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A special barrel of French wine from the vineyards of Château Miraval (owned by Brad Pitt and Angélina Jolie), has been sold at auction for the sum of EUR 10 000 (approximately $13,000) All of the proceeds from this auction will be paid to the group ‘Sustainable Village” based in KIVU Democratic Republic Of the Congo. The proceeds will be used for agricultural development in the territory.

Brad and Angelina are the owners of the beautiful Chateau Miraval property, in the Provence area of the South of the France. It includes their wine-growing and producing vineyards and a beautiful castle home.

The auction was organized by the Correns Village “masters organic vintners”, (a completely “bio” organic village) and took place in the 12^th century medieval Fort Gibron, an hour and a half drive from St. Tropez.  The couple sourced 225 litres of wine from specified lots, that was placed into a barrel which was then autographed by the actors.

The purchaser wishes to remain anonymous. Isabelle was included with a few other guests at the auction. The famous winemaker couple was not present.  Maybe they are making wedding plans.  We understand that the grounds of the fairy book Chateau Miraval is a perfect location for a magical and romantic wedding.  We couldn’t think of any two more deserving people to be married there!  Plus the wine is on the house.

The autographed barrel of wine.

The lovely Chateau Kirwan is renowned for its exceptional Margaux wines that won the coveted Grand Cru classification in 1855. Located in Cantenac, in the Bordeaux region, this magnificent property has been owned and managed by the Schÿler family since 1925.

Nathalie Schÿler and her team welcome you for a visit of their vineyard and wine cellar. While you are appreciating the subtlety of these fabulous wines, their in-house Chef will further dazzle your palate by serving a buffet of tasty dishes prepared right before your eyes.

Between May and September, the park-like grounds of the Château Kirwan burst into a colorful cascade of flowers. What could be more magical than to savor the delights of the Margaux area in such a bucolic setting?  You’ll particularly enjoy their refined picnics on the grass, and they offer special children’s snacks.
Tel: (+33) 05 57 88 71 00 or visit www.chateau-kirwan.com

If you believe we are what we eat and drink and slather on our bodies, and you like to put your money where your mouth is, then the recent Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, a market for retailers, brokers, distributors and makers of all things natural, is the place for you. As one of 58,000 attendees (consultants to Health Essentials) we checked in for a day and found a few products worth mentioning for WineWomanWorld followers. There were over 3000 exhibits from over 1800 companies, so excuse us if we don’t mention all of our favorite products. We won’t get into emerging trends like Vitamin D3 and sustainably harvested krill oil here, but if you like your resveratrol served up on a daily basis, and enjoy a WineWomanWorld lifestyle,  you might enjoy our pure and natural recommendations.

In the wine department we stopped by the annual wine tasting event and met up with old friends at Frey organic (and biodynamic) wines. Katrina was on hand pouring. As America’s first organic winery, they have worked hard to keep sulfites out of organic wines. Check out what the Frey family is doing (and farming) on their blog. freywine.com/blog.html

Set up next to their organic/no sulfite friends, we sampled the organic La Rocca Vineyards (Forest Ranch, CA) and chatted with founder Phil La Rocca.

The Women in Naturals networking party sponsored by Reserveage Organics, served their own delicious wine.  Their age-defying grape seed products exceed international pharmaceutical standards and are all pure and sustainably hand crafted from French vineyards. reserveage.com/home.php

What a perfect place to meet up with producer Judy Brooks from the PBS show “Healing Quest.” healingquest.tv/

One of the more “energetic” products we encountered was Sacred Geometry Glassware.  Carafes and wine glasses are made in Austria originally (and now other eastern European countries and China) utilizing the Fibonaaci Sequence in their design.

Designer Thomas Chochola developed an affection for the synergy of music, water and glass in his spiral structures.  He utilizes “the flower of life symbol” at the bottom of his carafes, tumblers and glasses, and claims vitalizing and energizing effects.  You can revitalize wine, water or the drink of your choice – but sorry you cannot turn the water into wine.

