France's Alsace - JSwinetours does private wine tours in Alsace all year round.

JSwinetours tours Alsace all year round. On our 1-day wine tours you will already get a good overview of the rich palette of wines the region has to offer. You will compare and taste many Grand Cru's.
On our more day tours we tour the North, Middle and or South in seperate days.

We will take you to the best restaurants where you can expect a melting pot of German and French cuisine or French cusine at its best.



For more information just mail us or call +33672120319.

Jean Baptiste Adam celebrates 400 years of wine making coming May 24 - 2014

It is a special privilege to be able to say your family has been in business for 400 years! Jean Baptiste Adam has this privilege, and will be celebrating this on 24 May 2014 with an open house wine tasting.

Established in 1614 Jean Baptiste Adam has been producing fine wines in Alsace for fourteen continuous generations. Each generation passes down the knowledge and skill of their fine craft to the next, and each new generation improves upon this.

A visit to Jean Baptiste Adam is a wonderful experience. Located in the Alsatian village of Ammerschwihr, as your first enter the building you are greeted by their family tree, tracing the generations of the Adam family from 1614 to the present day. Directly in front of the family tree is a show case of documents surviving two world wars.

Before tasting the wines we will tour the cave. Beautifully hand carved wine barrels line an underground wine cave. Dating back to the 1800's they are large barrels of elegantly aged wood that are still being used today to create the wines we will enjoy.

The old wine press appears to be made only of wood. The heavy wooden grape collecting at harvest time, are made of wood and leather. There are large wooden barrels and a carriage used to carry grapes in for pressing.

There are ceramic vats used for making the wines, and temperature control devices that can measure the temperature of the wine, and add a bit of warmth if needed.

The original sign of J.B. Adam

Carved out of wood and painted to perfection is a beautiful bust of an Alsatian women in full dress; this is the most elegantly decorated wine press screw I have seen anywhere. Every time we visit J.B. Adam, I always pause to look at her again.

The wines are exceptional. Tasting is always a treat. Starting with a Sylvaner we work our way through several samples. Sylvaner, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir.

A specialty ot the village Ammerschwihr is the Grand Cru Kaefferkopf, a blend of Gewurztraminer and Riesling. A lovely combination in which the Riesling adds a touch of life and freshness to the fruity Traminer taste.

Click here to be taken to J.B. Adam's wine list. 

JB Adam produces three styles of Pinot Noir:

• Alsatian style (vinified as a white wine), 
• Pinot Noir "Les Natures", (biological wine)
• and Pinot Noir  "eleve en fut de chene" (Burgundy style)

I love the toasty slightly burnt taste of the oak aged Pinot Noir. The 2009 was a superb year, 2012 was great too and almost sold out.

One wonderful expression of French wines are the purity of the wines. Jean Baptist Adam is progressive in moving further into what is known as organic wines, agriculture biological, also known as "Les Natures". These wines are produced without pesticides or chemicals and earn a special labeling. They are pure, flavorful and healthy.  

Schedule a tour with us from JoliSoleil and share with us some magical moments! We host small groups of two to twenty plus!

Learn the history, experience the wines, make memories that will last a lifetime.
Cheers!
#jolisoleil
          

Spice-Crusted Duck Breast with Cumin-Scented Carrots

Recipe:
All ingredients are here:

For the cumin-scented carrots:
Place the carrots in a large skillet with the butter, honey, and about 1/3 cup of water. Heat over medium-high heat and season the carrots with cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are lightly caramelized and tender, about 20 minutes. Finish the carrots with freshly squeezed lemon juice.

For the spiced duck breast:
Stir together the coriander, cumin, star anise, white pepper, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl to blend. Season the duck breasts on both sides with salt, then coat the skin side of the duck breasts with the spice mixture, forming a crust.

Divide the canola oil between 2 sauté pans and heat over medium heat. When the pans are hot, gently place 2 duck breasts, skin sides down, in each pan. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook until the skin is golden brown and crispy, 12-15 minutes. Turn the duck breasts over and continue cooking for 3-4 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer the duck breasts to a cutting board to rest. Return the pans to the stove.

Divide the shallots between the pans and cook over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the orange juice, lemon juice, and honey, dividing equally. Simmer to reduce by half, about 8 minutes. Finish the pan sauce by whisking in the butter and seasoning to taste with salt. Combine the sauce into one pan.

Thinly slice the duck breasts crosswise and place the duck slices on 4 plates. Spoon some of the sauce over the duck and serve with the roasted carrots.

Suggested wine pairings
Trimbach, Gewurztraminer, Cuvée Des Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre. Alsace, France

Gewurztraminers are quite special and very food-friendly wines. The style associated with the house is one of dry structure, flavorsome with firm acidity where appropriate. Trimbach produces an excellent Gewurztraminer, with the highest expression of the variety chez Trimbach being the Cuvée des Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre. Although the variety in question tends towards fatter, low acid wines, the wine here is a very ripe, yet still dry, aromatic style.

Read more here at "The Daily Meal".

Gewurztraminer

One of the first milestones in wine education is arguably learning to pronounce (and spell) "gewürztraminer." (For the record, it’s guh-VERTS-tra-meener.) Celebrate this achievement by enjoying a glass with Thai food.

Gewürztraminer is a naturally aromatic grape that has tropical aromas and flavors such as lychee, mango, and sweet gardenia.
These flavors and smells match with a wide variety of Asian dishes from around the world.
The grape is also somewhat low in acidity aiding its ability to pair well with spicy dishes.

Gewürztraminer is aromatic and fruit-forward, which appeals to the aromas of the food. Generally they are light in style with balanced acidity. This can go nicely with saltier dishes.