Holiday Sparkling Cocktail - Crémant de Bordeaux with Tea Infusion

by Paige Donner (sponsored post)

Looking to liven up your holiday season party-hosting scene? Try this newest sparkling tea wine cocktail recipe suggested by a savvy mixologist here in Paris...

Start with a Crémant de Bordeaux (you can also use your sparkling wine of choice).  Leave at room temperature while you infuse the glass of sparkling with a tea bag such as ginger-lemon for a demi-sec or red fruit infusion for a sparkling rosé.  Let the tea bag infuse the cocktail for several minutes. 

Ingredients

• Bottle of sparkling wine - Roche Mazet
• Tea bags (red fruits for Rosé, ginger-lemon for Demi-sec)
• Ice Cubes
• Optional - tea infusded simple syrup
• Garnish-Cranberries (rosé); Candied ginger (demi-sec )

Take out and swirl the glass of sparkling with several ice cubes to chill the liquid. Remove the ice cubes (or leave them in if you choose). Garnish with a sprig of cranberries or candied ginger. 

As a slight variation to this recipe, prepare a tea-infused simple syrup beforehand. When you mix the cocktail, add a dash of the syrup just as you are chilling the liquid. The syrup can be lightly sweetened or more exuberantly sweetened, depending on personal taste. 

The best sparklings to try this cocktail recipe with this season are Roche Mazet sparkling wines, Crémant de Bordeaux. Their newest is the Crémant de Bordeaux Malésan which is a blend of Sémillon and Cabernet Franc. 

Some stats here in French: 

Avec un marché des vins effervescents en pleine ébullition et à l'approche des fêtes de fin d'année, CASTEL a développé un réel savoir-faire par des nouveautés qui répondent aux attentes des consommateurs. Tour d'horizon sur les marques et leurs marchés avec Roche Mazet, Villa Veroni, Maison Castel et sa dernière nouveauté Crémant de Bordeaux Malesan. 

--- Crémant de Bordeaux : la nouvelle AOP effervescente qui monte ---
CASTEL accompagne le développement du terroir bordelais en matière de Crémant de Bordeaux avec le lancement du Crémant de Bordeaux Malesan, une marque reconnue par les consommateurs.
Un crémant brut qui allie gourmandise et fraîcheur avec un assemblage de Sémillon majoritaire et Cabernet franc. Disponible en GMS au tarif indicatif de 7 €.

--- Les autres effervescents de terroir ---
Le terroir est un critère de sélection de plus en plus important pour le consommateurs qui se tourne vers des origines reconnues. C'est le cas pour les 4 AOP de Crémant mais aussi pour les effervescents du Languedoc et d'Italie avec le Prosecco.

Roche Mazet propose 3 cuvées aux caractères singuliers : Chardonnay Brut, Syrah Brut rosé, Muscat Demi-sec.

Villa Veroni, le spécialiste de l'effervescence italienne, innove avec le lancement de sa gamme de cépage 100% itailen : Pinot Grigio en Brut et Rosato.

To contact Paige Donner for speaking/hosting/producing paigedonner.info
For more info about Paris GOODfood+wine and a complete show lineup go to localfoodandwine.wordpress.com
And our website parisfoodandwine.net
Instagram @paigefoodwine Twitter @parisfoodwine

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French Wines With Soul Château Coutet AOC Barsac and Deux Sauternes

by Paige Donner

Christmastime is the perfect time to enjoy a bottle of AOC Barsac, a French appellation devoted to the production of sweet wine, with a distinguishing accent of freshness. Château Coutet is one of the region's outstanding wine producers and what's more, this French wine has soul. 

Mind you, many French wines do. Have soul that is. But this one is especially solid, and especially for the holidays.  And, by the way, it is a 1ère Grand Cru Classé 1855, too.  AND it (the 2014 vintage) was N° 3 in Wine Spec's Top 10 of 2017. 