The mouth-blown wine glasses cost around $40 ea. Their beautiful glass drinking straw is only $14.95 and is a perfect counterpoint for those on the run who might have to drink out of plastic and want to eliminate the plastic flavor. tcenergydesignusa.com

The Napa Valley is also home to Napa Soap, made in small batches (under 50 bars at a time) with grape seed oil and wine.  Figs and Zinfandel mmmmmmm.  You can visit their shop in person at 655 Main St. St. Helena, CA 94574 napasoap.com

Another alternative to grape seed oil soap, is the pureness of kasu soap.  All Pureness soaps are enriched with kasu, which is a natural fermentation process that transforms brown rice into easily absorbable proteins, amino acids, enzymes and antioxidants. Call it brown rice vinegar, or even plum vinegar, then pass the sake! The soaps are lightly scented in simple botanical fragrances and are currently selling at Fred Segal in Santa Monica.  purenesshealth.com

We enjoyed meeting Kelly from Native Touch. Based in North Carolina, Native Touch has a full herbal product line of soaps, scrubs and rubs.  They don’t contain any grape products but they are a Caribbean Native American owned and operated business, and all the formulas are created by Laralyn RiverWind who is working on her doctorate in Naturopathy.

Her husband Joseph is a U.S. Army veteran who serves on his Tribal Council as the International Cultural Ambassador for the Jatibonicu Taino Indian Nation of Boriken. Besides making beautiful Native music together they have created an incredible line of natural products. Our favorite was the Blue Corn Sugar Scrub with natural sugar cane, oatmeal, ground blue corn and poppy seeds with a fragrant blend of citrus oils. It smelled good enough to eat!  The size is 16 oz. and costs $20.

Your purchase of their Pearls and Roses Bath Premier Bath Salts helps build hospitals, schools and houses in an impoverished neighborhood in the Afar Tribal Community.  Fair trade feels good for everyone. nativetouch.us

We ran into the lavender ladies of Laytonville from Harvest Moon Farms in Mendocino County. Martha Betz, the plant person and K.C. Chamberlain, the people person, have been enchanting northern Californians for over 10 years with their certified organic lavender products. They informed me that recent gas chromography tests of their lavender have shown that the vibrational quality is off the charts.

Their hand salves and massage oils and essentials oils and spritzers are soooooo uplifting and relaxing. A 2 oz. jar of Royal Velvet Body Lotion sells for $20.00 and is a yummy blend of butters and oils and perfume grade English lavender. Make a gift basket of their product line for those you love.  harvestmoonfarmslavender.com

This spring we will visit with Lydia Mondavi of 29 Cosmetics (and new mother of Robert Mondavi III) and her luxury line of grape seed extract-based cosmetics and spa care products — and their age protecting benefits.

The 2012 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition has set a new American wine competition record with an astounding 5,500 entries, surpassing its previous record of 5,050 last year. For nine consecutive years, this prestigious competition holds strong as the “Largest Competition of American Wines in the World.”

A live public tasting of these award winning wines will be at the Festival Pavilion, Fort Mason Center in San Francisco from 2-5 pm on February 18, 2012.  Only from 2-5pm???  How can you seriously taste all these award winners in just 3 hours?

Here are some of the winners for you:

The 2012 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Sweepstake winning wineries hail from three different states! Dr. Konstantin Frank 2010 Finger Lakes Gewürztraminer Reserve $24.99 from New York took the White Sweepstake Award. Barnard Griffin 2011 Columbia Valley Rose of Sangiovese $12.00 from Washington state won the Sweepstake Pink category. Four wineries representing four different American Viticulture Areas took the four remaining Sweep Awards. Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards 2006 Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Wine $28.00 from the Carneros region of California took the Sparkling Sweepstake category. McGrail Vineyards & Winery 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve $36.00 from the Livermore AVA of California captured the Red Sweepstake Award. Castello di Amorosa from the Napa Valley took the Dessert Wine Sweepstake Award with their 2010 Anderson Valley Late Harvest Gewurztraminer $35.00. Sweepstake Wine Label Winner Mutt Lynch Winery from Healdsburg, California 2009 Out of Reach, Muttitage takes the second year Sweepstake Wine Label Contest. All sweepstake, Best of Class, Double Gold, Gold, Silver, and Bronze medal winning wineries from over 5,500 entries are listed on the competition site

Burgundy in San Francisco!

