Expanding my skillset as a sommelier seemed daunting up until recently. It isn’t possible to read the label on every bottle at Wine & Spirits, so I always ask an expert to recommend a specific wine based on the purpose it will be serving. This particular bottle of Chateau du Petit Thouars Crémant de Loire was originally intended for a picnic this past summer, but I brought it to “Taste French Wines with a Parisian Somm” instead.

Each participant had an opportunity to share his/her wine of choice during the virtual presentation, and we traveled to the Loire Valley via my Crémant. Our guide, Thierry Givone, led us through a number of wine regions (such as Côtes du Rhône, Bordeaux, and Bourgogne) but I was most content in the land of the châteaux. “Anyone can be a sommelier,” the expert insisted. It was Thierry’s passion for wine that led him to establish Wine Tasting in Paris in 2014. The company introduces tourists to the complexities of French wine through classes and tours. The Bourgogne native explained that wine is tied to food, land, tradition, and culture. At a time when indoor dining has been banned for the second time in Philadelphia, his words were particularly encouraging.

There’s a story waiting to be discovered in every bottle of wine, and you don’t need official qualifications to uncork one. I started to research my Crémant in the most logical way: typing the words that appear on its label into Google. Here’s what I’ve uncovered about the Château du Petit Thouars so far. It’s located in a small village by the name of La Chaussée in the commune of Saint-Germain-sur-Vienne. According to Google Maps, it’s a three-hour drive southwest of the Arc de Triomphe. The establishment is currently open for tastings Monday though Saturday and will even take you in as a house guest if you make the proper arrangements. The estate, which has been in the same family since the seventeenth century, is run by Yves and Marguerite du Petit Thouars. Along with Wine Tasting in Paris, I’ve added the estate to my ever-growing mental list of places to visit. Although my virtual tour of Paris has come to an end, I can never stay away for too long.

Works Sighted

 Chateau du Petit Thouars Cremant de Loire Non Vintage