This past Sunday on July 10th, the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) which is New York’s premier French cultural center, presented their annual Bastille Day festival. It was a three-block long party on East 60th from Fifth Avenue to Lexington Avenue in Manhattan celebrating the best of France in New York and the friendship between France and the United States. Bastille Day is France’s Independence Day
The block party featured food “à la française” from top rated French restaurants and bakeries, performances from cast members of the musical An American In Paris, can-can dancing and live music from the Hungry March Band and Myriam Phiro’s Accordion Trio.
And since no French party is complete without wine, there was a Champagne & Chocolate tasting featuring some of France’s most prestigious champagnes and fine European Chocolates, and a wine, beer, cocktails and cheese tasting with both events held at the FIAF building at 22 East 60th Street. There was also a VIP party hosted at Amali restaurant on 115 East 60th street which featured wines from the south of France.
At the wine, beer and cheese tasting I sampled a trio of rosé:
2013 Gérard Bertrand “Thomas Jefferson Brut” Cremant de Limoux. Salmon in color, big bubbles, closed nose of cotton candy, crisp citrus at the finish.
2015 Gérard Bertrand “Gris Blanc”. Copper color with strawberry notes on the nose.
2015 Espitalet des Anges “Villa des Anges” Mostly Cinsault, salmon in color, closed nose, tight with bitter cherry notes on the finish.
Champagne & Chocolate Tasting:
NV Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé. Light pink in color with an earthy nose.
NV Brimoncourt Blanc de Blanc. Lime notes, bread dough on the nose with the bread dough notes on the fruit.
NV Piper-Heidsieck Brut. Bread dough on the nose, crisp and tart.
NV G.H. Mumm’s Brut. Bread dough and earth on the nose with lime and earth notes on the finish.
At the VIP party:
2015 La Grezette “Le Rosé de Julie”
2015 RS “Rosé Seduction”
2015 Chateau Lamartine Cahors
2010 Chateau Bouscasse
2015 Domaine de Pellhaut
2013 Chateau de Jonquieres
2013 Domaine du Moulin
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