When La Paulée, the  Burgundy wine celebration, comes to San Francisco Feb. 23-25, Michael Mina San Francisco will host a  four-course wine dinner on Feb. 25 at 6:30 p.m.

It features Domaine Michel Lafarge, one of the first estates to bottle wines under its own label in 1934, along with special guest Benjamin Leroux, winemaker at the Domaine Comte Armand.

Tickets are $300 per person and can be reserved by emailing Melissa Lang at mlang@michaelminasf.com.

In addition, RN74, the Wine Spectator Grand Award Winner showcasing the best expressions of Burgundy, will present a series of La Paulée after-party celebrations  each of the three nights, with a late-night menu from 10 p.m., and a Zachy’s Auction Lunch on Feb. 24 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Attendees of the Zachy’s Auction lunch can bid on a selection of Burgundies and have a buffet luncheon from 11-2 p.m.

Visit lapaulee.com for more information.

Zin is IN

If your New Year’s resolution is to become a Zinfandel expert, then check out the annual ZAP Zinfandel Festival in San Francisco Jan. 26-28, with tickets starting at $59. Billed as the premier single-varietal tasting in the world, an estimated 200 wineries and approximately 10,000 attendees partake in the three days of festival events.

The Paso Robles Zin Fest is coming up March 16-18.  Visit www.pasowine.com for more info. This includes a Saturday Zin Tasting & Wine Country Auction that intertwines Zinfandel, Zin-friendly foods and wine country auction lots. In addition to the Saturday tasting, travel the roads of Paso Robles wine country throughout the weekend for a plethora of special tastings, dinner parties, meet-the-winemaker experiences, complimentary barbecues and more. Tickets start at $60. Tip: Purchase your tickets before January 31, 2012 to receive a $10 discount.

Napa news:

Out In The Vineyard and the Napa Valley Wine Train are hosting The (Bigger) Gay Train, a food and wine event on Saturday, March 31 that feature local lesbian, gay,  bisexual and transgender winemakers.

Sarah Bennett of Navarro Vineyards; Greg Bjornstad of Bjornstad Cellars; Mark Lyon of Sebastiani Vineyards and Jeff Durham and Joey Wolosz of Gentleman Farmer Wines will pour their wines that will be paired with a multi-course meal prepared Wine Train Chef Kelly MacDonald .

Boarding is at 6 p.m., a half-hour before the train leaves the station. The cost is  $160-$175 a person. For reservations call 800- 427-4124.

Wine and food – bien sur, but summer in France means wine and music.  This summer, prestigious Bordeaux chateaux are hosting their annual (since 2003) French festival “Estivales de Musique en Médoc,” under the patronage of Frédéric Lodéon.  You’ll discover the most promising artists from the world of classical music and opera.  From June 30th to July 12th 2011 the Chateaux Lafon Rochet, Lafite Rothschild, Malleret, Talbot, and Branaire Ducru, will welcome the winners of the following international competitions : The Young Artists International Auditions (New york), the Frédéric Chopin International piano competition ( Warsaw), the Fritz Kreisler Prize (Vienna), The Monte Carlo Violin Masters (Monaco), The ARD International Music Competition (Munich) and the Maria Callas Great Prize (Athens).  For more information:  +33 (0)6 69 32 48 19,  And to view the complete program of the festival visit: www.estivales-musique-medoc.com

If you will be traveling in Provence, make sure you stop and visit one of our favorite unique wineries in the Var where you can stay in one of  three unique renovated apartments.  Located at Chateau Mentone, where  an ideal getaway awaits you, you can wine, dine, spa and swim… or bike or hike in their 170 hectares of forest.  We like the French hospitality in the heart of Provence and Chateau Mentone is full of charm, AND set in the forest,  Check out:

www.chateaumentone.com

…Champagne producer Bruno Paillard.  The 9th edition of this ceremony (touted as the Oscars of the wine world) attended by 700 guests and hosted by Madeline Jakits, editor-in-chief of der Feinschmecker magazine, was held on March 26th, 2011.  “Not only is Bruno Paillard only the third Frenchman behind the Rhône’s Luc Colombo in 2005 and Bordeaux’s Stephan Von Neippberg in 2003 to receive this award, but he is also the first Champagne producer to win.”

