Day 3 and 4) I have traditionally been a whole wheat breakfast gal but being in France, I have been enjoying fresh croissants. They’re totally light, flakey and buttery. Unlike American croissant, these melt in your mouth and I am having one every morning. Goodbye diet! Hello white flour! To be on the healthy side of my caloric intake, I have also taken up yogurt. A cup of yogurt and fruit is not uncommon but what is different here is the consistency of the yogurt. It’s thicker and creamier than American yogurt. Not thick like Greek yogurt, French yogurt is fragrant, rich and dense. Yummy!
Okay, with the talk of food, you may ask if my clothes are getting snug. The answer is no because I walk everywhere. Because VinExpo is probably the size of a small city, my daily running around is suffice to fend off the pounds.
Speaking of weight, the book “French Women Are Not Fat (? Title)” is a fallacy. French women come in many sizes. I think the main difference is that they walk more than us. Because many reside in villages, buildings are in close proximity and walking everyday is the norm. Larger cities have great public transportation so walking to the metro is more exercise.
This evening, we dined in downtown Bordeaux at a Brazilian restaurant—a selection of grilled meat served straight off the spit stick. It’s ironic that I’m in France and every night, I have had a meal un-French! The food was delicious but the most peculiar part of the evening was the sunlight. It happened to be one of the longest days of the year and there was sun until 10pm! What’s better than dining outdoors in one of the prettiest places in the world…having a cigar after dinner.
Day 5) With half of the team dancing the night away and the other half enjoying the remaining evening with a stogie, we all enjoyed the last night in Bordeaux. It is truly a charming place and I hope to come back with some more time to wander around the center of the city…especially to visit a wine shop a new friend recommended, “L’Interdant” and feast on cheese at Baud et Millet. I drove by the storefront and am determined to go in the next time I’m in town!
The last day of VinExpo was quite a blur with tastings and clean-up. It seemed to be over as quickly as it started. Some parting shots of the wine and art filled expo.

A bientot, Tina

It’s hard to believe that harvest is coming to an end in both France and the United States. The rain has started to fall in the Napa Valley. It seems like just yesterday that the valley was ablaze with summer heat. Not only was it hot in the United States, the South of France is comparably warm. I’m Tina Cao, part of Team Skalli, and while Nicolas has been discovering America, I got a peek into life in the South France this past summer. I was just going through my photos from this summer and found some great photos from my trip to Nicolas’s home turf: Bordeaux! Here is the first of several entries of my trip to VinExpo and the South of France (home to Les Vins Skalli!)
If you love wine and design, VinExpo is a living dream.
Every other year, the French port city of Bordeaux plays host to the international wine expo, VinExpo. Wine and spirit producers from around the world construct ‘salons’ inside the expansive ‘Parc des Expositions’ just outside of downtown Bordeaux.
This is my first trip to VinExpo and here is my daily journal:
Day 1) I wake up Sunday morning to catch a flight from San Francisco to Paris. Because I live 1.5 hours away from the airport, I had to wake up at 330a for a 730 flight (taking into consideration the 2 hour pre-arrival now allotted for intl travel). Being a Sunday, I did not think that air travel would be busy but I was completely wrong as the security line spiraled around the ropes without the TSA in sight until I was at least five rows away. Safety comes first so I don’t mind the wait but operating on little sleep makes a gal cranky.
My flight to Paris, with one stop over, lasted about 14 hours. Upon arrival in the City of Lights, I had 2 hours until I had to catch the TGV (Train Grand Vitesse or “Speed Train”) to Bordeaux. The train ride to Bordeaux was another 4 hours. I usually close my eyes to try to sleep but a half sleep in an upright position is not the same as full slumber in a bed. Nevertheless, upon arrival in Bordeaux, I manage to haul my oversized, overweight luggage off the train and onto stairs, because I failed to find the escalator, to find the VinExpo shuttle.
The shuttle runs every hour and because my train arrived at 1:05p had to wait 55 minutes for the next shuttle. That was perfect because I had to change out of my travel uniform of cargo pants and a vintage concert tee shirt (a 2005 souvenir from Coachella) into something suitable for a wine expo that attracts buyers from all over the world. I walk around the train station for a changing spot and notice a nice corner behind a billboard. Yes, I was going to change in public because I was that desperate. However, I came to my senses and opted for something more demure. Fifty centimes later, I found myself in a bathroom stall that is probably the size of an elementary school bathroom stall. With my luggage crammed beside me, I wiggle into my shirtdress. Voila! I hop onto the shuttle. Hair is brushed and makeup is applied in the bus–I’m VinExpo ready. Okay, not yet because I still have on my Crocs. I love to travel with my turquoise blue Crocs clogs. Okay, they’re not so pretty and some may think they’re only for kids 2 and under but they’re so comfy that I don’t care what people think. A quick shoe change in front of the Pavilion and it’s show time. Considering I had been awake for 19 hours, people are surprised that I’m functioning normally and look halfway alive when I finally at the Skalli Family Wines stand. I’m happy to find some friendly faces with St. Superians Michaela and Emma as well as Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) staff. At the NVV stand, I find Napa Valley doyenne, Margrit Mondavi, drawing a crowd. Off to work! At the end of the day, the NVV decided to bring a little of the USA to Bordeaux with a true cowboy party. Complete with line dancing and a bleu, blanc et rouge BBQ, my first night in Bordeaux ended with an American hoedown. Fun? Absolument!

