Matt, Amy and the delicious la Gramière

Several years ago Amy, who originally comes from Colorado met Minnesotan Matt as he was     browsing through the racks of Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon at the San Francisco wine store where she worked. When later on an opportunity arose to deliver a case of wine to Matt’s house, the opportunistic Amy volunteered. They married soon after and wine continues to play a huge role in their relationship. They knew that drinking good wine wasn’t enough – they wanted to make their own. So, they moved to Paris and in early 2005 found the vineyard of their dreams near the quaint village of St Quentin la Poterie (which coincidently will be a stop on Hélène’s Tour de Provence this fall) not too far from Uzès and named it Domaine de la Gramière.

Here is how Amy describes their modus operandi in paradise, “We're not rigid in our winemaking. We work with what each vintage and nature brings. We create blends as well as single varietal wines  We farm organically, to be certified later on in 2010, and all the labeling we do is eco-friendly too (we've just employed an eco printer). So we're a green bunch. Matthew works at Cisco Systems during the day - but his heart and evenings are spent in the vineyard, working his socks off. It's just Matthew and me … we don't employ anyone. So we rely on friends and family to join in and help during harvest. I hope you enjoy our wines - we had a lot of fun (tears and late nights) making them. Please let us know what you think."

After you have enjoyed a bottle or two, you can contact Amy at info@lagramiere.com. In the meantime, read all about Matt and Amy and their travails on Amy’s blog (link to http://lagramiere.typepad.com/).

Remarkably, Matt and Amy have a little of the 2005 La Gramière remaining and have reserved it for our wine club. And, they gave us a special price so that we could feature it for less than $20 the bottle. It is made from 80% Grenache, 15% Syrah and 5% Mourvèdre. The vines are from thirty to fifty years of age and the yield is a most miserly 22 hl/ha! This wine sees no oak, is unfined and unfiltered. It is pure, pleasingly complex and ready to drink. It is a deep ruby red and proffers up aromas of raspberries, blackberries, Provençal spices, pepper and a trace of mocha and anise. It is elegant, full and juicy in the mouth with terrific depth and balance followed by a most pleasant, lingering aftertaste. A coveted Kermit Lynch selection, the 2005 La Gramière is one of the finest red wines I have tasted from the area. Don’t miss out on this delectable beauty. Order some now … you will be delighted you did! We will be taking your orders for Matt and Amy’s marvellous 2005 La Gramière to the LCBO on Friday, May 21^st. The prices include a $1 per bottle handling fee.  

Fond Memories – A Châteauneuf Evening at Bodega

On April 15^th, thirty-six guests joined Hélène, Commodore Dave and me at a most delightful wine and food pairing event at Bodega Restaurant. We presented the delectable Châteauneuf du Pape wines from Vignobles Mousset Barrot. Owner and head chef Paul Biggs outdid himself with a scrumptious five course dinner that matched the wines perfectly.

We would be remiss if we did not thank Tripharbour.ca and Crystal Cruises for treating us all to some delicious 1er Cru Extra Brut from Champagne Forget-Brimont as they told us all about the spectacular ‘Tapas to Tiramisu’ twelve day gastronomic cruise from Barcelona to Venice this fall (read all about it at guestservice@tripharbour.ca).

Please pass this bulletin on to others that you think might be interested in an absolutely delightful red wine from southern France – the 2005 La Gramière

Many thanks and cheers,

Jim & Hélène
www.arthursellers.com
jaswalker@arthursellers.com
hbuisson@ofrance.ca