Bruno Paillard founded his eponymous Champagne house in 1981 with the aim of developing Champagnes that are pure and elegant but also structured.

Today, one of the of the few completely independent Champagne houses, Bruno PAILLARD boasts prestigious vines and uses only the high quality juice produced by the first pressing. This is only very lightly sweetened before being left to rest in the cellar for a lengthy period of time before delivery.  Although the volume of production is limited, Bruno PAILLARD is measuring up to the great names in Champagne.  Winewomanworld says:  Bravo Bruno!

Burgundy is well known for its still wines, but it also knows how to sparkle in style!  The Boisset Family ‘s sparkling brand Louis Bouillot‘s (“The Bubble Maker” of Nuits-Saint-Georges) Crémant de Bourgogne style “Cuvée de l’Imagineur” was created in 2009, the fruit of an assemblage of six varietals planted in 2005 and it is ideal for an aperitif, very aromatic in a floral, fruity style, and its vivacity and freshness in the mouth is invigorating.  The delicacy of its bubbles is enough to stimulate the most jaded taste buds.

You’ll be surprised by the power packed in these tiny bubbles.  The varietals in the Cuvée de l’Imagineur are all Burgundian, originally planted for educational purposes: Chardonnay, Auxerrois, Aligoté, Pinot Gris or Beurrot, Pinot Blanc and the surprising Chardonnay Muscaté.  Made according to the traditional method, which is used for the best sparkling wines like Crémant de Bourgogne and Champagne, this wine cannot go under the Crémant de Bourgogne appellation because the vines are planted outside the designated zone and some of the varieties are not authorized by the specifications. It benefits from 12 months ageing on laths.

Recently, Louis Bouillot’s Crémant de Bourgogne Perle Rare 2007 beat more than 400 challengers to win the Vinalies Internationales Trophée for Best Sparkling Wine, the only Crémant de Bourgogne to win a prize at these prestigious awards organized by the Oenologists’ Union of France.  Its balance stems from Perle Rare’s origins in Burgundy, with its varied yet highly complementary terroirs. (From north to south: Yonne, Chatillonnais, Côte d’Or, Couchois, Mâconnais). It also comes from the blend of varietals used, dominated by the powerful Pinot Noir at 60%, softened by the freshness of Chardonnay with 35% and the fruitiness of Gamay, which makes up the remaining 5%. Lengthy ageing sur lattes for two and a half years and a medium dosage of 10g of sugar/liter help bring out the nobility of these terroirs and grapes over time.

The bright and golden color of Perle Rare 2007 goes on to reveal lightly toasted spicy notes which in turn open onto the delicate aromas of apricot, white acacia and peony blossom, ending up with a zesty citrus finish. In the mouth, the attack is fresh thanks to an ideally cool vintage. It offers tension, yet breadth and is a full wine with an interesting flavor profile and a long and powerful finish.

In addition to being an excellent aperitif, Perle Rare is ideally suited to luxurious dishes such as fresh asparagus, grilled sea bass and white meats. And it also stands out thanks to its very reasonable price tag of just €8!

In other Boisset family news in California, Buena Vista in Carneros, the oldest premium winery in California, has become part of the Boisset Family Estates.  This historical winery and producer of organic AND biodynamic Pinot Noir, fits in with the Boisset family philosophy of taking on the responsibility of shepherding exceptional estates with deep history in their respective terroirs.

In France you can purchase Louis Bouillot’s Cuvée Perle Rare 2007 at:  At the Imaginarium – Tel: +33 (0)3 80 62 61 40 – http://www.imaginarium-bourgogne.com/

We’ve come a long way baby – since the “Judgement of Paris” wine tasting in 1976!

On April 8 and 9, 2011 will be the 35th year of “the Challenge International du Vin which will take place in Bordeaux.  Over 5,000 wines from 38 countries will be tasted by 900 professionals but the jury also will include knowledgeable consumers.   Each jury consists of 4 tasters with different, but complementary profiles. These “quartets” make the Challenge absolutely unique.

Tasters are selected according to their wine background and the type of wine to be tasted:

Producers (winegrowers, cellar masters, vineyard managers, etc.)

