THE FRENCH WAY TO SERVE WINE

In France, serving wine is not simply a question of pouring a liquid into a glass. It’s a sign of refinement and breeding that takes savoir-faire. To a certain degree, it’s ceremonial, especially in Paris…


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1. Never fill up a wine glass at the dinner table. Start by a filling the glass only a third to a quarter of the way. The hosts presents the wine, and the guests sip it appreciatively. They do not gulp it down to quench their thirst.

2. Set the table with different size wine glasses. The first wine of the meal, be it white or red, is served in the smallest wine glass, and the second wine in a somewhat larger wineglass. The water glass is the largest glass of all. The reason for this is the difference in duration of the different courses. In a fine French meal, you change wine with each course, and the first course or appetizer takes less time to eat than the main course. Glass size is proportionate to course length. . If the wine glasses are the same size, the first wine is served in the glass closest to the guest. If the table is set with only two glasses, then there’s no doubt that one is for water and the other for wine.

3. When to serve the wine? Just before serving the course or, at the latest, at the same time. Otherwise, how will your guests be able to appreciate how well such-and-such a wine goes with such-and-such a dish?

4. What if there’s still a little wine left in your guest’s glass when it’s time to change wines? Pour into the next glass, or offer to change you guest’s glass, but never rush her or him to “drink up”. This is especially true since wine left in a glass may be the guest’s way of discreetly suggesting that they have had enough to drink or in fact do not drink at all. Having to actually say “no thanks” and explain themselves could be considered awkward for guest and host alike in Parisian culture.

 

«Il mio Champagne preferito è il Louis Roederer Cristal ». La persona che mi ha invitato a bere un calice di champagne a La Societé, a Saint-Germain-de-Prés, mi guarda quasi in imbarazzo, non si aspettava che rispondessi con tanta precisone alla sua domanda sulle mie preferenze in fatto di champagne. Mi rendo conto di avere fatto una gaffe, perché proprio in quel momento una bellissima ragazza ci sta già servendo due calici di uno champagne che non è certo il Louis Roederer Cristal…

The Champagne region in northeastern France is renowned for its sparkling wines, produced according to many strict rules. Champaign is generally made from a blend of various wines (different vineyards, harvest years, grape varieties). Finding the right blend is an art, for this is what determines the taste of the champagne, and each champagne producer makes different choices…

For example, a fine champagne may contain Chardonnays from Côte des Blancs or Sézannais vineyards, pinots noir from Montagne de Reims vineyards, or Côte des Bar and Meuniers from the Marne Valley or Massif de St-Thierry.

A great many people think that winter is synonymous with melancholy. The season ends the euphoria and softness of autumn and gives way to grey skies and somber landscapes. However, the Parisian sees things in a different light: she equates winter with the return of wonderful Parisian evenings, elegant vernissages and Beaujolais launchings. Whether on Avenue Montaigne, the top of the Eiffel Tower or in Montmartre, there’s no lack of wine-tasting evenings… This year, Beaujolais will be available on Thursday , November 15. Where should I take Caroline, my epicurean, fashion-conscious fiancée?

Chef sommelier dell’albergo Mandarin Oriental di Parigi, farà di tutto per vincere il concorso del Migliore Sommelier del mondo, di Anversa, in Belgio, nel 2019. Ecco i consigli di uno degli esperti più rinomati in Francia, per trovare un equilibrio fra un vino e un piatto.

Conseguenza di una ricerca di stili salutari di vita e di un’alimentazione di qualità, ma anche come fuga da una certa massificazione del gusto. Rispondete a queste domande per diventare imbattibili sui vini bio e ricevere in omaggio la t-shirt di Sophie la Parigina…

Ora che l’”etichettatura corretta” è supertrendy, la viticoltura bio sta conoscendo un notevole sviluppo da  10 anni… Quanto più conoscerete il vino e il suo universo, tanto più lo saprete degustare e condividere…

Apprezzate il buon vino, ma non sapete distinguere un Bordeaux da un Côte du Rhône? Niente panico, siamo qui per darvi un aiutino… Il prezzo è un criterio essenziale per assicurarsi un vino di qualità? Che cos’è un vino bio? E soprattutto, come acquistare un vino senza fare errori? Ecco qualche consiglio…

Mai sentito parlare del Kir ? Godetevi una pausa nella vostra passeggiata per i boulevard di Parigi e prendete posto a un tavolino della terrasse di un bar. Il cameriere, sempre inappuntabile con il suo lungo grembiule stretto in vita, come tutti coloro che servono nei bar e nei ristoranti francesi, vi darà il benvenuto e vi chiederà che cosa può servirvi…

Centuries in the making, the reputation of Burgundy and its wines reaches every corner of the world. Here’s a Burgundy quiz for you: once you’ve answered these ten questions, you’ll be in a class of your own when it comes to knowledge of Burgundy wines and people will clamour to join in your fascinating company! But above all if will heighten the pleasure you receive from tasting and sharing a fine bottle of Burgundy. The better you know these wines and all that surrounds them, the more you’ll be able to enjoy and talk about them…

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Edizione Italiana

Edita da RIZZOLI, Sophie la Parigina è una guida di stile moderna su PARIGI. Illustrata dai disegni di Alessandra Ceriani, completata da un elenco degli indirizzi preferiti dalla parigina e arricchita di ricette gastronomiche.

 

English Edition

Published by RIZZOLI New York, Sophie the Parisian'sis a modern life style guide about PARIS. Illustrated with color drawings, complemented by a list of Parisians' favorite locations and enriched with gastronomic recipes.

 
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