Tag Archives: Gerard Bertrand

Snowstorm Wine Choice: Go Classic!

06 Monday Jan 2014

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SnowTrees6pmBeen monitoring the dog and the snowfall in Central Indiana throughout the day. Weather forecast called for 8-12 inches of snow with sub-zero temperatures tomorrow. As I write, about 6 p.m., we seem to have reached the 8-inch level already!

And … it’s still snowing!!!!!

I waited until 5 p.m. to pop open a bottle of wine and chose Bordeaux. I also wanted to give props to a French sparkler I opened New Year’s Eve.

DinnerChateau Lassègue  2007 Grand Cru – This is a wonderfully smooth Saint Emilion Grand Cru wine for under $50. That can be hard to find.

I wasn’t in mood to cook but had lots of freshly made frozen chili. Snowed in and probably snowed in tomorrow with work called off — I thought I should open something really good.

I pulled this trade sample Bordeaux from the rack and it just keeps getting better with each sip as it opens up. It matched up with the chili pretty good too – I don’t make my chili spicy at all so it was great pairing.

The wine has some blueberry feel in the mouth along with the kind of limestone secondary hints one would expect from Saint Emilion. It’s a Merlot, Cab Franc, Cab Sauvignon blend that may not be as well structured and rewarding as better (but higher priced) offerings, but definitely satisfies.

This is a great example of affordable Bordeaux and part of the Bordeaux Today marketing campaign aimed at making that point. Online I found prices ranging from $39.99 to $69.99 – the lower end makes the most sense for this one

BertrandChateau Lassègue  2007 Grand Cru, SRP $50, Trade Sample, Highly Recommended at this price.

Gerard Bertrand 2010 Cremant de Limoux Brut – The Limoux region of Languedoc has actually been making sparkling wine longer than Champagne!

This is widely available wine from one of southern France’s best known producers. All of his wines are good value and usually very good wine. Production in the region dates back to the 1500s!

The Cremant was delightful. The bubbles come off on the milder side. The taste was a nice combo of apple, pear and maybe even Grandma’s apple pie! The wine is  70 percent chardonnay, 20 percent chenin blanc and 10 percent mauzac, the indigenousness grape that used to dominate all Limoux sparkling wine.

For those who want less fizz and smooth taste, this is an easy drinker at really great price.

Gerard Bertrand 2010 Cremant de Limoux Brut, $18, Highly Recommended.

Floridians Boost Languedoc Tourism

16 Sunday Jun 2013

Posted by in Food & Travel, France

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MONTPELLIER, France – Visiting French wine country is getting easier by the day but it’s still no Napa. Some French winemakers are starting to talk about tourism but few have embraced it.

Grape Sense LogoIt took an American family, and specifically their young son, to kick start tourism through social media in Southern France’s Languedoc wine region. The Languedoc is the largest wine producing region in the world but has never been a tourism destination.

Joe O'Connell

Joe O’Connell

Joe, Liz, and Ryan O’Connell packed up and moved from Louisiana to a small village just outside Carcassonne in the heart of Southern France. While Joe, a former house builder, worked on building his home and winery, Ryan started blogging, tweeting, and doing videos about Languedoc wine. At the time, no one else was doing it.

So far only a few others have joined in. “It’s fortunate for us, but I’d bet most other wineries are five to ten years away,” Joe O’Connell, O’Vineyards, said. “We go to meetings and try to help them and they look at us and say “pfffff!

“I don’t know how to help them any more.”

O’Connell said it has paid off in a big way. Popular travel sites like TripAdvisor have helped. O’Vineyards is the No. 1 rated attraction on TripAdvisor in the Languedoc-Rousillon region.

“You go to Montpellier and Google winery visits, we’re the first ones to come up,” O’Connell said. “You go to Toulouse and Google winery visits, we’re the first ones to come up.”

Joly, Virgile hi-resAnd despite the continual parade of tour buses to O’Connell’s home and winery, others are still slow to buy in. O’Connell tells other winemakers , “anything is interesting to people who want to drink wine.”

Languedoc wines were long the boxed wines, bulk wines, or plonk – as the French would say. In the last 15-20 years the region has emerged as a leader in producing high-quality value wines.

It doesn’t take a Twitter account and Facebook though to achieve success, but it doesn’t hurt. Virgile Joly has emerged in recent years as the face of the organic wine movement and Languedoc wines. He does a personalized visit for those who find his small village of Saint Saturnin de Lucian. His white Grenache Blanc has received critical raves.

Joly is a man of rare passion who has a growing business, fan base, and interest in luring tourists. He uses social media extensively and adds a personal touch with his charm.

Chateau  Le Bouis and Chateau Carasses near Narbonne get it. The seven Gerard Bertrand properties across the Languedoc  all have elaborate tasting rooms and know how to welcome visitors. Bertrand’s Chateau L’Hospitalet, also near Narbonne, has a restaurant and artisan shops for visitors.