Technicians (oeoenologists, viticulture and winemaking teachers, etc.)

Distributors (brokers, négociants, sommeliers, wine shop owners, etc.)

Buyers (well-informed consumers, graduates of the DUAD tasting course at Bordeaux University, members of a wine club, etc.)

Wine from every vintage and all over the world

Registration is open by post or on-line from 15 December 2010 to 25 January 2011. Registered producers from around the world will be able to enter their regular wines, special wines, mistelles, and wine-based brandies. All vintages are accepted, with the proviso that they must already be in bottle.

Samples sent by contestants can be accepted until the 4th of February. However, producers who wish to ship their wines via the Challenge’s forwarding agent can only be received from the 17th to the 28th of January.

Medals with the effigy of Bacchus and special prizes

Other than gold, silver, and bronze medals, special prizes will also be awarded to medal winners: prizes for organic wines, Swiss wines, etc.

After validating the eligibility of the 2011 Challenge International award-winning wines (to make sure they respect all the competition’s requisite parameters), the results will be posted on-line on 15 April.

The Challenge International du Vin’s rules and regulations are available in French, English, and Spanish at:

www.challengeduvin.com Information: (+33 (0)5 57 68 25 66 – info@challengeduvin.com

Isabelle’s Central Coast faves include:  Windy Oaks – Pinot Noir, Margerum – Syrah, Testarossa – Pinot Noir, Bernardus – Pinot Noir, Alma Rosa – Pinot Blanc, J. Lohr – Gamay, Wind Gap – Grenache, Qupe – Syrah,  Madeleine – Cabernet Franc, and wines from L’Aventure and Bonny Doon.

Check out all the participating wineries at http://www.bigsurfoodandwine.org/wineries.html

After the French vendange, Isabelle decided to venture to northern California for a month to improve her English AND to taste more wines for her upcoming new “Femivin” guide book.  You can see some of her observations on her site at www.femivin.com .  But we’ll share some of the highlights for you here in English, starting with a visit to Revana Family Vineyards on a rainy fall day in the Napa Valley.

www.revanawines.com

2930 Saint Helena Hwy N
St. Helena, CA 94574-9701
(707) 967-8814

Dr. Revana, a cardiologist in Houston with an interest in heart health AND wine -  was born on a farm in India.  His rural beginnings helped him to appreciate the laws of nature and understand the down to earth concept of relationships that resulted in his recent teaming up with wine rock star winemaker Heidi Peterson Barrett, (and a respected vineyard manager Jim Barbour) resulting in a 2007 Cabernet that has earned great acclaim – from Decanter Magazine to in-the-know savvy drinkers.  Even though his inspirational 9 acres in St. Helena were freshly planted in 1998, their efforts have yielded a winner out of the gate.  Dr. Revana’s unwavering commitment is to create wines with exceptional qualities and we say – so far so good.

Heidi Barrett’s tasting notes:
“This wine is a delicious blend of our Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Black Raspberry in color with aromas of blackberry, currant, and layers of sweet toasty French oak. Perfect ripeness allowed for a wine of great depth and structure, flavors that mirror the nose, and a wine that, while tasty now, will age beautifully. The mouth feel has a lovely combination of power with extreme silkiness and flavors that carry a long time in the finish.  A great example from our Estate vineyard here in St. Helena.”

We also enjoyed Revana’s Sitar label made in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.  The first Sitar release is a 2008 Pinot Noir called Prelude, released in September 2010, is the first in a series of five year “limited editions.”  Names to follow will be:  Verse, Chorus, Finale and Encore.  Each vintage will feature a work of art (Prelude label and matching lithograph is created by renowned artist and musician Thomas Arvid).  If you are interested in ordering Sitar contact the winery ($570 per six-pack with only 500 allocations available).  The first 500 secured allocations of the five-vintage series will receive a limited-edition lithograph of the final image.

When you visit the Revana tasting room it’s clear that the visual arts and handcrafted wines are connvivial companions.  Highlights in the tasting room / art gallery include some masterpieces from Heidi’s own personal collection.

Keep posted for further visits with Spring Mountain, Boisset family’s Raymond and DeLoach plus a visit to the Big Sur Wine and Food Festival!