Olivier Magny shares his wine wisdom – WIN 1 of 3 copies of ‘Into Wine’
“A passionate sommelier”: this is how Olivier Magny is described in the blurb of ‘Into Wine’, his latest book, released today.
If you have ever had the fortune of speaking with Olivier, you will know that “passionate” is rather an understatement. Or perhaps you’ve seen him wandering through stunning French vineyards, extolling their virtues, on ‘The Grape Escape’. Maybe you caught him recently at the Australian Travel Writing Festival, or have slipped from the Paris chill into his wine bar, Ô Chateau, one evening. And then there’s his acclaimed blog and book ‘Stuff Parisians Like’.
The point is, Olivier is a busy man. With such a wealth of experience, and a lot on his plate, it’s also refreshing to see how enthusiastic he is about sharing his knowledge with others.
That is what ‘Into Wine’ is all about.
“Jargon always masks ignorance.”
The first words of Olivier’s book say it all: he is about being genuine, and appreciating something fine for exactly what it is, rather than what others say it should be. He takes you on his journey to becoming a wine enthusiast, at the same time giving up each piece of wisdom he’s gleaned along the way.
‘Into Wine’ is both a humorous exercise in memoir as well as the ultimate guide to appreciating wine. So if you’ve ever harboured dreams of getting into wine, there has never been a better moment.
Click here to read our interview with Olivier.
Words by Hannah DukeWIN 1 of 3 copies of ‘Into Wine’
MaVieFrançaise® magazine would like to give three lucky members the chance to WIN a copy of Olivier Magny’s latest book ‘Into Wine’.
To win, all you have to do is:
1. JOIN the Ma Vie Française® community for free and
2. In a COMMENT below this article, tell us:
If you could visit any wine region in France, where would you choose to go, and why?
We will then select the best answer as our winner at 4.59pm AEST, Friday 17 May 2013.
Bonne chance!
About the Contributor
Judy MacMahon
Champagne region of course! Known for it’s best and luxiurious sparkling wine which got his name after this place and is recognisable all over the world. Vineyards are one of the best views I’ve ever seen, now only in pictures, but who knows, maybe one day I’ll see it truly. I love the north of France, there are so many food and drink traditions which make this place very unique. I hope I will be rich enough to try one day a real glass of champagne, the most expensive 😉
I would love to visit the Loire Valley. I could enjoy some fine, fruity wines while exploring their fairy-tale looking villages, and the châteaux de la Loire!
The south-west region of France. Not only do I think the country-side in this region is gorgeous, I adore the rolling vineyards with their really nice wines, and I love Floc, which is made in this region too! I would visit all the vineyards, taste-test their produce, and enjoy pairing the wine with market-fresh local produce.
I would like to visit the Gigondas wine region. I had previously not had the opportunity to taste wine from Gigondas and I was amazed to find this region which is relatively new in wine terms and not really in one of the traditionally great wine regions. The wines I have tasted are truely superb and it was a great joy and revalation to discover a new (at least to me) source of exciting vintages and wine makers.
I would go to Bordeaux area, I’d go to the garage wineries and get a feel of the passion from the growing new generation compared to colossal chateaux (new generation vs old generation), get to taste different styles and character, take a sniff at the fever of La Place, share their approach to marketing and classification systems, their position regarding the evolution and adaptation of NW (e.g. China buying French domaines and producing in motherland), the local effects of global warming, so on so on so on..
Plus, they make awesome wine, the landscapes are fantastic, and I miss the canelés (Bordeaux famous sweet delicacy) !!
The wine world changes so fast, its hard to keep up with it !!
“This is like Sophie’s choice, which child would I choose? Each region has its own character, each producing unique wines. Some wines will soar you to the heavens and others will disappoint. Burgundy is the region I would choose as it produces such intriguing wines. How can the two main varieties of grape produce so many different wines, and a third variety that produces a wine for the pure joy of living. From the elegant Chablis to the rich Meursault, and the mature layers of a Vosne-Romanee or a Gevrey-Chambertin. Yet, in this region that produces such mature and developed wines, the Beaujolis rears its delightful head and reminds you that wine is also about the sheer fun in life.”
How to choose between the most superb wines and the most beautiful scenery all over France… it’s like trying to choose a favourite fromage, impossible! We’d have to plump for the Languedoc-Rousillon region, we’ve sampled, cogitated and debated so many wines in compiling the wine list for our chambre d’hote and after all that cogitation (and just a few small hangovers…) all our ‘vin de table’ comes from the Languedoc region.
So many choices! I think either the champagne region, for obvious reasons, or Sancerre, which has some lovely whites.