Of course, Champagne and Burgundy were prominently featured at the Selection Becky Wasserman 30th Anniversary Tasting at Tribeca Grill on February 1st.
A great way to start the month with people whose motto is 'We do not sell wine that we do not drink' and the pleasure to meet Madame Mere, Becky.
Pulling a thread that I started musing about at the Chateauneuf du Pape tasting at Le Du on Saturday, I found more women winemakers at the Wasserman tasting.
Amongst them Marie-Laurence who with her sister Elizabeth are slowly but surely taking over winemaking duties at Domaine Saladin (French site) from their parents Louis and Annick.
Domaine has been in the family since the 15th century and is located in St Marcel d'Ardeche (see map below) on the left bank of the Rhone Valley going up, just before you get to Montelimar and its nougat.
They proudly fly the flag of natural-organic wines.
Mind you they are no rookies.
They worked with Guigal and Richaud in France, Randall Grahm (Bonny Doon) in the US as well as Michel Rolland in Argentina and Philippe Debrus in Chile.
Grapes are harvested by hand.
Marie-Laurence poured first their PER EL (06) , a light and refreshing white blend of Clairette (45%), Marsanne (20%), Bourboulenc (20%), Viognier (10%) and I think Grenache Gris (5%).
We moved to Cotes du Rhone Villages Fan de Lune (06) an earthy red, mostly Syrah-Mourvedre.
Tasting concluded with the Cotes du Rhone Villages Haut Brissan (06).
No big egos here, all the sisters care about is making authentic wine.
As Marie-Laurence put it to Philippe Gildas (famous French TV reporter), they make wine, not coca-cola.
Besides all the hard work in the vineyard, the dynamic sisters also had (at least in 2008) a small restaurant called Le Mazet featured in Le Mazet and the Saladin Sisters (March 08, La Gramiere).
Roots, sisters, green wine for Green Day # 113
Previously: 3 Days of Green Wine, Millesime Bio, January 25-27, Montpellier
* (Saladin sisters, Marie-Laurence on Left, photo F.Anterion)