The appellation "Barsac", located on the left bank of the Ciron, is also part of the Sauternes appellation. This means that all Barsacs are Sauternes, but not all Sauternes are entitled to the appellation Barsac. An original soil characteristic justifies the existence of this appellation and the fact that it is being differentiated from other Sauternes... (Microclimate): At the end of summer, the combination of the rivers' cold water and winds creates a thick fog in the morning, covering the vineyards and being retained by the Landes forest, farther south. Thanks to the humidity it brings, this fog promotes the development of the famous fungus, Botrytis cinerea, in the vines and on ripe berries. At midday, the fog evaporates by the action of sunlight and wind, and thus allows for the berries to dry and for their sugar to concentrate. This so-called "Noble Rot" is the result of this peculiar phenomenon occurring in the Sauternes appellation. 

LEARN MORE

 

What To Pair?

People often think of sweet wines as the go-to pairing with desserts. But, frankly, that is often a bit too much sweet-on-sweet. Best to pair these stellar wines with the aperitif, while cracking walnuts, Brazil nuts and almonds-in-the-shell while you sit by the fire with friends and family. 

To really dazzle, you can serve with a dish of perfectly succulent St. Jacques (scallops) or lobster, basted richly in their juices - at least that is what Philippe Baly, owner and GM of this esteemed estate, assures. I will have to try that pairing one day soon for myself... Or pair with some nice cheese, like a Roquefort or an aged Comté. If you must try pairing with a dessert, go for a less sweet nut tart or lightly sweetened fruit such as a stewed pear in honey for example. For me, this wine is the dessert. So either I enjoy it as an aperitif, while the smells of the roasting, honey basted ham is still wafting from the warm kitchen (every lady know that dessert can and often does come before the meal) , or I sip it instead of dessert, as a sweet finish to my meal. If you do this, try tantalizing the tastebuds even further with a square of dark, minimum 70% cacao, dark chocolate.

Château Coutet

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Sauternes

White grape varieties

Sémillon: native to Sauternes, apricot & smoky aromas Sauvignon blanc: citrus notes Muscadelle: spiciness for complexity

Château de Fargues harvests their nobly rotted bounty grape by grape. And you can tell instantly in the glass.  Honeyed elixir, candied apricots... this is a classic, beautiful Sauternes.  Château Doisy-Védrines is another example of gold in a glass and also is a Grand Cru Classé en 1855.

For the most part, Sauternes wines have a more intense liquor, a deeper opulence, a richer sweetness (than their Barsac neighbors)  - all largely due to the way their gravel soils catch the heat of the sun and reflect it back up to the grapes.

In France, the classic holiday pairing is Sauternes with foie gras. And when you serve that foie gras on little wedges of spice cake, a breadier form of our gingerbread, well, then you know you are respecting tradition, and all for good reason. Add just a tiny dab of fig confiture and Voilà... you will feel to the manor borne...

These two Sauternes are excellent choices and perfect accompaniment for  holiday meals. And the ever so nice thing about these French wines with soul is that they are even more enjoyable when shared with loved ones (or at least good friends). 

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Château de Fargues was first constructed in the 14th c. by Cardinal Raymond-Guilhem de Fargues in the village of Fargues, Sauternes, Bordeaux.

 

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Château Doisy-Védrines  Grand Cru Classé en 1855

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For Photography Assignments, contact:  FoodWine.photography

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To contact Paige for hosting and speaking engagements and for sponsorship for the podcast as well as media collaborations:
Paigedonner.info © All rights Reserved 2017 Paige Donner

More Info @ParisFoodWine
Instagram @PaigeFoodWine

Listen to Paris GOOD food + wine on :

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Pairfection France: Thanksgiving & Costco

by Paige Donner

Every year American expats in Paris brace for another Thanksgiving with or without all the fixin's. The lucky few get to go home for turkey, gravy, stuffing and cranberry sauce, and the other lucky few get to have family come over to enjoy the holiday weekend à la French Touch style.  That usually means a requisite stop at Thanksgiving, the iconic Maris food shop, and a fly-through around La Grande Epicerie, where you can find just about anything foodwise your heart desires (TIP: new La Grande Epicerie just opened in Passy, where the old Franck & Fils stood for eons...).

But THIS THANKSGIVING 2017 here in Paris is different.

