Timothy Samson - March 5

Today we went to St. Emilion, France near Bordeaux for a traditional wine tasting in this quaint town famous for its quality wines. We visited the world famous Chateau Clos des Menuts, which had an expansive cellar full of old barrels used for aging wine. The ancient tunnels extended for many kilometers under the charming town with its limestone buildings and winding streets. The guide and host provided us with an educational presentation and gave us a brief history of the Chateau, wine making, and facts about the region. We learned the proper technique for aerating, smelling, and tasting wine by comparing several different varieties of red wine. We also tried a white wine that had a hint of grapefruit flavor, which turned out to be my favorite of the day. He also explained that in France wine is labeled according to which Chateau it comes from as opposed to the type of grape it contains. This is a controversial topic in the wine community because wines from other parts of the world tend to include the type of grape on the label, which many wine buyers prefer. But the French argue that people who appreciate good wines should know the composition if they know the respective chateaus.