Wine Tasting in the Trapp Family Lodge Wine Cellar

Saturday, November 14th 4:00 to 6:00

We will be tasting new releases of Loire Reds, for inclusion on our list. The Loire has been a site of viticulture since Roman times, although the region has no doubt changed immeasurably since then. Viticultural regions have shrunk and expanded, new grapes have been introduced in the vineyard, new practices in the winery. Like many of Europe's long-established wine regions, religious orders have played their part here, financing and tending vineyards through the ages. The Abbot at Bourgueil is credited with the introduction of Cabernet Franc to the region in 1089, and in the centuries that followed noble men of the cloth popularised the wines of Orléans and Anjou at the French court. Today, despite the ravages of Phylloxera, which entered the region in 1880, the Loire remains a vibrant and pulsating wine region which throws forth a plethora of whites in all styles, as well as reds ranging from fine infusions of raspberry fruit just perfect for summer drinking, to structured wines that demand years in the cellar in order to show their true worth. And there are sparklers too. Without doubt this infinite variety owes much to the region's history, but the soils, peppered with tuffeau (limestone of which many of the local chateaux are built), quartz, schist, phthanites, sandstone and more must also play a role. Chinon is a town on the banks of the Vienne which joins the Loire downstream very close to Fontevraud L'Abbaye, where King Henry II, his betrothed Eleanor of Aquitaine and their son, Richard the Lion Heart, are all buried. The red wines, in general are exclusively Cabernet Franc although up to 10% Cabernet Sauvignon is permitted. Touraine regulations permit a wide variety of grapes, including Cabernet Franc, Cot (Malbec) and Gamay, even Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir for the reds. The format will be casual, walk around with cheese and bread.  The wines featured will be:

Guy et Jean-Luc Mardon, “Domaine du Pré Baron”, Cot-Malbec, Touraine 2006

Domaine Richou, “Les 4 Chemins”, Anjou 2007

Charles Joguet, “Cuvée Terroir”, Chinon 2006

Domaine de la Noblaie, “Les Chiens-Chiens”, Chinon 2006

Philippe Alliet, Chinon 2006

A sign-up sheet will be available at the front desk (253-5742 or 800-826-7000) and there will be a $15.00 fee per person.