Why?

Because this year we have COSTCO! 

YEP! Believe it or not the American megalithic warehouse superstore has made inroads in France. (Incroyable!) And we can now proudly say that our cultural ambassadors to France are the hamburger (ubiquitous these days) and CostCo!

I personally know about a dozen American expat spouses, both trailing spouses of kindred citizenfolk and expat spouses of French husbands, who have flocked to CostCo -and on opening day, to boot.

(Photo below - Future Plans)

But what has all this got to do with Thanksgiving? Well... what day of the year do we stock up on All The Fixin's most? If not for Thanksgiving!

Indeed, it is a great excuse to head on out towards the Paris suburb of posh Versailles and make that shopping pilgrimage matter.

It's such a celebratory date that I pirated this screenshot (above) from CostCo's own pages about wine and cheese Pairfections.  That's cheese and wine pairings Made In Heaven to you and me.  So, what do you think readers? We can all weigh in on our favorite wine and cheese pairings and coax CostCo to sponsor a wine and cheese day à la Française for the holidays with a French Touch?!

CostCo

Adresse : 3 avenue de Bréhat, 91140 Villebon-sur-Yvette
Repère GPS : 2 Avenue des 2 Lacs, 91140 Villejust

Horaires : Lundi au Vendredi : 10h00 - 21h00
Samedi : 09h00 - 21h00

*Note: To participate in Paige's Perfect Pairings food+wine workshops and dinners that take place several times weekly here in Paris, just sign up/ book/ reserve on Paris Food And Wine.  Groups up to 10 people welcomed!

To contact Paige Donner for speaking/hosting/producing paigedonner.info
For more info about Paris GOODfood+wine and a complete show lineup go to http://www.soundcloud.com/paigedonner
And our website parisfoodandwine.net
Instagram @paigefoodwine Twitter @parisfoodwine

Listen to Paris GOOD food + wine on :

All photos (where noted) copyright 2017 Paige Donner

iTunes – Paris GOODfood+wine / 

Prints available by contacting FoodWine.Photography &  http://PaigeDonner.info  

 

Episode 31: Fat.Paris And People of Its Small Plates & Wine Bars - Paris Podcast

by Paige Donner

The leaves are falling, the clocks have been turned back...Autumn is here in all its colorful beauty with Winter just on the horizon... A poem I saw recently by Toulouse-Lautrec goes something like this:

Autumn est le printemps d'hiver, or Autumn is the springtime of winter...

For this episode of Paris GOOD food+wine, we bring you a glimpse into some of the wine bar and small plates culture of Paris. This season, so full of harvests, and the enjoyment of those harvests, easily gets us thinking about glasses of good French red wines shared over plates of savory morsels of meats, sausages and slow-stewed vegetables.

Two young men, both firmly entrenched in the city's fabric of restaurants, bars and wine, speak to us candidly about their businesses and their newest endeavors.

First up we hear from Max Paton Williams, an Englishman who's grown up his whole life here in Paris, making him a thorough Franco-Anglo hybrid. He found his passion for wine and food early on in life and is already making his mark on the local culinary scene. He's currently the manager at Wim à Table which is the celebrated Belgian chef, Wim van Gorp's, newest small-plates and wine bar in the Batignolles district of Paris.

Then we hear from Terence Schweitzer, who's a Franco-American mix. He also spent his entire life in Paris, save for a few years when he lived in Brooklyn. With a couple of buddies he's recently opened a bar/event space/ art gallery in the upper Marais district. It's called Fat. Paris.

[caption id="attachment_7281" align="alignnone" width="2272"] photo by Paige Donner copyright 2017

Both of these guys are under 30 and offer that fresh perspective on where they may be taking the city's culinary landscape in the coming years, starting now.

So, sit back and relax with me, Paige Donner, your host and producer, as you enjoy yet another delicious episode of Paris GOODfood+wine.

