I Love France! And French Wine!

It is true.  Tim and I took the most amazing trip to France in 2004.  We traveled and cycled all over the country for 10 days following le Tour de France.  It was an incredible.  The food was spectacular, the wine was luscious, the people were charming, and the cheese... Glory be...don't even get me started about the cheese!

That trip to France changed my perception of French wine.  Prior to the trip, I always thought it was delicious, but expensive.  That may have been because I love Chateauneuf du Pape.  Or maybe it is just the aura that surrounds all things French.

However, on the trip there was wine with dinner every night, and most of it was just table wine.  It was decadent.  We are talking about wine that was between 3 and 6 dollars at the market, and it rivaled wine I had paid 15 to 20 dollars for at home!

For this very reason, I have spent a lot of time experimenting with French wines .  I have found many Cotes du Rhones that are both delicious and affordable.  But the one I am posting today, blows them ALL out of the water.  Especially, when it falls under that 10 dollar price tag!

Chateau Roudier
Montagne-Saint-Emilion
2005
Purchased at Trader Joe's for $9.99

Fruity, but not light.  I picked up cherry and plum.  A bit tannic at first, it would benefit from being opened a little bit before you plan on drinking it.  But that said, this wine was delicious.  "Buy 6" delicious.  "Drink it all summer while you sit on the deck and your husband grills" delicious.  "Take this as a hostess gift to every party you attend" delicious.

This was another home run from Trader Joe's.  

If I wasn't married, I swear I would be flirting with their wine guy.    He definitely has my number!  It probably starts with $9.99...

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Writing this post has made me sappy for our trip to France. So even though you didn't ask, here are a few pictures from what I consider to be the trip of a lifetime!

The very fun, very lively group we cycled with on our trip.

An old mill, converted to a hotel where we stayed one night.

The rest of these are pictures taken from my bike as we rode each day.

Well, except this one.
This is a picture of Tim and I at the inn we stayed in our last night.
It was an old Monastery converted to a lovely Inn.
The dining room was in the vault where the kept the wine casks.
I could have stayed there forever.

If you hurry, you still have time to get to the store and pick up the Chateau Roudier for tonight!  And if you want to go to France, TAKE ME WITH YOU!!!!!