Tour de France: What is in a name; Francesca's?

WAY back in the summer of 1999 we sat around the Boardroom Table in the The Grille at the The Resort Course of The Westin La Cantera Hill Country Resort.  The Resort was sparkling new, just opened, and our fine dinning restaurant had yet to open.  Around the table were Westin executives, the Matre 'd, servers and our consulting Chef Mark Miller.  Yes, THE Mark Miller of Coyote Cafe fame.  I was one of the servers.  The hot topic was how are we going to pronounce the name of our restaurant.

We all agreed that it sounded best as "Fran-CHESS-kas."  It is just how most of us said it.  Then Chef Miller gave us a lesson in European pronunciations; the "Fran-CHESS-kas" we were saying was Italian and we wanted to stay away from being an Italian restaurant.  Since we have more Spanish influence in our cuisine, culture, and region he maintained that we should use the Spanish pronunciation .."Fran-ses-kas."  From there on we agreed, the Spanish pronunciation was the way to go.

Nowhere in all our discussion do I remember us talking about what the name meant. We all got that it was a girl's name, which is obvious, the legend that our name is honoring was the prettiest lady in the county who stole the heart of a young man that was destined to become a priest.

What I did not catch is that it was acknowledgment of France or French heritage which was itself a reference to freedom or "free one!"  

Many will agree that this French Spirit of freedom is vibrantly on display in the feats of the month long race that tours the country, called the Tour de France.

AND it can be tasted in the wines made from their land!  Which is why our wine list is featuring French wines during July.  Check out this wine list here.

Featured Red Wine:

• Grenache, SHATTER, Maury, Roussillon, France, 2010
• Pinot Noir, Bourgogne, LOUIS CHEVALLIER, Burgundy, France, 2010
• Merlot / Cabernet Blend, Graves, CHÂTEAU CABANNIEUX, Bordeaux, France, 2009
• Merlot/Cab. Sauvignon, CHASSE, Bordeaux, France, 2008

Featured White Wine:

• Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre, JEAN REVERDY "La Reine Blanche" Loire, France, 2011
• Chardonnay, Chablis, DOMAINE LONG-DEPAQUIT Burgundy, France, 2011
• Viognier,  CINQUANTE-CINQ, Vin de Pays d'Oc, Languedoc, France, 2012
• Melon de Bourgogne, Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine, Sur Lie, DOMAINES VINET, "DOMAINE ST. MARTIN" Loire, France, 2011

Wine Study- "Sauvignon Blanc"

"The Wildman of Pouilly" Didier Dagueneau, 1956-2008

“Nothing as refreshing!”

- Jancis Robinson

We continue a series of sessions with the Francesca's at Sunset and Brannon's Cafe teams we are calling "Wine Study."  We are meeting every other Saturday for the purpose of expanding our knowledge and experience with wine.  Our guide is Jancis Robinson's Wine Course DVD, an excellent resource!  Aired in the United Kingdom in 1995 and is fascinating to see both areas where the wine industry has not changed and areas where it has changed dramatically!

Episode 4- Sauvignon Blanc continues the juxtaposition Jancis showed us in episode 2 and 3; New World vs Old World. AND the commonality of the monumental struggle to overcome the unique challenges each region and each producer has as Jancis shows us in Episode 3- Cabernet Sauvignon. In this episode the layer of the owner/winemaker's personality is added in dramatic fashion; beginning in New Zealand where John Stichbury’s Vineyard is being threatened by frost so he calls in a helicopter to fly over vineyards and push warm air down on vines. As we learn more about this vineyard and winery we also see that this man is quite a character, very dynamic and bold. Mrs. Robinson goes on to introduce us to David Hoehnen who recounts how he started the Cloudy Bay winery in 1985 from nothing to being one of the most prized and recognized wines in the world.  I do not know of a more bold and dramatic happening in the world of wine in our lifetime. Mrs. Robinson then wisks us, the viewers, away to France's Loire Valley where she introduces us to "The Wildman of Pouilly," Didier Dagueneau, a loner, a fighter, adventurer who was dis-owned by his Father.  His philosophy about wine is very well thought out and expressed; “I make wine to give people pleasure.  I sell happiness.  It’s a good job to be in.  I want wine to be a good moment in people’s lives.  It’s like good food, beautiful music; it is like a beautiful painting.  I think that wine should be considered as art, in the same way as painting or music.”  Amen, Monsieur Dagueneau!!!

Continuing the bold and fresh personality tour, Jancis introduces us to a flying wine maker; Jacques Lurton.  He is the son of established Sauvignon maker Andre Lurton of Chateau Bonnet, Bordeaux, France.  Jancis explains how Jacques became the successful globe trotting wine maker he is because he did not or could not stay in Bordeaux and become competition for his Father.  In his interview Jacques then explains how he works by coming into the client's winery and completely taking over, a very bold and audacious practice.

In this episode focused on the Sauvignon Blanc grape; we should not be surprised that the people who make the best examples are themselves bold and dynamic, like the grape variety. The grape gets its name from the French word "sauvage" (wild) and "blanc" (white) due to its characteristics in the vineyards and in the glass!  So, is it art imitating life or is it life imitating art?  Through the lives of these winemakers we can see a glimpse of how profound, magical and mysterious nature of wine!

If you will read this handout which has a few notes from the video and a lot of information and links to more on the web related to the topics Jancis covers, hopefully it adds to the subjects and fills you in on where the personalities from the video are today.  As exciting and dynamic as this episode is, the intervening years have been even more so for everyone involved.  It is my sincere hope that you are finding this blog informative and instructional. 

To check your learning experience and highlight the most important information here is the quiz.  And the quiz with answers.  And please reply to this blog; is Sauvignon Blanc your  favorite wine?