All music free of rights courtesy FreeSoundtrackMusic.com 'Daily Dosage' byRob Belfiore and Groovy Paris Jazz by BensoundMusic.com for show Intro and Outro.
To contact Paige Donner for speaking/hosting/producing paigedonner.info
For more info about Paris GOODfood+wine and a complete show lineup go to localfoodandwine.wordpress.com
And our website parisfoodandwine.net
Instagram @paigefoodwine Twitter @parisfoodwine

Listen to Paris GOOD food + wine on :

All photos (where noted) copyright 2017 Paige Donner

iTunes – Paris GOODfood+wine / 

Prints available by contacting http://PaigeDonner.info

 

Le Domaine Famille Picard - Burgundy

by Paige Donner (photos © 2017)

After enjoying a successful career in marketing with Nike, Francine Picard rejoined her family's Burgundy wine estate the same year that her brother did, too - at the end of the 1990s.  Since 2010 they have cultivated a large part of  their vineyards biodynamically and the rest with a keen eye  to environmental consciousness. The goal being to cultivate vines that yield grapes that make wines that are of the highest quality, exhibiting magnificent precision all the while enjoying a harmonious relationship with nature. 

The following wines are a privilege to enjoy. Most can be found in Paris and also at the family estate in Chassagne-Montrachet.  

Domaine Famille Picard, 5 chemin du Château, 21190 Chassagne-Montrachet, France domainefamillepicard.com 

NOTE:

For a real treat, reserve yourself a table for lunch or dinner at this new Paris restaurant where some of the more exclusive of these bottles are served in perfect accompaniment to the chef's flavor pairings: La Table du Caviste Bio, 55 rue de Prony, Paris 75017 latable@lacaviste.bio 

Le Domaine Famille Picard

• A total of 6 domaines in Bourgogne.  136 Ha. 60% red/  40% white
• 110 ha in the Côte Chalonnaise
• 26 ha in Côte de Beaune
• 41 ha of communales appelations
• 33 ha of Premiers Crus
• .33 ha of Grand Cru

 

Corton Grand Cru, Clos des Fietres, Millésime 2014  (rouge) Estate price: €130

These vines are cultivated biodynamically and are situated in the center of the celebrated village, Aloxe-Corton.  Nose is wild forest strawberries, raspberries and red fruits with hint of coffee.  Mouth is subtle possessing great suaveness and beautiful finesse. Then smoked ham, toasted bread, earthy and slightly saline. 

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Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru, La Garenne, Millésime 2014 (blanc) Estate price €66 

These vines grow right in the village of Puligny-Montrachet at an altitude of about 250M. They have south-southwest exposure.  These are 70 year-old vines and are cultivated biodynamically.  Nose explodes with citrus bouquet of orange, lemon and grapefruit. Mouth expresses energy and balance in this slightly sea-saline and sapid; agreably flavorful. 

 

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Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru, Les Vergers, Millésime 2014, Estate price €66

These soils are filled with Chassagne stones, rich in minerals and white chalky marls. This climat dates from the last centruy only when fruit trees were once planted here. Fifty+ old vines cultivated biodynamically.  Nose offers notes of flint-stone and citrus like lime and grapefruit. The Mouth has welcoming precision, agreeable notes and an enormity of finesse and elegance.  It is aged 17 months in barrels and was bottled in April 2016. 

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Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru, Les Chenevottes, Millésime 2014 (blanc), Estate price €64

This vineyard is actually at a depth of 55 cm. The red soil has traces of iron oxide which hints at the remnants of a tropical ground covering from millions of years ago. 60+ year old vines cultivated with respect to the moon cycles of biodynamic viticulture. NOSE has peppermint, linden blossoms, verveine and some lemon and orange zest with a hint of vanilla. MOUTH plays with a tension between power and tension. Beautiful length and refreshing salinity. 

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Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru, Clos Saint Jean, Millésime 2014 (blanc) Estate price €60

This is one of the oldest climats of Chassagne.  Soil is red from the iron-oxide and the vines have a Southeast exposure.  All harvesting is done by hand of these 60+ old vines, tenderly cultivated biodyanmically. Aged 17 months in barrels and bottled in April, 2016. NOSE is fruits and white flowers like peach and pear and also fresh baked bread like brioche. MOUTH is generous with perfect acidity and balance. 

