THE STAR OF THE FRENCH WINES

Article by: Ms. Gloria Consolacion T. Cressler

International Editor and TV Host

Photographs by: Bill Lee Lanndis

Once again the Union Des Grands Crus de Bordeaux had a fabulous wine tasting held in New York City. Well presented in the beautiful building: Cipriani on 42nd Street. The annual Union Des Grand Crus de Bordeaux wine tasting was hosted by Balzac Communications and Marketing. The President is Olivier Bernard and Michael Wangbickler, is the CEO and Partner I was able to meet him that time. I personally know their General Manager, the lovely Tiffany Van Gorder for several years now, who is always nice &  friendly. I need to also mention that all the staff are professional & poised and accommodating working so well with all attendees.   

It’s always a great pleasure to see Jean-Jacques Bonnie of Chateau Malartic-Lagraviere, whom I know & his wife personally for several years now. So seeing them every year is always such a wonderful reunion. Also, I had the opportunity to chat with Arnaud Thomssin the owner of Chateau De France Winery. His wines are remarkably memorable due to the snow storm last year in New York. What happened was that Arnaud was not able to get into New York City including several of the other wine producers. So, I and my crew volunteered to serve his wines personally to every one of the guests. Balzac always puts out the best French wine tasting. That is the reason why it is so well attended droves come in from the Wine trade and members of the Press.

I enjoyed attending this tasting with my group from Black Tie International Magazine and Global Fine Wines and Food Collection by naming first Bill Lee Lanndis, Mary Tavarez, the German Baroness Marion Von Buchard, and former Miss Ohio, Lindsey Davis. The wines that come from Bordeaux and its surrounding regions all have a distinctive and delicious flavor leaving your taste buds tingling…one must savor every taste – each a distinctive and unique flavor of joy. Besides the great wines, every wine producer at the tasting owns a beautiful and impressive castle. I truly plan to visit most of those castles very soon. My crew and I have been staying at the castles in Ireland, Austria and England every year when I travel throughout Europe. Next time I and my three press crew, Bill Lee Lanndis, Mary Tavarez, and Kristoffer Lepsoy from Norway plan to travel in May to Europe to cover the Wine Festival in Vienna Austria. Next, we will cover the Castle Stanglwirt in the Austrian Alps, then off to Salzburg to cover Mozart’s former residence which is now converted to a Museum, and also cover the original mansion filmed in the movie the Sound of Music. Then we fly off to Berlin and London with an opportunity to have dinner at the Kensington Palace with my group including my friend the Baroness Maria, who is kindly arranging the dinner for us all at the Kensington Palace.  Of course we are planning on visiting the castles and wineries of Bordeaux and the surrounding regions very soon. Once we have completed that portion of our journey, then we will be writing about our experiences encountered
at the castles and superb wineries. 

I was looking at images in the catalog of the different and unique Castles and Wineries in Bordeaux and the surrounding region and they are all so fabulous.  They remind me of the beautiful castles in the movies where they all look so magical. I remember my Trip to Estonia where they also have beautiful Castles, some were built by the German Royalties during the 1380's, and one especially comes to mind: Kuressaare Castle, also Kuressaare Episcopal Castle, is a castle in Kuressaare on Saaremaa island, in western Estonia. We had dinner there, all the staff were dressed from the 1380's and they served us food of the 1300’s starting off with a big chuck of meat, and large fish served on carved wooden trays including plates, forks and knives from that period. They also had a group entertain us who all dressed from the 1300’s including all their costumes, music and instruments. It was like you see the movies only we were there and part of the event as their guests – all taking part and having a wonderful evening doing so. We also stayed at some beautiful castles and a mansion in Estonia built by several royalties from different countries who had invaded Estonia. Another impressive Palace there was the Summer Palace built by the Russian Czar, Peter the Great as a gift to his wife the Empress Catherine.  Another place I love is the Castle Leslie in Ireland owned by the family of Winston Churchill and Princess Diana where I stay every time I visit Ireland.

The Different region that  participated in this Union Des Grands Crus de Bordeaux New York City 2017 Tasting are, Graves, Pessac-Leognan, Saint-Emillion Grand Cru, Pomerol, Listrac-Medoc, Moulis-En-Medoc, Haut-Medoc, Medoc, Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pauillac, Saint-Estephe & Sauternes Et Barsac. I can attest that the wines brought to the Union Des Grands Crus de Bordeaux wine tasting are savory and delicious and of a high caliber quality considered the cream of the crop of French wines. Every year they bring in three types of wines: the whites, the reds and dessert wines and every one of them we tasted were all great wines. I normally drink white wines only… because the taste of the red wine for me is bitter, and usually gives me a headache, but not these wines. These wines are delicious, smooth and delightful, and do not leave you with any headaches or hang overs. That sensual flavor is savored and lingers long in your mouth. So if you are in the Wine Trade, I highly recommend that you attend this wine tasting for the French Wines and you should order it for your establishment. Any of you who are members of the Press I highly recommend you attend this wine tasting because you will be thrilled with the exquisite experience of tasting these gems.

We had the opportunity to taste several of the wines and chanced to meet with the Wine Producers and  Directors of the Wineries who participated at the Wine Tasting who were all very friendly starting off with  Damien Barton Sartorius of Chateau Langoa Barton and Chateau Leoville Barton, Jean-Dominique Videau Director/Manager Chateau Branaire-Ducru since 1855, Florent Fresse Export Manager Chateaux Chateau Clerc Milon, Erwan Le Brozec Export Manager Chateaux Chateau D' Armailhac, Philippe Blanc Director Chateau Beychevelle, Orphee Amougou Domaine Henri Martin Chateau Gloria, Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy Director Chateau Clerc Milon, Florent Fresse Export Manager Chateaux Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Cyril Rouchon USA Brand Ambassador & Sales Manager Maison Bouey since 1821, Pierre Montegut Director Chateau Suduiraut, Didier Frechinet Sales Manager Chateau La Tour Blanche, and Charbtte Denjean of Chateau La Grange.

Other participants included:  Chateau De Chantegrive, Chateau Bouscaut, Chateau Carbonnieux, Chateau Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Domaine De Chevalier, Chateau De Fieuzal, Chateau Haute-Bailey, Chateau Larrivet Haut-Brion, Chateau Latour-Martillac, Chateau La Louviere, Chateau Olivier, Chateau Pape Clement, Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte, Chateau Beau-Sejour Becot, Chateau Canon -La-Gaffeliere, Chateau La Dominique, Chateau La Gaffeliere, Chateau Villemaurine, Chateau Beauregard, Chateau Le Bon Pasteur, Chateau La Cabanne, Chateau Gazin, Chateau La Pointe, Chateau Clarke, Chateau Fourcas Hosten, Chateau Chasse - Spleen, Chateau Maucaillou, Chateau Poujeaux, Chateau Beaumont, Chateau De Camensac, Chateau Cantemerle, Chateau Citran, Chateau Coufran, Chateau La Gune, Chateau La Tour Carnet, Chateau La Tour De By, Chateau Angludet, Chateau Brane-Cantenac,
 and so many others. 

This is Gloria T. Cressler signing off. We will see you in the next fabulous wine tasting!  And maybe in some castles in Bordeaux tasting the great wines.