Montpellier makes for a great home base to visit Southern France and its wineries. Wine tourism is still taking root but there are plenty of wineries ready to welcome tourists. The experience is often more personalized at the smaller operations. Visitors are much more likely to talk with the winemaker or a spouse than any stop on the U.S. west coast. Most are charging tasting feels now which range 10-15 Euro but that usually includes some bread and cheese or other light appetizers. Montpellier is far less expensive than many other French cities. And Languedoc wines offer tremendous value.

Howard W. Hewitt, Crawfordsville, IN., writes about value wine every other week for 22 Midwestern newspapers.

Summer Drinking – Two Whites & a Rose’

10 Sunday Jun 2012

Posted by in California, France, Paso Robles & Mendocino

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Summer time is lighter wine time for most of us and I’ve definitely been going down that path in recent weeks.

The more wine I’ve consumed in recent years, the more I’ve come to appreciate really well-made whites. I might argue the learning curve is accelerated because of the red wine dominance on my wine rack. Many will disagree, but for me it’s a little easier to identify the characteristics of red wine. White and Rose’ is more nuanced.

Enough of the geeky stuff. Here are three easy-to-find wines I purchased in Central Indiana – all under $20.

Clayhouse Adobe White – The Adobe line of Clayhouse wines from California’s Paso Robles are really great value wines. I just received samples of the 2011 vintage with a couple bottles I’ve not previously sampled. These wines clearly taste above the price point, are nicely balanced, and are available at great prices. The suggested retail on the entire line is $14 or $15.

The tasty blend is 49 percent Viognier, 26 percent Sauvignon Blanc, 19 percent Grenache Blanc, and 6 percent Princess. Princess is often called a table grape and is said to resemble Muscat in flavor. It was a new one for me. I have found Viognier I’ve loved and hated – it’s very floral and fruity normally. I remember last year’s Adobe White and was put off just a bit by the Viognier. The 2011 blend is a perfect mix.

The wine has floral, identifiable orange, peach, and honey flavors. Portions of this wine are barrel fermented, but not aged, resulting in a real creamy feel on the palate. The alcohol comes in at 12.8 percent.

Simply, this is a great summer sipper or white for lighter meals.

Clayhouse Adobe White, SRP $14, Trade Sample, Highly Recommended

Arona 2010 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc – Sauv Blanc from New Zealand often takes a hit for the big acid, over-the-top fruit, and that ‘grassy thing” many wine drinkers don’t like.

Check out Arona Sauv Blanc if you are one of those folks. I tried this wine at a tasting conducted by Derek Gray of Graybull Wines. I loved it.

This wine is much lighter on the palate than many NZ Sauv Blancs. It still had the crisp acidity which would make it perfect for lighter seafood dishes, particularly white fish. Think passion fruit, pineapple, and aroma-pleasing citrus.

If you like NZ and California Sauvignon Blanc but want a bit lighter mouth feel, grab a bottle of Arona.

Arona 2010 Sauvignon Blanc, $13.99, I bought this wine at Mass. Ave. Wine Shop in Indy. Highly Recommended.


Gerard Bertrand 2010 Gris Blanc Rose’ – I’ve been on a real Rose’ kick and this one is different as they come. First, Gerard Bertand is one of the most respected winemakers in Southern France. His wines offer great value for the price point.

This wine is a blend of Grenache Blanc and Grenache Gris. Most notably, is the very – very pale – salmon color often associated with Provence’s fine Rose’ wines.

I got peach and maybe hint of a red raspberry. The wine is lighter on the palate than many but it does have pretty serious acidity. It’s also seriously dry Rose’. It would be another choice for white fish, shell fish, or a summer salad.

I picked up this unique Rose’ at Vine and Table in Carmel.

Gerard Bertrand 2010 Gris Blanc Rose, $13.99, Recommended.

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com

Two Really Good Whites & a Great Red Under $20

19 Thursday Apr 2012

Posted by in California, France, Italy

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Pinot Grigio has never been one of my favorite wines. I have never found them very interesting or particularly satisfying. There may be as much bad Pinot Grigio on the market as any other varietal. They are often flabby or flat or thin – just choose your adjective.

But I have two Pinot Grigios as great price points worth your trouble. When the grape is done right, this is a refreshing and lighter white wine for entertaining and lighter meals.

Ca’ Montini Terre di Valfredda 2010 Pinot Grigio – This might be, no probably is, the best Pinot Grigio I’ve ever had. This Italian winery was founded in the 1700s in the Veneto region. This is a family winery known for its Pinot Grigio and it shows up from the first sip until the last drop.

This Pinot Grigio provides a full-flavored wine for the palate. It’s golden in color, fragrant with flowers and has a nice hint of lemon with a bit of a sour fruit finish. You’ll get a bit of terroir and minerality.

The distinctive bottle will standout on the shelf and prove itself as a distinctive wine to serve your guests this summer season.


Ca’ Montini Terre di Valfredda 2010 Pinot Grigio, SRP $14.99, Trade Sample, Highly Recommended.

