First Vine Website
First Vine Wine Producers
- Azienda Agricola San Benedetto
- Bodega Hiriart
- Bodega Traslagares
- Cave la Romaine, Vaison la Romaine
- Cave la Vinsobraise, Vinsobres
- Champagne Bernard Mante
- Château de Clapier, Mirabeau
- Château de Roquebrune
- Château les Donats
- Domaine de Mairan
- Domaine de Montvac, Vacqueyras
- Domaine des Mathurins, Cazedarnes, France
- Domaine Fond Croze, St. Roman de Malegarde
- Domaine la Croix des Marchands
- Domaine Marion Pla
- Domaine Sainte Cécile du Parc, Pézenas, France
- Meridiana Wine Estate
- Società Agricola Bulichella
Food Writing and Food Sites
Other Stuff We Like
- Alliance Française
- Cap de Castel
- DCanter
- Each Peach
- Federal City Caterers
- Garrett Peck
- Georgetown Spice and Tea Exchange
- Goodwood
- Hillwood Museum
- iGourmet
- J Chocolatier
- Le Clos Saint Michel
- Le Salon de Sophie
- Lincoln Park Studio
- Nana
- National Parks Conservation Association
- Opera Now Podcast
- Parterre Box
- Pera Batlla Restaurant
- Peter Jon Shemonsky Fine Jewelry
- Pew Environment Group
- Replacements
- Society of the Cincinnati
- The Brookings Institution
- The Inn at Little Washington
- Towleroad
Wine Blogs and Sites
Wine Blogs in the DC Area
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Please vote for this blog!
You may have noticed the badge at the top of the column of links on the right of this page. I learned last month that I was a finalist for a Millésima Wine Blog Award in the Wine and Technology … Continue reading
Four things I learned about wine this year
Another year nearly done. Time for another “Things I Learned” blog post, right? Unlike previous attempts, though, there’s a twist this year. All of these topics have pushed me to do more digging, ask more questions. Three of these four … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Azienda Agricola San Benedetto, buy wine online dc, Christmas cookies, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Internet retailing, Speculaas, Studies on wine and health, Tom Natan, Vin Santo, Vin Santo del Chianti, Virtuose de Saint-Chinian, wine and health, Wine and pregnancy, Wine competition, wine delivery washington dc, Wine retailing, Wine shipping, Year-end roundup
1 Comment
21st century independence, French style
Back in one of my previous ramblings about what’s changed over the time I’ve been importing wine, I wrote that I thought there were more independent producers in the Rhône Valley and the Languedoc than when I started the business. … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged AOC Saint-Chinian, buy wine online dc, Cooperative wineries, Independent wine producers, Muffin Tin Baking, Number of independent producers, Saint-Chinian, Spinach and Feta Pies, Tom Natan, Vignerons Independants, wine delivery washington dc, Wine producer statistics
2 Comments
A tale of two (wine) media
So…this happened: the wines I import from Domaine Marion Pla in the Languedoc got a lovely review in the Washington Post. I didn’t know about it, though, and was surprised when I started getting orders for the wines. My customers … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized, Wine reviews
Tagged Bois de Montlobre, buy wine online dc, home preserving, Languedoc Wines, Les Vignerons du Pic, Online wine reviews, Pati Jinich, Pati's Mexican Table, Pickled jalapeños, Print wine reviews, Tom Natan, Tuna Minilla Casserole, Washington Post, Washington Post wine reviews, Water Bath Canning, wine delivery washington dc, Wine reviews
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Subsidizing French vineyards for the future
Last week I profiled Marion Pla, winemaker of Domaine Marion Pla in the Languedoc in southern France. She had told me about wanting to make white wine and having to buy new land that already had white wine grapes growing … Continue reading
Posted in Château d'Assas, French vineyard subsidies, Grenache Gris, Uncategorized
Tagged AOC Languedoc Wines, AOC Saint-Chinian, buy wine online dc, EU agriculture subsidies, EU subsidies, EU vinyard subsidies, French agriculture subsidies, French vineyard subsidies, Grenache Gris, Herb and Egg Frittata, Kookoo Sabzi, Nadiya Hussein, Novrooz, Persian food, Tom Natan, wine delivery washington dc, Yotam Ottolenghi
2 Comments
Grandma knows best, and other tales of a family winery
In February, I attended back-to-back wine shows in Lisbon, Portugal, and Montpellier, France. I met a lot of winemakers and winery reps and tasted plenty of good wine. I’ll probably end up buying from a few of them. I … Continue reading
Posted in Domaine Marion Pla, Uncategorized, Wine Producer Profiles
Tagged AOC Languedoc Wines, AOC Saint-Chinian, Around My French Table, buy wine online dc, Domaine Marion Pla, Dorie Greenspan, Family wineries, Languedoc Wines, Les Larmes de Jeanne, organic wine, Petit Bonheur, Potato Chip Tortilla, Profonde Gratitude, Saint-Chinian, Tom Natan
2 Comments
Unlike grapes, truckers don’t just grow on trees (well, vines, but you know what I mean)
Long time no blogging! Those who noticed might have wondered what the silence was about. First, they don’t call it the summer doldrums for nothing. Wine sales for First Vine slump in the summer and it doesn’t seem to … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged first vine, shipment delays, Tom Natan, Trucker shortage, Trucking shortage, wine delivery washington dc
1 Comment
Fungicides used most on wine grapes are one less thing to worry about, despite the numbers
Three years ago I wrote what has turned out to be my most-read blog post, a summary of a study on pesticides in French wine. A French consumer protection organization, Que Choisir, tested around 100 French wines for 165 different … Continue reading
Posted in Fungicides in wine, Uncategorized
Tagged Botritis, buy wine online dc, Cave la Vinsobraise White, Chicken Bouillabaisse, Copper Sulfate, downy mildew, Essential oil of sweet orange, Fungicides in organic farming, Fungicides on wine grapes, Fungicides used in French vineyards, Pesticides in Wine, powdery mildew, Saffron, Tom Natan, wine delivery washington dc
2 Comments
Does wine shorten your life, or does life without it just seem longer?
I’ve read as many studies on alcohol and health as possible for the past decade-plus. And also the media coverage that goes with them. As I’ve mentioned before, wine studies are often big news. And by the time the coverage … Continue reading
Winemakers fight global warming with science and tradition
In my last post I mentioned some of the impacts of global warming on grape growers and winemakers, as told to me by winemakers at two European wine shows. While extreme weather and shortened growing seasons were shared concerns, the … Continue reading
Posted in Global Warming, Uncategorized
Tagged Effects of Global Warming on Wine, global warming, Global Warming and Extreme Weather, Global Warming and Wine, impact of AOC rules on adapting to global warming, increasing grape yields to adapt to warmer conditions, innovative wine storage, Tom Natan, Ways winemakers combat global warming
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