Bordeaux in 365 Bottles: November 2016

Happy Holidays! I can’t believe it’s December already and that this is the sixth edition of Bordeaux in 365 Bottles. In just a few days, I’ll officially mark my sixth month of living in Bordeaux.

I certainly had a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, even if it was my first one away from family in over a decade. Though we haven’t been back in the US for a Thanksgiving with either of our families in many years now, we had Tim’s dad and sister visiting us last year. And we always had each other. So this year I’m especially thankful for one wonderful friend in particular here in Bordeaux.

But more than anything, I am thankful that Emma made it through her liver cancer and surgery.

Highs

Me, Leah and Emma play in the leaves in Annecy

Emma is definitely on the mend

Now that she’s healed up, I can see that she’s feeling much more like her old self. The signs that were so subtle that something was wrong now seem to scream at me that Emma just wasn’t feeling very well. She’s back to practically dragging me down the street on our walks and generally being feisty.

She’s being a stinker about her new diet and I have to watch out for her trying to lick baguettes as they go by swinging in passer-by’s hands or rolling past snugly tucked into the side of a grocery bag. She’s nabbed a few now, but I can’t bring myself to discipline her when she nearly wasn’t here anymore to do things I know I’ll look back on and laugh about. And a baguette only costs €.85, so it’s not terribly pricey to replace on the rare occasion a “tres, tres désolé” doesn’t rectify the situation.

Emma also just celebrated her 12th birthday with a road trip across France, visiting Annecy, Seyssel and Yvoire. Lucky dog!

Watching from the press box during the 156th Christie’s Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction

Attending the 156th Christie’s Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction

Part of why I wanted to come live in France was to learn about French wine. I’ve certainly been getting an education in Bordeaux, but I had the opportunity to branch out into Burgundy wines. And I jumped at it without a second thought.

Thanks to the team at Actuelles Communication, I was invited to Beaune for special Burgundy tastings and the 156th Christie’s Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction. It was a wonderful weekend meeting new friends that share a passion for good wine, discovering the wines of Burgundy and excitedly watching paddles fly as barrels were auctioned off.

While the auction itself isn’t open to the public, I’ll be writing about how to enjoy the festivities surrounding the world’s most famous wine auction soon.

My friend Arnaud Faugas is a well-known artist in Bordeaux and hand drew each of us place cards

Hanging out with friends

After having my mom in Bordeaux to help out with Emma and then meeting up with Tim in the Philippines, it’s easy for me to fall into a bit of a depression being back home alone. And that’s exactly what would have happened if we were still living in Italy and Tim was away.

Another thing I’m thankful for is the fabulous group of friends I have here in France. Not all of them live in Bordeaux; it was kismet that my friend Leah and I were heading to the same corner of South East France at the same time and that my friend Leyla lives in that same corner.

So one Saturday four girls shared a whole lot of laughs over Beaujolais Nouveau (a red wine released at 12:01am on November 16, officially designated Beaujolais Nouveau Day in France, just a few weeks after the season’s grapes have been harvested) and fondue.

Even more laughs were had as a group of 25 of us – Americans, Brits and French – gathered for a Friendsgiving celebration with {most} the American Thanksgiving fixings. Pre-dinner aperitif Champagne followed by Bordeaux wines led to dinner table karaoke, as it often does at my friend Janice’s dinner parties. If you’re following us on Instagram, you might have caught all the singing on my Instagram Story. And if you’re not following us, see what you’re missing out on?!

I also was invited to a press event at a chateau early in November, where I met a new (and my first French friend I made on my own!) friend. We had fun hanging out over tapas and wine.

We hit 3 MILLION visitors

Actually, it probably happened sometime in late September or early October. But between everything that had been going on with Emma and the craptastic internet we experienced in the Philippines, I didn’t take notice until recently.

When I started this blog as a hobby and a place I occasionally chronicled a trip we’d been on, I never dreamed that 3 million people would be reading it and emailing us for travel advice. I certainly never dreamed that it would actually become my career, bring in a steady income and allow me to live my dream of moving to France. But here we are.

So, thank YOU! Thank you to each and every one of you that stop by to read what we’re up to, research for your next trip and book based upon our recommendations. None of this would be possible without you!

Challenges

Pitching, pitching and pitching some more

I lost one of my primary freelance writing gigs back in October. So, I’m in the digital equivalent of hitting the pavement by pitching a whole lot of story ideas around to catch an editor’s eye. There’s nothing that will take you down a notch or two than the rejections. This, folks, is what being a travel writer is really like.

Never put all your eggs in one basket, and that’s definitely true when you’re an entrepreneur. Thanks to you wonderful readers and all the trips you’re booking by taking our recommendations, our affiliate income from our Booking.com, Viator and Amazon partner sites brings in a nice passive income stream every month.