Day 2) Having slept 5 hours after being awake for about 36, I was surprisingly not feeling any jet lag. I’m a pretty good traveler but amazed even myself that my eyes were not blood shot nor my temper through the roof. The expo starts at 830a and lasts until 7p everyday. In addition to tastings, VinExpo is also host to seminars conducted by world experts. Today, I attended a presentation by the US based Wine Market Council (of which Michaela happens to be a director).

Seminars are located across the lake and to get there, you have to traverse the ‘floating’ bridge.
Yes, it truly is floating as it gently rocks under my feet as I’m walking across. The bridge is bright orange, a color reminiscent of Hermes’ signature hue. Hermes, is, in fact, present at VinExpo. They have a booth selling accessories just in case I needed something to feel a little more French. I would have loved a chic scarf but I preferred to spend my euros on macarons and a variety of other sweets as my French indulgence. I think the travel finally caught up to me as I skipped dinner (always a late one) to go to bed at 830p and solid sleep until 6am.

While Nicolas is recovering from his French vacation. I’m Tina Cao, part of Team Skalli! I had the luxury of visiting Bordeaux for an extravagant event known as VinExpo. I must admit that VinExpo is so grand and expansive that it took me several days to digest it all. Okay, VinExpo is its own post. What I really want to talk about is Rosé. Nico had posted about the proposed law on the making of Rosé. Well, I want to tell how versatile a crisp, refreshing and light Rosé is perfect with ethnic food, on a warm day…any day for that matter!

I love to eat local food as I believe it’s one of the best ways to experience your surroundings. Having some free time in the south of France with some new friends from the Skalli office in France, we went around the uber cute village of Avignon. There were so many great ‘mom and pop’ restaurants in the village. One evening, I had drinks and apps at a Vietnamese restaurant and dinner down the road at a Cambodian place. The commonality of it all…Rosé! Asian food is fresh, spicy and everything in between. It’s hard to find a wine that compliments complex flavors. Aside from St. Supéry Sauvignon Blanc, I am now a fan of Rosé with Asian cuisine.

Rosé is dry, fruity and a great pairing with foods that are not common on our radar (recently, my HipTastes pal recommended it to pair with some Mexican food I was gobbling for lunch). What irks me is that in America, a Rosé is misunderstood. It’s NOT white zin that is sweet and, dare I say, an old lady’s boxed quaffer. Is wine not real wine because it’s pink? Real men wear pink….why don’t we drink it too? I think we have it in our heads that Rosé is one thing…white zin and the connection is hard to re-wire. In an earlier post, Nicolas had the same confusion when he had a glass of Rosé in America. In a kind gesture, he explained to us what is a real Rosé and how it should taste. Reading is one thing but experience is another. Go out and taste a bottle….preferably from the South of France!

My wish is for everyone to give it second try. Summer picnics, barbeques and anything that calls for a cool drink can be satisfied with Rosé. Okay, I am spoiled because I have several wonderful Rosés in my ice box: Robert Skalli AOC Provence and Maison Bouachon Tavel. These are some really good wines but I hope you give Rosés a try, regardless of the brand.

This site is about Nicolas discovering America but I think we can discover a little bit of the South of France along the way too.

Wines from the Languedoc offer value and quality. Guest blogger Pamela Busch, owner/sommelier of Cav Wine Bar in San Francisco shares her thoughts on the rediscovered gem in the South of France.

The Opera House, Paris

I was lucky enough to end my trip to the South of France with a stop in the city of Paris on my way home.  I only had an afternoon and an evening to explore (just a tease really).  I decided to forgo the touristy stops and use my time to hang out, explore some neighborhoods and get a feel for the Paris vibe.   The architecture in Paris is most impressive and made me feel as though I were walking around in a storybook. 

The Mayor's Office

Most of the afternoon I hung out with my friend Pamela Busch, owner of Cav Wine Bar in San Francisco.  While wandering in one of the neighborhoods in the heart of the city, we found our bellies grumbling and decided it was time for some lunch.  Though we passed by several cafes, it was the one with the line out  the door that caught our attention.  I enjoyed some quiche and Pamela some pizza on a bench out front while we watched the sights.

And, no wine trip would be complete without a trip to a Parisian wine bar.  First we visited Lavinia for Champagne and appetizers and then later that evening sauntered to Willi’s Wine Bar for dinner.  Willi’s opened in 1980 and has become a landmark in the world of wine.  Each year the wine bar commissions an artist to design a new poster for them.  I have the 2000 edition of the Willi’s poster hanging in my office in California.  I had the pleasure of meeting the artist, Wayne Ensrud, the year after he designed the poster and he signed a copy for me.    It was fun to see it again at the actual place. 

Pamela, Tia and Deborah at Willi's

 And, so ends my journey.  Thank you for letting me share some of my experiences in the South of France with you.  It was fantastic and I hope it encourages you to explore the region futher through the delicious and diverse wines.  I know I’ll be back again.  In the meantime, I encourage you to experience the garrigue and more by transporting yourself to the South of France through the wines from the Robert Skalli portfolio.  I look forward to Nico’s return to the U.S. to read more about his adventures.

xx 

Tia