A few years ago an American friend visiting Bordeaux told me he loved Pinot Noir. Being French I answered: “You’re certainly in the wrong region. You should go to Burgundy: their wines are great.” His puzzled look told volumes. Pinot Noir and Burgundy were not a natural association in his…

2016 is the birth year of a new Madeira brand launched by Madeira Vintners in Portugal. It is the first new Madeira brand in 80 years. Madeira Vintners is also the first new producer on the island since 1946. The Madeira Vintners is headed by Lisa Gonçalves, a young Madeiran…

Do you know a street artist nicknamed Le Diamantaire (the Diamond Cutter)? If you live in Paris, Bordeaux, New York, Miami, Montreal or Zurich, you might have crossed the name and the work of this talented young artist, born in 1987 in Normandy, France. As some of his “elders” (Invader…

Can a luxury wine brand attract new consumers by a daring and edgy strategy without damaging its image? — For decades, Classified Growths and French luxury wines were accustomed to having a second wine. This “second wine” was made from lesser quality grapes considered not good enough for the “grand vin”. …

In fact, for decades, there was no question. One bought luxury goods first hand. Then the web happened. Consumers changed. Luxury houses stayed true to themselves. Young and trendy entrepreneurs bypassed them and changed the game. What happened? Younger consumers have different values: they favor mobility, experience, sustainability, ethical and…

Wondering if I’m being very French by complaining about restaurants? Here is what one of my American friends wrote about her recent experience in a “high end” Paris restaurant: “The restaurant sprawls over three levels — and we were ignored on all three. […] We waited and then waited some…

Today let’s enjoy some soul searching — which can become a creative process. These last few months I embarked on a new reading path connecting my French roots and my American “spirit”. …

Iconic wine, yes but coming from Provence instead of Bordeaux, Burgundy or Champagne. Surprising? No, if you think about it: quality is mostly a matter of work, terroir and talent. Let me take you to Rasteau (pronounce ras-to) in the Rhone Valley: Ortas Cave de Rasteau was established in 1925…

Should I confess that, as a French scholar raised in Paris, France, I am not familiar with horses, saddles and equine paraphernalia? On the other end, my father, born on Mauritius Island and raised in Madagascar, spent his youth on a horse back and brought his saddle to France when…