When in Normandy, make time to enjoy the region's culinary offerings. Among its many sites for quality products and taste is the bucolic hilltop Domaine St.Hippolyte,  an award-winning 16th- century working dairy and apple farm. "It's a living postcard of Normandy's past and present," proclaims Madame Leroux, a gentille femme who will welcome your visit.

Le Beaujolais Nouveau est un vin rouge fait à partir de raisins Gamay de la région du Beaujolais. Alors que la plupart des vins rouges s'améliorent avec l'âge, le Beaujolais Nouveau se boit jeune: il est supposé être bu dans l'année.

Sa sortie est règlementée: le Beaujolais Nouveau innonde le marché à partir de minuit une, le troisième jeudi de Novembre, quelques semaines seulement après que les raisins du vin ont été récoltés. La fermentation est si courte que le vin est souvent très fruité et léger.

Normandy has miles and miles of apple and pear orchards. In the springtime, blossoms perfume the air and provide stunning views of the countryside. In the fall, the scent of ripe juicy fruits is undeniable.

After decades of research, the French have invented a revolutionary technology that will change the wine world forever!

Did you know that in France, before drinking, you have to wait for everybody's drink to be on the table? Even in a restaurant...

It is at dinner when the word "l'équipe" (the team) really comes into play during the harvest.

Once the harvest begins, there are always seemingly too many tasks for the people involved to accomplish - but they do. During the day (sometimes beginning even before sunrise), the schedule is dictated by the grapes: what's ready to be picked, how many, where, etc., etc... As a result, the team may be scattered, some in the cuverie, some in the vines, some (Stacia and I) in the kitchen or at the marché.

Avoid this common 5 wine mistakes and prevent big "faux pas" when drinking wine on a casual level.

Now that we know the geography of Burgundy, the grapes, the crucial concept of terroir, the importance of at least being familiar with the village names (and some of the vineyard names), there are 3 important issues to discuss which are fundamental to the further understanding of the wines.

Now that we know the major villages in Burgundy, and we know the 2 major grape varieties, we can begin to understand the specifics of the wines of Burgundy.

Before we continue our discussion of the wines of Burgundy, I must remind you that due to the format of these blogs, the information that I am presenting is a general view, and there are, and will be exceptions to most everything.