A Map for the World Traveler

Looking for a gift for the world traveler? Get him or her the Scratch Map. Unique and innovative, this map helps you keep track of where you’ve visited in a fun way. Just scratch off the places where you’ve traveled to reveal a splash of color and local facts. No passport is required — just [...]

The Amateur Gastronomer in Jura

Jura is a department in eastern France in the province of Franche-Comté. East of Burgundy and west of Switzerland, this region may be best known for its cheese (Comté and Morbier). With a much smaller production than neighboring Burgundy, the wines of Jura are not as well known. Burgundian grapes Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are [...]

Savagnin: Grape & Wine of the Jura

To better know the wines of the Jura region in France, you must start with Savagnin (pronounced sav-an-yan). This is a white wine grape that can produce a range of wines. Exciting, extraordinary and unusual, these wines are some of the most remarkable whites in France — and the world. Savagnin wines, in particular the [...]

Lifting the Veil on Vin Jaune

Continued from Savagnin: Grape & Wine of the Jura The prized wine of the Jura region in France is Vin Jaune. Meaning yellow wine, this is wine made entirely from Savagnin grapes and aged for at least 6 years and 3 months in oak barrels. Vin Jaune is non ouillé; the barrels are not topped [...]

An Introduction to the Jura

France’s wine regions are some of the most famous in the world. Casual wine drinkers could likely list several off the top of their heads, as well as grapes grown in these regions. Ask casual or even well-versed wine drinkers about the Jura and the response will be much different. Though smaller and not as [...]

Harvest in the Jura

The month of September brings splashes of color to the vineyards in the Jura. The grape leaves start to turn orange and brown. Large yellow and purple grape clusters wait to be harvested. Men and women move up and down the rows picking fruit while red tractors wait nearby to transport it. Jura is a [...]

A Visit to Chateau de Beaulon

About 30 miles southwest of Cognac in the commune of Saint-Dizant-du-Gua in Charente-Maritime is Château de Beaulon. The château was built in 1480, with eau de vie production on the estate dating to 1720.  From 1543 to 1574 the home belonged to Francois de Beaulon, Lord of Saint-Dizant and advisor to the Bordeaux Parliament.  Today [...]

ABK6: Cognac for a New Generation

Flashy labels. A name derived from typing. A blend specially created for sipping on the rocks. This isn’t your grandfather’s Cognac. With a mix of tradition and modernity, ABK6 is bringing the French spirit to a new generation. It starts with the name — ABK6 is one of those internet short-hands, like OMG or LOL. [...]

A Visit to Hennessy

You can’t talk about Cognac without mentioning Hennessy. It is the big daddy of Cognac, making up 43% of Cognac production. As a comparison, the next largest producer is Remy Martin at 17 percent. Hennessy dominates the market, but also makes it possible for the smaller producers to exist.  Hennessy buys a large portion of [...]

Cognac: An Introduction

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