chips. It is illegal to add chips during the fermentation, but legal post primary fermentation, prior to ML. Keep in mind that it's done anyway, everywhere. I started discussing other types of oak (staves, fans, etc) upon my arrival and the team was very receptive. I have created a large trial on four wines -- two base-level wines (red and white) and two AOC wines (one red and one white). I've also worked out some tannin trials -- there were doing no post-fermentation tannin adds, and I was quick to tell them of the success I've seen using this method to drive green tannins out of a wine, and replace them with riper tannins of my choosing. This, I feel, is a huge step forward for the wines here -- especially in a vintage like 2008, when many were forced to pick earlier than they would have liked, and the tannins never quite matured in the red grapes.
The second task is a bit of busy work, really. It focuses on the winery's desire to produce and import an "organic" wine into the US. I've been doing lots of research with the USDA, TTB and other French organizations to see what the requirements are for moving a wine certified as organic in France, into the US market while retaining the certification under US standards. They are different, as you can imagine -- for goodness sakes, we're talking about a place where bringing your dog into a restaurant and letting him roam about while you eat is totally common place. I had a dog jump on my lap and beg for bread at a cafe a few days ago. No joke. Anyhow, you can see how our definitions of appropriate food and beverage certifications may differ.
On a more personal note, Katie and I have done a bit more travelling. We had a long weekend this past one, (November 11th is Armistice Day, in case you didn't know -- we call it Veteran's Day, and apparently made the name change sometime in the 1950's. The day is really to commemorate the end of the first World War, but the US decided to make it a day to 
commemorate all the US soldiers -- and don't think the French aren't still upset, not that it bothers me). Anyhow, we left Bordeaux and drove to a tiny beach town called Saint Jean De Luz. It was great! A charming little place with a fantastic beach. We walked for hours, just checking it out. We had a few good meals there too. The view from our hotel room was amazing! From there we moved South, and drove into Spain.
commemorate all the US soldiers -- and don't think the French aren't still upset, not that it bothers me). Anyhow, we left Bordeaux and drove to a tiny beach town called Saint Jean De Luz. It was great! A charming little place with a fantastic beach. We walked for hours, just checking it out. We had a few good meals there too. The view from our hotel room was amazing! From there we moved South, and drove into Spain. 
We stopped in San Sabastian, another beach town. Now -- I gotta say, I relish the opportunity to visit France, BUT, if you ever get the chance, do not hesitate to throw France out the back-window and travel to Spain. SO MUCH FUN. The entire way of life there seemed so very different. In France, you walk on egg-shells about everything: Speech, manners, etc. In Spain, not so much. We stayed out till midnight eating tapas and drinking beer and sangria. Funny thing was, we were two out of thousands -- and it was Sunday night. Check out the kids playing soccer (futbol, right?) in the streets while their parents drink "vino clarito," that is rose to you and me. Awesome. And my Spanish got us around just fine. It was amazing. The man tending bar in the picture above was awesome. I was worried about speaking to him -- the first Spanish I'd had to speak. When Katie and I walked in the door he took one look at us and said, "Do you speak English?" We laughed, "YES we do!" He replied, "Ahh, you are very lucky, because I am only able to speak English to beautiful women!" Check out these tapas!
Fun.
Back to work following that. We're working on plans for a "release" of Beaujolais Nouveau today -- to include food and drink for all. If you're not aware, the "release" is a big deal here, as this wine is released on the 3rd Thursday of every year. It, strangely enough, is the perfect Thanksgiving wine! Young, ripe, and very drinkable. Perfect for helping you choke down dried out Turkey. I intend to have some this year with my chicken (we're going to celebrate as well, but Turkey is hard to find in France).
Miss you all.
JB
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