Ah, France. Wonder how they're doing. It might not be quite the time to hop on a plane and go off in that particular direction (or any direction!), but in our shamelessly wine-loving hearts, we're right there. Where they make the good stuff. Of course, so do we, but the French, they have that je ne sais quoi don't they? With their Champagne, and their burgundies, and their bordeaux, and their aromatics, their rosés and their cognac, and their Sauvignon Blanc. Anyway, the point is, the French have set the pace for so long that whenever anyone is making anything, they invariably look over their shoulder to see how it measures up. Benchmark is the word we're looking for. In our rush to go Gallic, we haven't forgotten the vinous gems in our own back yard. We have one foot firmly in Martinborough, Marlborough, Central Otago,
Gisborne and Hawkes Bay, and we even stretch out over the ditch to our Australian compadres, because they, too, know how to make a good vino.
