Taste wines from Alsace and / or Burgundy at your home and discuss live on Zoom

• Online guided tastings will be offered to people in the Netherlands and the USA (to start with) live using "Zoom" (free cloud software)
• Each event takes about 2 hours and is designed for a maximum of 18 people in a (private) group.
• In a live tasting event all participants will taste and discuss the same wines
• Winemakers will participate and comment on the wines you bought and will be tasting, (pre-recorded or live)​​

Participants will receive from JoliSoleil:​​

• Information on the use of Zoom. (pdf)
• General information about wine tasting (pdf)
• General information about the region and the wines from that region (pdf)
• Specific information on the 6 different wines we will taste and the wineries where the wines come from (pdf)
• A tasting notes form (pdf) to be printed out and used for the session
• By mail (Netherlands)  or UPS/ FedEx (USA) - tasting wines (box(es) of 6 wines - 1 box per 6 participants)
• A gift voucher to be used on a "real" JoliSoleil wine tour in Alsace or Burgundy (will not expire)​

Needed on your location:

• 3 wine glasses per person
• Water​
• Bread and some cheese
• PC's or Smartphones with an Internet connection

​Alsace tasting box choices 

• a) Alsace wines: receive 1,2 or 3 boxes with 6 different Alsace wines (2 grand cru's) per box
• b) Alsace wines: receive 1,2 or 3 boxes with 6 different Alsace wines (4 grand cru's) per box ​
  ​

Burgundy tasting box choices

• a) Burgundy wines: receive 1,2 or 3 boxes with 6 different Burgundy wines (2 premier cru's, 1 grand cru) per box
• b) Burgundy wines: receive 1,2 or 3 boxes with 6 different Burgundy wines (2 premier cru's, 2 grand cru's) per box
  ​

Pinot noir wines; 

• receive 1,2 or 3 boxes with 3 different Alsatian pinot noirs and 3 different Burgundy pinot noirs per box

​​

Costs​

Netherlands: to be announced soon, for now please mail .

USA:

Tasting event per participant: $ 25,=  plus for the tasting wines including shpping:

• No of tasting boxes a 6 wines / box  
• for 2-<=6 participants:     1 
• for 7- <=12 participants:  2  
• for 12-<=18 participants: 3

• Alsace box a) including shipping      
• for 2-<=6 participants $ 239,= 
• for 7- <=12 participants.$ 394,= 
• for 12-<=18 participants.$ 510,=.

• Alsace box b) including shipping      
• for 2-<=6 participants.$.284,=.
• for 7- <=12 participants.$ 484,= 
• for 12-<=18 participants.$ 645,=​

• Burgundy box a) including shipping 
• for 2-<=6 participants.$ 319,= 
• for 7- <=12 participants.$ 554,=.
• for 12-<=18 participants $ 750,,=

• Burgundy box b) including shipping 
• for 2-<=6 participants.$ 394,= 
• for 7- <=12 participants.$. 703,= 
• for 12-<=18 participants $ 975,=​

• Pinot Noir box Alsace & Burgundy   
• for 2-<=6 participants.$ 295,= 
• for 7- <=12 participants.$ 503,= 
• for 12-<=18 participants.$ 675,=

 

Why not send us a mail or fill in an inquiry form to discuss your customised private online wine tasting?
You can book here.

Corona virus

The coronavirus outbreak has left people around the world wondering whether they should cancel or postpone pending travel plans.

Postponing one of our tours booked via us or thru one of our partners can be done without any extra costs, even when you postpone into 2021 !

If necessary you can postpone your tour(s) more than once, because lock downs and flight regulations can change. 

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Please follow up on the (temporarily) restriction rules from your governments and local authorities. It is not only about your health but also the health of other people.

​

People cannot travel for a holiday into France from outside of Europe momentarily. Within France there is also a travel ban which will last at least to May 11  2020.

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The situation after May 11 is described under here. If you need an explanation or translation mail us!

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If you’re one of the many people feeling anxious about an upcoming trip, remember that while your decision to stay or go should always prioritise safety, that decision should be based on facts instead of fear.

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Stay safe and healthy !

Some independent wine growers in Alsace recently invested in new tasting facilities

The wine route

Launched in 1953, the Alsace Wine Route is one of the oldest wine routes in France.
It offers visitors a wide range of activities related to wine and the vineyard all year round.

 The wine route winds 170km (110 miles) from the north to the south of the region, passing through 70 wine-growing villages, renowned for being some of the most beautiful villages in the Alsace.
We are talking about Eguisheim, Kaysersberg, Ribeauvillé, Riquewihr, Andlau, Obernai just to name a few.

The Alsace Wine Route is also a popular gathering place. From April to October, villages organise wine and harvest festivals in turn. Folklore entertainment, processions and wine-tastings take place all day long, and even at night, in a lively andfriendly atmosphere.

Some modern tasting facilities of independent wineries

It makes sense that wine cooperations were and are able to join forces and invest in modern tasting facilities. But also a couple of independent wineries have invested in new facilities in recent years.