Robert Mondavi Private Selection 2011 Pinot Grigio – I’ve become a fan of the Mondavi Private Selection label because it offers good wines for a very affordable price. The Private Selection is available in many liquor stores, supermarkets and any where you might expect to buy value wine.


One of the real attributes of the label is that the different wines are consistently well made. This isn’t your typical $10 swill. Now, it’s not going to please your taste like a $20 wine either but I’d suggest it competes with the highly competitive $12-$16 market.

Mondavi draws upon vineyards in Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Barbara to make this 12.5 percent alcohol white wine.

To my palate it has hints of grapefruit and lime with really moderate acidity. But this wine as a great value. You might be surprised how refreshing a $10 wine can be!


Robert Mondavi Private Selection 2011 Pinot Grigio, SRP $9.99, Trade Sample, Recommended

Gerard Bertrand Grand Terroir 2007 Tautavel – From the Cotes du Roussillon in Southern France this easy drinking, fruit forward, red is a nice bottle of value wine. I got chocolate and black raspberries on my palate so when I find two of my favorite things – be it dessert or a red wine – I’m going to like it a lot.


Wine Spectator gave the wine a surprising 91 points. But some of the citizen review sites like Snooth and CellarTracker were not quite as kind. CellarTracker contributors gave the wine an average of 88 points but many of the comments were dismissive of the wine as “just okay.”

The wine is made of 50 percent Grenache, 35 percent Syrah, and 15 percent Carignan. It’s definitely a “ripe fruit” style of wine with hints of spice. 

I’m not sure I’d go as far as 91, if I used such a scale, but I think it’s great drinking wine at a good price. If you haven’t had much of the Languedoc-Roussillon appellation, this wine is a great introduction.


Gerard Bertrand Grand Terroir 2007 Tautavel, $14.99, Recommended

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com

Languedoc Tasting Educational for More than Retailers

12 Thursday Apr 2012

Posted by in France, Wine Education/News/Updates

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CHICAGO, IL. – Tasting Languedoc wines on the 33rd floor overlooking Lake Michigan isn’t a bad way to spend a Tuesday afternoon.

Retailers sample Languedoc wines at W. Lakeshore, Chicago

That was just what I did April 3 in downtown Windy City participating in one of three U.S. L’Aventure Languedoc tastings with U.S. distributors of Languedoc wines. The event is geared mostly for retailers and other buyers but it’s educational and interesting to hear what retailers are looking for and what importers, winemakers, and Languedoc leaders think retailers should be looking for when promoting Languedoc wines.

I’m starting to get more invitations of this nature but it’s hard for me to justify taking a day off work, the cost of parking, the drive, hotel, etc. But meeting a good friend for dinner was enough for a little ‘what the heck’ trip to Chicago.

I spent a week in the Languedoc in January learning about organic wines. The wines I tasted were made almost exclusively with traditional methods and presented by 10 different distributors.

I left again convinced of the tremendous quality for value the Languedoc offers winos.

The reds are full bodied and rich, the unusual whites are crisp and often soft on the palate. The Roses, right next door to Provence, are soft but perfect for summer sipping.

I’m not a big sparking fan and left generally unimpressed with the sparklers, but one strike is a pretty good batting average.

What most impressed me, though, was the education session put on by the Benson Marketing Group which promotes Languedoc wines. Account executive David Cohn told me his company likes to include an education component and not just a wine tasting. He’s right. I’m sometimes shocked how little retailers know about a given region or its wines. Now, no retailer can be an expert of all the world’s wine regions but a specialty tasting like this one makes sense when it includes an education component.

Two retailers joined Frederic Jeanjean, President of the Languedoc AOC, to talk not just about the wines and the region, but also how the wines should be promoted or presented to consumers.

Languedoc wines are a great value, most drinking well above that magic $12-$16 range you’ll pay.

Nice view of Lake Michigan, Navy Pier from 33rd floor.

Barbara Glunz, from one of Chicago’s oldest wine shops – the House of Glunz, urged retailers to learn more. “I think people come to us because they want to learn something,” she said. “People love a wine with a story. And if they learn something they’ll want to come back to see what else you know.”

Discussion including pronouncing the French names, the always-controversial topic of French wine labeling was part of the 45-minute session.

“We don’t want to copy the other appelations,” Jeanjean said. “We want to be unique. Even though we were one of the first regions of the world to produce wine with the Romans, we are young. This is our Renaissance period.”

Here are some labels I tasted and thought were standouts:


Chateau des Karantas Languedoc – The Karantas wines from the La Clape region are affordably priced and really nicely-balanced, full-bodied wines. They are distributed by Carroll Distributors in Indiana.

Gerard Bertrand Wines – Bertrand was named European Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast and tasting a couple of the wines proved the accolades. I tasted my first-ever PicPoul wine at the Bertrand table and enjoyed the light and soft white.


Les Deux Rives Corbieres – Lex Deux Rives wines were consistently good from the white, rose through the Chateau d’Aussieres Corbieres which was the best red blend I tasted all day. This is another label widely distributed, including Indiana.

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com