During the month of May 'Annie's House' was home to Anne & Kevin Major, their love for France and French wines brought them to the Loire Valley to discover in depth the variety of wines produced by the chenin and cabernet franc grapes.Kevin Major, a highly acclaimed writer with an impressive number of awards to his name and is also a wine blogger; One Brilliant Bottle, a Finalist for Best New Wine Blog, Wine Blog Awards Vintage 2010.
Appreciating his time with Gérald and Géralds introductions to his vigneron friends, I will leave you to read Kevins touching comments:
I came to the Loire Valley with little appreciation of Loire wines. I left with a great deal, due in large part to Gérald Beaumont. Gérald is a storehouse of knowledge because he has lived with these wines all his life. He grew up in a family of vignerons, the lure of wine-making deep within him. It has very much shaped the person he is today.
It is one thing to hold knowledge, another to be able to impart it. Fluent in both French and English, Gérald is the specialist one always hopes to encounter – affable, good-humoured, full of knowledge grounded in experience. He is more than willing to answer any and all questions (no matter how basic or esoteric), willing to go out of his way to help connect you with vignerons and their wines.
With the help of Gérald I was able to taste more distinct versions of chenin and cabernet franc (the two main grapes of Loire wines) than I ever thought existed. But, beyond that, he led me to other varietals in several other regions of France with which he had personal connection through his years operating a wine bar. It was wine tasting flavoured with the stories of French rural life as well as the realities of winemaking in modern France.
If you are looking for an authentic wine experience, one you will long remember and value, Gérald Beaumont is your man.
Kevin Major
writer, wine blogger
one brilliant bottle
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