You don't need to spend $8K on a good bottle of Merlot.
But shout-out to JAY-Z and Beyonce though?!?
Happy Thursday, y’all.
For those of you who celebrate, we’re officially four days from Christmas. And guess what? Many of my gifts for loved ones are still at the store.
I find it fascinating that even when I am on a self-proclaimed social media break, I am never too far away from happenings at the intersection of pop and wine culture. This week, I caught a glimpse of the internet swooning over photos of Mr. and Mrs. Carter sipping on a few bottles of vintage wine while dining out with friends in Bordeaux, France. While this isn’t out of the ordinary for the Carters, one bottle had the internet particularly buzzing.
The vintage you ask? A 1973 bottle of Chateau Petrus Pomerol Grand Vin, that’s listed for $7,999 on Vivino.com. You can’t purchase this vintage (obviously because it is quite coveted and only a few bottles remain) but if you want the 1998 vintage, have at it!
While I imagine opening such a special bottle was to celebrate JAY-Z’s December 4th birthday, I want to use this as a teachable moment + remind y’all of a few things:
These folks are wealthy and have the right to flex their ability to gain access to wines from any part of the world and of any vintage. Love that for them!
While the everyday wine drinker may not have access to certain vintages, there are plenty of more affordable alternatives to explore. And just because wine is expensive, doesn’t mean that it’s going to taste good.
Always drink what you enjoy. You don’t have to blow your savings or 401K on a good bottle of wine.
Keep scrolling for a deeper dive into what makes Pomerol such a showstopping part of the Bordeaux region.
NEW-ish WORK
This was one of my favorite stories I worked on this year, primarily because I got to nerd out on a grape variety. For Wine Enthusiast’s December print issue, I wrote about Vidal Blanc–a hybrid French grape variety that was developed in the 1930s by grape grower Jean Louis Vidal. Today, the grape variety is typically used as a blending grape, but some producers make a single variety Vidal Blanc, and do it very well.
WINE-ish NEWS YOU CAN USE
I am OBSESSED with these wine glasses, but still on the fence about buying them.
Oenophiles anad bibliophiles, this one is for you.
I’m currently in my era of watching documentaries and reading memoirs. I just finished Will Smith’s audiobook and thoroughly enjoyed David Beckham’s Netflix documentary BECKHAM. Over the break, I’m going to reread John H. Johnson’s memoir, delve into Matthew Perry’s on my Kindle, and perhaps try to finish listening to Jada Pinkett Smith’s Worthy, courtesy of Spotify.
also mentioned in her newsletter that the documentary on Anthony Bourdain is still available, live and in color, on HBO Max for our viewing pleasure.This is also a reminder for us all to watch the second season of High on the Hog on Netflix.
THROWBACK THURSDAY: Here’s A Beverage Pairing For Every Holiday Gathering You’re Planning This Season
PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY OF WINE CONVO GENERATOR!
The outpouring of love and support from last week’s announcement still has me overwhelmed with gratitude. Thank you to everyone who has pre-ordered a copy of the book – I appreciate you so much! And if you haven’t, there’s still plenty of time!
Click below to get your copy so we can celebrate together on March 12, 2024!
A DEEPER DIVE INTO POMEROL
Okaysoboom, Bordeaux is a pretty popular French wine region – the largest appellation when it comes to volume and the value of its wines. The wines of the region are typically distinguished as Left Bank or Right Bank – which is split by the Gironde Estuary. The Left Bank is known for its incredible single varietal Cabernet Sauvignon and the Right Bank slays in its Merlot and Cabernet Franc production. Together, along with Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and sometimes Carmenere, make up the beautiful blend that is known as Bordeaux.
(In case you were wondering, I’m a Left Bank girlie, but I’ve had some good Right Bank wines – so it’s alright with me.)
Pomerol, which is on the Right Bank, is known for its STELLAR Merlot made by family estates. Wines that are made in this region are meant to be aged for years and years, One of the well-known producers of Merlot in this area is Chateau Petrus, which has been around since the early 1960s. Their Merlot vines were planted on about 28 acres at a very high elevation and a unique terroir of blue clay soils, which help to produce such an infatuating wine.
So to bring all of this together: Beyoncé, JAY-Z, and friends were drinking some very expensive wine produced by a highly regarded family estate that specializes in only Merlot that is grown on small areas of land. Makes sense?
Now, if you’re still not convinced to spend the next six months’ rent and/or mortgage on a bottle of Petrus (which I totally understand!!!) might I suggest grabbing a bottle of 2018 Domaines Barons de Rothschild Legende from Saint Emilion (which is right next to Pomerol!)
And guess what? It’s only $45!
I’ll discuss this more in a future post, but I had a chance to experience this producer back in 2019 on my first trip to Bordeaux and was smitten by this wine’s silky and seductive texture.
Come to think of it, I just may have to crack open the two bottles of Legendé that I’ve been sitting on for Christmas…
Next week, I‘ll be back with all things BUBBLY because we gotta sip into the New Year (and CapricornSZN) the right way! Until then, have a very Merry Christmas (if you celebrate), and enjoy time resting with your family and friends!
Cheers!
-cc
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That Anthony Bourdain documentary came out 2 years ago. It’s streaming on MAX, titled ROADRUNNER.
Somehow I KNEW that bottle was going to be the topic of this week's newsletter, appreciate the insight!