Welcome to Vinously Speakings Debut Social Wine Education Event!

Get yo vinous learning and socializing on!

~ The next Social Wine Education Event is set for 7:30pm Thursday August 11th @ Maxs Wine Dive ~

So whats with the French Bastille Day? Bastille Day, the French national holiday, commemorates the storming of the Bastille, which took place on 14 July 1789 and marked the beginning of the French Revolution. The Bastille was a prison and a symbol of the absolute and arbitrary power of Louis the 16th's Ancient Regime. By capturing this symbol, the people signaled that the king's power was no longer absolute: power should be based on the Nation and be limited by a separation of powers. Today the French celebrate by holding parades and firework displays around the country with the largest one being the Bastille Day parade in Paris along the Champs-lyses. The French President also holds a chic garden party at the Palais de l'Elyse. Shall we start with a French toast? The French expression la vtre is the most common way to toast people. It's a contraction of votre sant. The expression used to toast just one person in an informal situation is la tienne.

So what basics of French wine I should know? France is one of the world's top wine producers in both quantity and quality. Each year, approximately 50 million to 60 million hectoliters of wine are produced. That number comes out to around 7 billion to 8 billion individual bottles of wine. Although it produces so much wine, French wine consumption has actually decreased by 50% since 1980. France has 13 major wine regions and 56 common grape varietals, below are the most common grapes and the regions they grow in:

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All of the major wines in France emerge from specified terroir (collective growing conditions of the region). The more specific the appellation, the more prestigious the wine is considered to be. Below is a list in order from least to most specific: Region | District | Sub-District | Village or Commune | Vineyard

The French have regulated controls on their wines to ensure quality, origin, style and authenticity. There are four classification systems - each are listed below, starting with the highest quality.

So what the heck are we tasting tonight?

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2009 Alamos Torrentes - Mendoza, Argentina

The Nose - orange blossom, jasmine, peach, lychee, almond, and herbs The Mouth - light, fresh, crisp, clean, minerality, lively, bright acidity The Brain - Torrontes is the signature white wine grape of Argentina. Wines made from Torrontes are generally aged in stainless steel and no oak, to retain the wine's freshness and fruitness. Torrontes wines will generally be dry, medium bodied, upbeat fruit and floral, with good acidity and a crisp finish. The French Connection - Torrentes has similar varietal characteristics to the french grape Viognier of being one of the more aromatic and perfumed white grape varietals (along with Albarino and Muscat varietals).

2010 Matua Sauvignon Blanc - Marlborough, New Zealand

The Nose - tropical fruits (passion fruit), citrus fruits, herbaceous notes. The Mouth - fruit driven with classical Marlborough acidity giving a fresh, clean palate The Brain - Founded in 1974, Matua Valley was the first New Zealand winery to produce Sauvignon Blanc. Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc are the parent grapes to Cabernet Sauvignon. Sauvignon Blanc was renamed in the late 60s by Robert Mondavi as Fume Blanc, to overcome the negative image of Sauvignon Blanc in California at the time. The French Connection - Matua Valley were the first producers of Sauvignon Blanc in New Zealand, a varietal well known as the grape of the Bordeaux and Loire Valley regions in France. Matua Valley grows all of the main French grape varietals.

2009 Llai Llai Chardonnay - Bio Bio Valley, Chile

The Nose - apples, fresh herbs, citrus, floral notes, a touch of tropical fruits The Mouth - un-oaked taste profile, fresh, bright acidity, medium-bodied, a touch of minerality, and vivacity The Brain - Llai Llai, pronounced "lie-lie," means "strong wind" in the indigenous Mapuche language of Chile's Bio Bio Valley. Its cool, maritime climate, provides ideal conditions for growing the classic Burgundy grapes Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The French Connection - The wines were made with advice from French-Canadian experts with years of experience in Chablis, for the Chardonnay, and Burgundy, for the Pinot Noir.

2009 Patch Block Pinot Noir - Vin de Pays dOc, France

The Nose - floral, vanilla, chocolate, toast bread, cherries and raspberries, smokey notes The Mouth - silky body, bright acidity, smooth tannins The Brain - Patch Block wines are made by Georges Duboeuf, the founder of Les Vins Georges Duboeuf, one of the largest and best-known wine merchants in France, who is almost single-handedly responsible for popularizing the annual Beaujolais nouveau phenomenon, leading to his nicknames of le roi du Beaujolais (the king of Beaujolais). The French Connection - Umm . its from France.

2009 Fine Line Cabernet Sauvignon - Paso Robles, California

The Nose - jammy with notes of red berries, plum, cassis, and a hint of spice, cedar and clove The Mouth - full bodied but not too robust, smooth, dry but with a kiss of sweetness on finish The Brain - Adler Fels winery produces their estate wines from grape to bottle, as well their negociant brands: Big Ass, Coastline, Coyote Creek, Kitchen SInk , Leaping Lizard and Totally Random. The French Connection - This wine is blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay! The red and white grape blending here is reminiscent of Frances Cte-Rtie appellations blending of the red and white varietals of

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Syrah and Viognier!

Aside from having rockin Social Wine Education events, what else does Vinously Speaking do?

We provide In-Home Food & Wine Pairing Events with four different options for you to choose from: In Vino Veritas - an In-Home Wine Tasting & Wine Education Course The Art of the Apritif - an In-Home Wine Tasting & Appetizer Pairing Event The French Paradox - an In-Home Catering & Four Course Meal & Wine Pairing Event The Texan Paradox - an In-Home BBQ Catering & Wine and/or Beer Pairing Event We are also happy to create a customized package that works best for your In-Home Wine event. Details and prices can be found on the our website under the Vinously Speaking In-Home Food & Wine Pairing Events tab

Other vinous things we are available for: Wine Tour Guide Wine List Consulting Wine Event Planning Wine Event Speaking Staff Wine Education Sessions Private/Group Wine Education Sessions Writing Wine Articles For Publications Wine Shopping Consultants (Events/Weddings) Tasting any wine you want to share with us! And anything else you want to challenge us with!

Contact Informations for Vinously Speaking are: www.vinouslyspeaking.com Facebook & Twitter accounts are on our website. Cecis Cell ~ 210-793-4078 Melissas Cell ~ 210-863-9336

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We would like to know what you thought about this event and any other comments/ideas you may have. Dont worry, we wont be offended or let our heads get too big :P Please answer any of the below
questions you want and give this paper to Ceci or Melissa :) 1. What did you think of the time/date/cost of this event?

2. What did you think of the venue?

3. What did you think of the wine selection?

4. What did you think of the food selection?

5. What did you think of the education aspect of this event?

6. What did you think of the social aspect of this event?

Do you have any suggestions for future events? 7. Date?

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