To contact Paige for hosting and speaking engagements and for sponsorship for the podcast as well as media collaborations:
Paigedonner.info © All rights Reserved 2017 Paige Donner

More Info @ParisFoodWine
Instagram @PaigeFoodWine

Listen to Paris GOOD food + wine on :

All photos copyright 2017 Paige Donner

iTunes – Paris GOODfood+wine / 

Prints available by contacting http://PaigeDonner.info

Champagnes William Deutz and J. Pierron Leglise

by Paige Donner

One bottle of Champagne requires the equivalent of all the fruit from a single vine.

• Grands Marques & Maisons de Champagnes 

A few things these two different champagnes, from very different houses, have in common is that the Chardonnay used in each comes exclusively from the Côte des Blancs, and the best of the Côte des Blancs at that:  Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, and in the case of William Deutz cuvée add to that list Avize, Cramant, Chouilly and Villers-Marmery. Each distinguished champagne presses only 1ère and Grand Cru grapes from the region's harvest and uses only the first pressing or cuvée. 

And the other commonality is that both cuvées are prestige cuvées. Meaning one is lucky to get the chance to taste them, let alone own a bottle or two. 

William Deutz by Deutz

This extraordinary house, founded in 1838 is, of course, based in Aÿ one of the most attractive villages in Champagne and certainly home to some of the most prized Pinot Noir from the region. 

For this remarkable champagne, only the best years are chosen and only the juice from the first pressing, the cuvée, is used. For the blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay you'll find an exclusive vinification of Aÿ, Bouzy, Ambonnay and Verzenay for the 55% - 65% of Pinot Noir and, as mentioned above, only the Côte des Blancs' most sought after grapes to make up the rest. The technical sheet from the house does suggest a zeste of Pinot Meunier added to lend that varietal's generosity and fruitiness but in the recent tasting it was not mentioned, in fact, by the house. 

This is the champagne to open when you are enjoying caviar, lobster, foie gras and also sushi and, yes, many Asian cuisine dishes that are subtly flavored with the exotic. 

Nose: Characteristic of wines cellared for a good length of time (minimum 5 years and usually much longer) but sort of shy to reveal its age. Hints of mirabelles, white peaches seared, soft hints of spice and flower scents such as aubépine (Russian hawthorn). 

Mouth: A distinguished burst of freshness, complexity tells of its minerality and also that telltale roasted flavor of a great vintage champagne. It washes down tenderly with velvet softness, leaving the sensation of balance and absolute refinement. 

Deutz is one of the great houses of Champagne. It is also one of the great houses of Aÿ, France.  Worth visiting one day, to be sure. 

Champagne Deutz  Aÿ, France 

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Champagne J. Pierron Leglise 

Vendanges 2010 Millésime (Vintage 2010 Blanc de Blancs) 

This grower champagne is surely one for the connoisseurs. It's the kind of champagne that, nearly impossible to find in certain export markets abroad, makes a trip to France imperative for a certain kind of wine appreciator, if only to get the chance to taste such a rarefied grower champagne. 

This family-run estate is based in Oger, one of the Côte des Blanc's most prized villages when it comes to Chardonnay vines. The estate, now run by the family's 2nd generation, is comprised of a generous 4.5 hectares. For champagne that is a large estate, given that these are some of the world's most expensive vines, and some of the most prized in Champagne itself, too. 

In this connoisseur's bottle of blanc de blancs you'll find only Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger chardonnay from vines averaging a mature 30 years.  Champagne J. Pierron Leglise does not do malolactic fermentation which of course lends his champagnes that slight edge of freshness and heightened acidity as well as the ability to age. For this Vintage 2010 it has been kept in the cellars for a full 5 years before being disgorged. The 8g of sugar softens and offers a touch of roundness to this perfectly fresh and crisp profile. 

Nose: Candied lemon, acacia honey, mimosa, hazelnut, Carensac licorice, pear and marzipan. 

Mouth:  Softness yields to that mineral chalkiness so emblematic of the best champagnes, which then flows into a creamy sensation of great refinement stewed ripe fruit. 

