hey lovelies!  while i hope those of you that had the day off, my true hope is that everyone remembers the significance of why we have the day off – so many people sacrificed their lives to fight for our country.  i couldn’t let memorial day pass without saying a little something.

recently, i was asked to be an ambassador for la grande verre – it is a french wine company that sells wine by the glass.  the second i heard about this, i was intrigued.  then, i saw how cute the bottles were and they are incredibly practical, especially with them being plastic and twist tops.  i thought to myself about how many times i may have wanted just a glass or two but would be frustrated when having to open an entire bottle (and more importantly, dealing with storing the bottle afterwards).  i figured if i ended up liking this wine, this could be the answer to all of my prayers.

now, you all know that i love wine but before agreeing to be an ambassador, i had to do an official taste test to see if this was a company i could get behind.  since my friend alan was in town, i thought there was no better person to participate in this taste testing with me.

the box was made with 100% recycled materials which i appreciated.  i got alan and i a few glasses and we started tasting:

1. stollen ruby relaxed red is 70% cabernet sauvignon and 30% merlot – alan described this one as light, fruity, smooth and a little tart whereas i thought it smelled like vanilla, tasted a little like blackberries and was subtly sweet.  this was my favorite red because it was just so easy to drink and not as heavy as a lot of red i have tried.  it is a red i think is even doable in the summer which is rare for me to say.
2. domaine de la pagerie is a pinot noir – this was alan’s favorite!  he described it as medium bodied with hints of cherry and was balanced from start to finish.  for me, this was floral for a pinot.  it was also lighter than i anticipated but not as light as the first red.
3. clos roussely is a sauvignon blanc – alan described this one as fruity and sweet compared to either of the reds.  i was obsessed with this one and that is probably because it smelled and tasted like peaches, which i absolutely love.  it also had these subtle floral notes and it just reminded me of summer.
4. anjou vieilles vignes is 85% chenin blanc and 15% chardonnay – alan described this one as smooth, soft and thought it tasted like apple.  i thought it smelled tart but tasted a bit sweet – almost like honey.  this was incredibly easy to drink.

the pours are 6.3 ounces each which is a healthy glass.  i would also suggest these if you were spending a day at the park for a picnic and wanted something easy to transport and if you want to avoid dealing with glass.

you can build your own box or you can pick a box that has been preset for you.  knowing what i now know, i would build my own box because i would want more than one sauvignon blanc – one glass just isn’t enough when it is that good.

whether you are getting this for yourself or for someone as a gift, le grand verre will not disappoint.

which wine sounds like it would suit you best?

xoxo,

k.tap