Author Archives

Jim Walker

SO, WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DRINKING?

We were curious to find out what our wine scribe Jim Walker had been drinking during the pandemic and thought it would make an interesting topic for his next Gentleman’s portion contribution. He was reluctant to tell us at first for fear that we, and our readers, would think he was being a bit braggy. However, he relented. Here’s what he’s uncorked. We are more than a little bit envious.
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THAT WINERY NEAR AIX-EN-PROVENCE

Way back in the mists of time when our wine scribe Jim Walker was contemplating wine importing, it not surprisingly occurred to him that he needed wineries to represent. But, what vintner in their right mind would expose their vinous treasures to a neophyte agent, let alone a recently retired banker? Astonishingly, Martine Sauvage and her Château Beauferan jumped fearlessly into the breach.  

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FRANKLY SCARLETT, WE DO GIVE A DAMN

Domaine de Tara is magnificently situated at the foot of the picturesque ochre hillside village of Roussillon-en-Provence in the heart of the Lubéron Regional Natural Reserve in Provence, France. It faces the Monts de Vaucluse, Mont Ventoux and the precariously perched hilltop village of Gordes. This is truly spectacular countryside. But our wine scribe Jim Walker didn’t select this winery because of the views. It was for its wine, of course.

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A VINEYARD IN A LUNAR-LIKE LANDSCAPE

You can rest assured that no matter where his travels take him, our wine scribe Jim Walker will make plenty of time to visit the top wineries in the area (assuming there are any). But perhaps the most unique of them all was the one that he and his young family called on many years ago. That winery’s claim to fame? At the time their red wine was the most expensive vin du table in the world!

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THE FARAUD SISTERS AND THEIR GORGEOUS GIGONDAS

The town of Gigondas

More and more women are successfully taking control of wineries around the world. Such is the case at Domaine du Cayron. The difference, as our wine scribe Jim Walker discovered, is that this stellar Gigondas producer of the Southern Rhône is operated by three sisters – Delphine, Cendrine and Roseline Faraud.
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MEET JÉROME FROM CHÂTEAU ROBIN

Bordeaux-Dordogne Spring 2013 100AOne meets many interesting characters during the course of one’s endeavours. Such is certainly the case in the wine industry where rugged individualists battle the vagaries of nature and markets in order to survive. Our wine scribe Jim Walker has had the privilege to meet up with many of these folks as he has navigated the wild, wacky and wonderful world of wine. One of the most memorable was Jérôme Caillé of Château Robin.
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MYSTERIES IN THE LANGUEDOC

Languedoc imageMany strange things have occurred in the land of the Cathars, even in recent times. Something very odd happened to a shipment of wine that was produced there and wound up at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. And, what became of the nice lady who made that wine? Our wine scribe Jim Walker tells us all about the unusual goings on at Domaine l’Aiguelière in the heart of the Languedoc wine region of southern France. Continue reading “MYSTERIES IN THE LANGUEDOC”