Try this with foie gras accompanied by a mousse de yuzu.  Also lobster with seaweed (Japanese Nori) infused butter. 

The total production of this champagne house is 24K bottles. At time of writing there are 400 bottles of this champagne Millésime 2010 left. 

Champagne J. Pierron Leglise,  51190 Oger, France

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If you'd to book your Perfect Pairing wine + food seminar to learn more about French wines and how they pair with food, please go to Paris Food And Wine and click on Events Calendar. 

 

 

Episode 30: Paris Pigalle Tiki Bar & An Author / Original French Basher, Stephen Clarke

by Paige Donner

For our October Show of Paris GOOD food + wine we get the down and dirty of Paris... namely, we hear about the genesis of Paris' first Tiki Bar, Dirty Dick...

Dirty Dick Tiki Bar on Facebook

Scott Schuder is the owner of Dirty Dick Tiki Bar in Pigalle and his 19 ½ years in Paris, during which he raised his son here, too, taught him a lot about the city's bar scene and where to go to find the best Michelin star restaurants in France...

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Next we'll be hearing from the Original French Basher, Stephen Clarke, whose runaway success with his Merde books – the first one being A Year In The Merde – gave this writer the greenlight to live the life many of us dream of, namely a novelist in France who spends his days writing and the rest of his time exploring the finer things of life...

 

He'll explain to us how Merde is not necessarily a pejorative word in French and he'll also give us a tip about where to find the best lunch restaurants in the City of Light.

So sit back and relax as you listen to another deliciously informative episode of Paris GOOD food + wine....

Paris GOOD food+wine is generously brought to you by Paris Food And Wine.

If you'd like to learn more about French wine regions, French wines and how they pair nicely with food, book your Perfect Pairings food+wine seminar today. We take groups of 2 to 20 people. More information and instant booking is at ParisFoodAndWine.net

Thank you for listening to our October 2017 show of Paris GOOD food+wine, episode 30, season 4.

For information about where to find Scott's Dirty Dick bar in the Pigalle district of Paris, please go to our website , ParisFoodAndWine.net and click on Blog or click on the Facebook link above. You can also refer to Local Food And Wine at wordpress.com and find us on twitter @localfoodwine and also @parisfoodwine and on Instagram @Paigefoodwine

For information about Stephen Clarke's upcoming stand-up shows based on his trilogy of A Year In The Merde books, you can find that info also on his website and Twitter page: 

www.stephenclarkewriter.com

@sclarkewriter

 

Until next time, … Feel free to write us with any tips, suggestions and questions . Our contact information is on the blog LocalFoodAndWine.wordpress.com

ParisFoodAndWine.net

I'm Paige Donner, the host and producer of Paris GOODfood+wine. Find us on iTunes, Stitcher, Tune In radio and Souldcloud and wherever you download your podcasts.

Music, Good Vibes, is courtesy CP Bryan via FreeSoundTrackMusic.com and is free of rights. Show Intro/ Outro Jazzy Paris background courtesy of BenSound Music.

To book a Perfect Pairings food+wine seminar in Paris, make your reservations on parisfoodandwine.net click on Perfect Pairings food+wine. This 2 hour wine tasting and food pairing class in St Germain des Pres, Paris, walks you through the ABC's of French wines and food+wine pairing Do's & Don'ts (Mostly the Do's!!!)
@parisfoodwine
parisfoodandwine.net

This episode has been generously brought to you by Paris Food And Wine @ParisFoodWine  parisfoodandwine.net and also Bordeaux Food & Wine @bordeauxfoodvin bordeauxfoodandwine.com

To contact Paige for hosting and speaking engagements and for sponsorship for the podcast as well as media collaborations: 
Paigedonner.info © All rights Reserved 2017 Paige Donner

More Info @ParisFoodWine
Instagram @PaigeFoodWine

Listen to Paris GOOD food + wine on :

All photos copyright 2017 Paige Donner

iTunes – Paris GOODfood+wine / 

Prints available by contacting http://PaigeDonner.info