A Taste of France: Le Grande Verre Wine
When I first began my wine journey, my palate was extremely welcoming of wines from Spain and Latin America - spicy, bold flavors - some which were full bodied, others that were easy drinking and fun. As I’ve said before, Argentine Malbec is one of my all-time favorite that sends me into a wine lover’s bliss.
But as I continue to explore my tastes in this game of wine, I’m learning to remain open to trying any and everything. One region that I’m always very intrigued by is France. It’s is the OG wine region in the world, and has given birth to so many of the varietals that we enjoy today.
I discovered Le Grand Verre, a French Artesian wine company, on Instagram after a friend had shared the company’s IG story stating that they were looking for ambassadors for their tasting box. After filling out a quick survey, I received an email from the Le Grand Verre’s co-founder and Brand Director and voilà! A box of French wine for me to taste is at my door step.
What I enjoyed about Le Grand Verre from the start was that I had the opportunity to craft my own tasting experience. On their website, they allow you to choose one of their twelve thematic boxes. I knew that I wanted to at least try two wine and two red wines, so I chose my own adventure and put together a tasting box that included Viognier, a blend of Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay, Gamay and Pinot Noir. Each of the four vials contains on glass of wine, so you can share them with friends or keep them for yourself. (Click here to get started with putting your own tasting box of French wines now!)
Alright, let’s get to the wines, shall we?
The first one I tried was their La Duchesse, which is a really cute blend of Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay, and I jammed with it immediately! With its pale golden color, lemon on the nose and taste of grapefruit on the palate, I enjoyed how it was just light enough, but still gave a full mouth flavor. My only regret is that I didn’t chill it long enough, but trust me - it will be nice and cold when I return to it later.
Secondly, I gave the Domaine de Woillemont a try - which is 100% Viognier (pronounced Vee-Own-Yay). I’ll be honest, this one isn’t my favorite. On the nose, it was extremely fragrant (imagine if a peach and lemon decided to procreate) and on the palate it was just as overwhelming. It also tasted super oily. I’m not saying I’m writing off Viognier entirely, but this just didn’t do it for me.
Moving on to the reds: I poured up the Ultra Violet, which is their Pinot Noir. Of the two reds wines, this one was lighter in color, and smelled like musty gym socks. Now, before you start panicking, sometimes wines don’t always smell like fruit - and that’s just fine. Once I gave it a taste, I got notes of cherry and strawberry on my palate. I will say that this was one of the lighter Pinot Noirs that I had tasted, but it is easy drinking with subtle dryness.
Finally, the Domaine Des Nugues is LGV’s Gamay and I’ll keep it a buck - this is the vial that I finished. With raspberry and cherry on the nose, it has softer tannins compared to the Pinot Noir but still comes with a peppery bite. A fun fact about this wine: it is made from the Beaujolais grape, which means that it is meant to be enjoyed in its vintage year.
Overall, I would highly recommend giving the Le Grand Verre tasting box a try to challenge your palate and explore French wine. If you’d like a tasting box of your own, click here to order using my referral code.
Cheers!
