Crémant de Loire: Book Club & A Celebration

When it came to choosing a wine for this month's book club meeting, I went straight for the bubbly! 

I'm a firm believer that you don't need a special occasion for sparkling wines & champagnes, but this time I actually did have something to celebrate...I just got a fantastic new job!

On to the wine:

De Chanceny Crémant de Loire, Rosé Brut

Varietal, Region: Cabernet Franc, Loire Valley

Arlington Store, Neighborhood: Whole Foods, Clarendon

Price: around $15

My Tasting Notes: Aromas of raspberry, lemon and other citrus fruits, delicate yet bright, refreshing with a clean finish.

Fun Facts about Crémant de Loire wines:

• These wines are labeled "méthode traditionnelle" not "méthode champenoise" even though they are both produced using the traditional champagne production method. This is due to EU regulations, but only on sparkling wines produced within the EU (so you may see the latter on a label of California sparkling wine)
• Crémant de Bourgogne was introduced around the same time, and Crémant d'Alsace came slightly later 
• Archaeological evidence points to the Romans as the first to plant vineyards in the Loire Valley in the 1st century AD, during their settlement of Gaul. Who knew?!

I'll talk more about Cabernet Franc in a future post!

The Book:

I read The Kite Runner, by the same author Khaled Hosseini, a few years ago and liked it but didn't love it, so I was thinking this book would be similar. Boy, was I wrong. This is one of the best books I have ever read, if not the best. I can't recommend it enough...And the Mountains Echoed is absolutely phenomenal. I could not put it down.

Hosseini was born in Kabul, but raised in Paris and the US. You can read more about his life here. He also has a non-profit The Khaled Hosseini Foundation. For my fellow Washingtonians, it's a 501(c)(3)...as a reporter, I can't help it.

I was going to take a picture of the book club food and wine spread, but I realized sometimes it's better to put my phone/camera away and enjoy the moment. 

Now that my next career move is in the bag, I can finally focus on planning my wedding. I plan to try many wines and many desserts in the process, all which will be documented here. 

Cheers!

More on Loire Valley wines