At low tide, a sandbar connects Two Seasons to a tiny nearby island

Most Popular Post

Maybe it’s that the cold weather has set in and that’s when we tend to envision ourselves on a fabulous beach in water so clear that you can see to the bottom, but the most popular post we wrote in November was about our stay at a private island resort in the Philippines.

The Philippines Private Island Resort for Your Bucket List

Most Popular Instagram Photo

The Fall colors in Bordeaux stole the show last month and was easily our most popular Instagram post.

I’m back home in ??. Though I wistfully said goodbye to the crystal clear water and sugar sand beaches of the Philippines, its hard to be too upset when scenes like this are welcoming me home. I spent the afternoon strolling around with Emma ?, who is on the mend from her surgery and liver cancer.

A photo posted by Luxe Adventure Traveler (@luxeadventuretrvlr) on Nov 3, 2016 at 10:04am PDT

What I’m Drinking This Month

Well, I definitely made up for October’s one pitiful bottle that I added to my count. I nearly doubled my bottle count from the last five months all in one month.

Chateau Pouyanne, a white Bordeaux from the Graves appellation, made a wonderful wine to douse my Mont d’Or cheese in and drink with it once the cheese melted into a delicious fondue.

I tried a couple new-to-me wine bars in November, and I really liked the Domaine de Pellehaut L’Été Gascon Blanc 2015 I had at Vin Au Verre. It’s fruity with notes of apricot and the slightest hint of sweet would be fabulous with foie gras from the region. I also had a Chateau Landereau Grand Vin de Bordeaux, which is a good sipping at a bar wine that you don’t necessarily need food with.

I visited Chateau de la Dauphine in Fronsac for a press event and was invited on a tour, wine in hand. That’s the best way to tour a chateau, if you ask me! Also, the chateau is gorgeous and I particularly loved their funky reception and wine shop. Worth a visit and easily accessible via the train to Libourne and then a short taxi ride to the chateau.

November 16th is Beaujolais Nouveau and it’s celebrated all over France. I celebrated with friends, oysters and, of course, a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau.

And then I went to Burgundy and it’s really a miracle I could walk at the end of each day…especially after 14, yes FOURTEEN, glasses at Bouchard Aîné & Fils. First, I have seven well-sized tasting glasses at a special event showcasing their wines paired with small plates featuring various spices from The Spice Route. And then I went to a private event where even more wine flowed as I tasted another seven wines alongside buyers from places around the world like Copenhagen.

One of the most interesting was a wine older than me; a 1973 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru Cuvée Signature selling for a mere €450 per bottle. Tim was the teeniest bit jealous he didn’t get to try that one.

I also visited the beautiful La Maison Vougeot, which is a new attraction that just opened in October 2016, in Vouegot. Part museum and part wine bar, you can sample various wines from Burgundy carefully selected by the curators of the family run estate. Here I started my visit with a Jean-Charles Boisset N69 Rosé Burgundy Crémant. And several more whites and reds followed as we moved through the various rooms of the house. Look for a post about this interesting place soon.

Back in Annecy, a Chateau de la Mar Marestel Le Verney 2013 from the Savoie was paired with a truffle fondue at the lunch meeting with Annecy Tourism. What’s one more day to wait to start my detox?

Clearly there was quite a bit of wine at the aforementioned Friendsgiving where {loud} karaoke commenced right during dinner. Crémant de Bordeaux kicked off the party and Chateau Couloumey 2007 Cuvée Anouchka, Baron Philippe de Rothschild Baron Nathaniel Pauillac and Chateau Lalaudey 2014 Moulis-en-Médoc all accompanied our 23 pound turkey and all the fixings.

I capped off the very last day of November at an event to bring attention to one of the least known appellations in Bordeaux – the Castillon appellation. I met two lovely winemakers from two different chateaux in the Castillon and tried Chateau La Brande and Chateau Peyrou, who interesting produces a 100% Merlot. Nearly all Bordeaux wines are a blend.

Bottle Count: 64

What I’m Reading This Month

It’s that time of year where I revisit some of my holiday favorites that get me in the spirit. Some of them might be totally cheesy, but sometimes you just need something that’s nothing more than fun.

The Christmas lights on Cours d’Intendance in Bordeaux

Coming Up in December 2016

After quite a bit of travel in October and November, I’m happy to be staying put. I’m working away on an eBook guide to Bordeaux with what to see, do and where to eat, stay and drink so I’m taking this time at home to check out some of the places on my long list I’ve made for researching this guide. I’m also enjoying the Marche de Noël, which is just a few minutes walk from my apartment and my friend Amanda, who you might know as Maroc Mama, is coming for a visit.