World Wide Wines and The wonderful story of TerraVin

I am now in Beaujolais, recovering from a week in Paris where I have tasted some of the most beautiful wines from around the world. Quite surprising though, as I tend to think that it is incredibly hard to drink foreign wines in France. London and New York are clearly more open on the matter as they don’t face the problem of French wine makers’ and wine drinkers’ protectionism. Can’t blame them for such a chauvinism Though -when you see that French are drinking less and less wine while foreigners drink more and when you know that foreign wines sales are increasing in proportion to French wines all over the world.

However, even though I am French and cherish my French wine the most, I believe it is very interesting to see what is done in other countries and can hardly restrain my gourmand self. After all, if the French have been the first source of inspiration abroad, there is no reason why the trend can’t reverse itself enough for us to enjoy the fruit of what was originally ‘our’ labor. There are a lot of great wines and ideas around the globe. Marketing wise, Californian are my favorite, I am captivated by the way these vineyards create their story and make us part of their dream. I must also admit that I have tried a Californian Jewel last week at the Fouquet’s for the annual “Vin du Monde” tasting: Chappellet Signature, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon 2006.

I could talk about California for long but at the Fouquet’s and everywhere else this week (Crus, Grain Noble) all my attention has been focused on the winemaker of TerraVin, an original persona that has no more than 4 hectares in the Marlborough region of New Zealand, giving birth to some sensational wines.

Here is his story.


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