Schlumberger
Schlumberger:is established since 1810. Nowadays, there are two generations working side by side. Alain Beydon-Schlumberger, 6th generation and Séverine and Thomas Schlumberger, 7th generation. Their vineyard is unique in Alsace : 140 hectares hectares with 70 classified as Grands Cru : Kitterlé, Saering and Spiegel.

Schlumberger tasting room facade

When I take you for a visit, we can enjoy their new tasting facilities and their old wine cave.
If there is time enough we can also take a walk in their vineyards.

Schlumberger tasting bar

Joseph Cattin
In 1978, Jacques and Jean-Marie, grandsons of Joseph Cattin, took over the family-owned Estate; Jacques, as the manager and Jean- Marie running the vineyard operations. Jacques began to modernize the Cattin Winery; a new dynamic was created. In 25 years, means of production completely transformed and the vineyard has been spread over 60 hectares.

Entrance to cave at Cattin

In 2007, Jacques Junior, joined the company after having studied engineering in agronomy and winemaking. In collaboration with his father, Jacques Cattin Senior, Jacques junior took charge of the wine-making and the financial department. His wife, Anaïs, graduated from a prestigious business school, and with strong experience toward international commerce, she joined the company in 2012. She is currently responsible for the international sales department.

Downstairs tasting room at Cattin

At Cattin we can also visit the cave and then taste their wines either in a new tasting room or in their wine bar upstairs, where we can also eat something..

Upstairs wine bar at Cattin

Pierre Gassmann
Rolly-Gassmann is a Domaine like no one else. It is located to Rorschwihr, a sleepy village on the northern rim of Haut-Rhin. Rolly-Gassmann offers no wines from Grand Grands Cru terroirs, but from a set of very good Lieux-dits such as Silberberg, Muenchreben and Plaenzerreben. The vineyards are located in Rorschwihr and the neighbouring Rodern and Bergheim and exhibit large geological differences. However, at Rolly-Gassmann it is the varieties rather than the terroirs that are in focus.

View from Gassmann terrace (part of building also on the left

Rolly-Gassmann has a unique style. The wines are small masterpieces with very good definition. They all carry the signature of Rolly-Gassmann, a certain shameless, velvety sweetness. The fruit is rich and Rolly-Gassmann manages to balance the fruit with a vibrant acidity to form seductive wines that melt on the palate.

Display of rocks to be found in Alsace soils

Gassmanns tasting room on top of his enourmous new construction is worth a visit just for the architecture. The terrace outside and the views are extraordinairie!

Inside tasting space from Rolly Gassmann

Wine shipping costs to the USA in 2020 - an increase of "only" Euro 1,45 per bottle

For wine shippings to the USA in 2020 the break even point still lies at about 18 bottles or more, like in 2018 and 2019. That is: the price per bottle shipped at 18+ bottles will be Euro 11,12 per bottle in 2020. 

This means a rise of "only" Euro 1,45 per botle compared to 2019, when it was Euro 9,67. 
The insurance costs stay at 2,5 % over the value with a minimum of Euro 25,=. 

Last but not least: as always, you do NOT pay the french TVA tax (20%) over the buying price of the bottle(s) here in France which of course sponsors your net shipping costs as always !.

Seasons Greetings

Seasons Greetings from France - Pieter Smits

Tour de France - Vosges, Alsace and Burgundy

The Tour de France is the biggest cycling event in the world.
For three days the runners crossed "my french area".

Track from St Die - Colmar

 This picture was taken at Provencheres sur Fave

In the evening the dutch TV schow De Avondetappe came from Eguisheim

The 2nd track brought them from Mulhouse to La Planche de Belles Filles

In the evening the dutch TV schow De Avondetappe came from Riquewihr

Then came the 3rd track from Belfort - Chalon sur Saone

In the evening the dutch TV schow De Avondetappe came from Chateau hotel de Gilly

The BRT did even better with their show "Vive le Velo" from the Abbey of (Clos de) Vougeot

A year to remember !

Alsatian wine tasting in an American wine club

On one of my last trips of 2018 I was touring with some American wine lovers that are members of an enthusiastic local wine club.

We visited Karcher, J.B. Adam, Schoffit and Domaine Weinbach.

At each stop they bought wines and had them all shipped by the USA Wine Club (me ) to the USA.

On a recent wine club evening in the USA, my contactperson Melinda had prepared a great "Alsatian" dinner and presented all her Alsatian wines to the club members.

The written information about these Alsatian wines presented to the club by Melinda, was amazing. I asked her if I could show her work to all of my JoliSoleil website members and luckily she agreed. Here is the first page:

The whole document (pdf) is under "HOME" Members: Wine Club USA on the Jolisoleil website 

Great job, Melinda. Thanks for sharing !

P.S. If you are living in the USA and want to ship wines directly from Alsace to your home and taste them in your club, then have a look at our Web / Wine shop or mail me.

Local markets around - lokale markten rond our BnB in La Forge

Local markets in the La Forge BnB area - Gerardmer and Remiremont

Regionale markten met veel lokale producenten: Gerardmer op donderdag- en zaterdagmorgen. En in Remiremont op dinsdag- en vrijdagmorgen.
Gezellig!

French market days wit many local farmers present around La Forge: In Gerardmer on Thursday and Saturday morning and in Remiremont on Tuesday and Friday morning.