Comments on: How To Drink Wine Like A Pro http://thetravelersnotebook.com/how-to/how-to-drink-wine-like-a-pro/ Featuring insider destination guides and how-to articles from the matador travel community. Our focus is sustainable travel, cultural immersion, plus work, study, and volunteer opportunities worldwide. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:45:29 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Sarah Menkedick http://thetravelersnotebook.com/how-to/how-to-drink-wine-like-a-pro/comment-page-1/#comment-1503 Sarah Menkedick Sat, 14 Jun 2008 06:26:03 +0000 http://thetravelersnotebook.com/how-to/how-to-drink-wine-like-a-pro/#comment-1503 Whoops, looks like I forgot to log in with my Matador profile. Voila. Also, the website is www.beijingbadabing.blogspot.com. Whoops, looks like I forgot to log in with my Matador profile. Voila. Also, the website is http://www.beijingbadabing.blogspot.com.

]]> By: Sarah Menkedick http://thetravelersnotebook.com/how-to/how-to-drink-wine-like-a-pro/comment-page-1/#comment-1502 Sarah Menkedick Sat, 14 Jun 2008 06:21:26 +0000 http://thetravelersnotebook.com/how-to/how-to-drink-wine-like-a-pro/#comment-1502 Hey Craig, Great podcast for the uninitiated. I actually worked in a vineyard in Provence (a stone's throw from Aix-en-Provence) and sadly, still know almost nothing about the nectar of the Gods. Upon completing a year of study abroad in Aix in 2003, I was out of cash and desperate to get back to Corsica to hike the GR20. So I pitched my tent at a local campground for 1 euro a night and biked to work in these endless, gorgeous vineyards at 5 a.m., under the shadow of St. Victoire. That's where the picturesque part ends--the work was brutal. I worked from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. pulling leaves off of the wine stems. The heat is intense even in late May, and the pesticides can actually cause rashes and headaches. It is a great way to fund your travels, though. In two weeks I earned enough to hop the ferry to Corsica and keep going for another month. So, the point here is that in early and late summer all over France there are jobs either harvesting and stamping grapes I-Love-Lucy style or doing the less glamorous leaf-pulling and weeding work I did. The other point here is--take advantage of it while you've got it!! I completely took advantage of the fact that I could score a decent bottle in Aix for 5 euros and just swilled it. Tragedy, now that I'm in China and stuck with beer and baijiu as drink options unless I want to pay a minor fortune. Cheers, Sarah Hey Craig,

Great podcast for the uninitiated. I actually worked in a vineyard in Provence (a stone’s throw from Aix-en-Provence) and sadly, still know almost nothing about the nectar of the Gods. Upon completing a year of study abroad in Aix in 2003, I was out of cash and desperate to get back to Corsica to hike the GR20. So I pitched my tent at a local campground for 1 euro a night and biked to work in these endless, gorgeous vineyards at 5 a.m., under the shadow of St. Victoire. That’s where the picturesque part ends–the work was brutal. I worked from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. pulling leaves off of the wine stems. The heat is intense even in late May, and the pesticides can actually cause rashes and headaches. It is a great way to fund your travels, though. In two weeks I earned enough to hop the ferry to Corsica and keep going for another month.

So, the point here is that in early and late summer all over France there are jobs either harvesting and stamping grapes I-Love-Lucy style or doing the less glamorous leaf-pulling and weeding work I did. The other point here is–take advantage of it while you’ve got it!! I completely took advantage of the fact that I could score a decent bottle in Aix for 5 euros and just swilled it. Tragedy, now that I’m in China and stuck with beer and baijiu as drink options unless I want to pay a minor fortune.

Cheers,

Sarah

]]> By: Craig http://thetravelersnotebook.com/how-to/how-to-drink-wine-like-a-pro/comment-page-1/#comment-1021 Craig Tue, 22 Apr 2008 07:51:05 +0000 http://thetravelersnotebook.com/how-to/how-to-drink-wine-like-a-pro/#comment-1021 "A wine festival?" I had heard stories of dodgy Romanian taxi drivers leading tourists on an unscheduled tour of the city before charging them five times the going rate, but this unheard of event was too good to pass up. It also went some way to explaining why town was so quiet. And sure enough the streets outside town were packed: live rock bands, circus rides and stall after stall of vendors offering the best street food and wine in the country. In fact, I'd have to say the mulled wine here was some of the best in Europe. I also had the chance to try several Moldovan reds: Moldova relaxes it's normally strict visa requirements for the weeks surrounding it's October wine festival and I'm planning on being there! “A wine festival?”

I had heard stories of dodgy Romanian taxi drivers leading tourists on an unscheduled tour of the city before charging them five times the going rate, but this unheard of event was too good to pass up. It also went some way to explaining why town was so quiet.

And sure enough the streets outside town were packed: live rock bands, circus rides and stall after stall of vendors offering the best street food and wine in the country. In fact, I’d have to say the mulled wine here was some of the best in Europe.

I also had the chance to try several Moldovan reds: Moldova relaxes it’s normally strict visa requirements for the weeks surrounding it’s October wine festival and I’m planning on being there!

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