Getting Into Savoie with the French #Winophiles

The French Winophiles

You may have noticed mention of the Winophiles group on L’occasion lately. The French Winophiles are a group of bloggers that love French wine. Most of the people in the group have some sort of specialty or favorite region. There are writers that are cooks with an interest in wine, wine writers with an interest in food, travelers with an interest in both. What brings us together every month is the passion to write about French wine.

Jongieux in Savoie, Credit: Vins de Savoie

This year, Jeff of FoodWineClick! and I are the moderators, in charge of setting the calendar and keeping things in motion. Some months will feature a guest host, which is very engaging because the perspective of the writer is undoubtedly the glue for the month. On the third Saturday of each month, at 10 am central, we collaborate via a twitter chat on the topic under the hashtag #Winophiles.

January in Savoie

This month we visit the Savoie region of France, home to legendary cheese and unforgettable Alpine wine. The region is small and much of the production is consumed close to home, by locals and visitors in the region for nature, sightseeing or skiing. For this reason, the shelves of American wine shops are notably light on the Savoie supply. Several of our writers had difficulty obtaining Savoie wine or, sadly, were unable to get a bottle at all.

It is my hope that this month’s exploration of Savoie gives all of us the opportunity to experience the region, to become familiar with the setting and flavors. Here’s what we feature this month:

Michelle from Rockin Red Blog gives us Peeking Into the Secret World of Savoie Wines.

Martin from Enofylze Wine Blog asks Voulez-vous Savoie? Oui Mondeuse!

Jeff from FoodWineClick! writes about Soup & Savoie.

Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm enjoys “Savoie”ring time with Family.

Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla creates A Savoie Pairing: Soupe aux Cailloux + Gonnet Chignin.

And here on L’occasion, I’ll be writing about The Biodynamic Vineyards of Savoie.

Join us on Saturday January 21st at 10:00 am central time on twitter. We’ll be there under the hashtag #Winophiles. There we will chat about all things related to the Alpine region of Savoie in France…Wine, climate, food, travel, history and resources are all welcome topics.

2017 French Winophiles Schedule

Subject to change if inspiration strikes, here is the calendar for 2017. I wish you many travels, fresh and lively wine, food that makes you call your mom and lot of reading and writing in 2017.

Credit: Visit French Wine

Join us for:

Janvier: Savoie
Février: Corsica
Mars: Champagne
Avril: Cross-Cultural Food Pairings for French Wines
Mai: A drive thru Bourgogne (the Maconnais,Cote Chalonnaise, Cote de Beaune) PART 1
Juin: A drive thru Bourgogne (Cote de Nuits, Chablis) PART 2
Julliet: Southwest France (Sud-Ouest)
Août: French Wine Finds Under $20
Septembre: My French Wine Memory: Travel Stories from Wine Writers (pick your own!)
Octobre: Languegoc-Roussillon
Novembre: Beaujolais
Décembre: French Dessert Wines