After a lengthy stay in Paris in May, I took a train southeast to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It's a tiny country, just under a thousand square miles with less than 700,000 people...significantly smaller in population than Delaware and well under half Delaware's size. I visited the largest city, Luxembourg City, which is the home to the Parliament and the Grand Duke's palace.
I joined a small group of folks to do a three-hour walking tour of the city, which included some samples of Luxembourgish wine. And since alcohol laws in Europe are not as Puritanical as in America, we could enjoy our refreshments outside on the main square without fear of the gendarmerie taking issue.
The stuff we tried was Caves Bernard Massard, an estate located in Grevenmacher on the banks of the Mosel (Moselle) River. Calcium-rich clay soil and steep vineyards provide good sun and make spectacular white wines - like today's a Brut selection made of Chardonnay, Pinot blanc, and Pinot noir. I absolutely adore Pinot Blanc, as both a single varietal and in a mix, so I enjoyed this quite a bit. Refreshing, lightly acidic, and full of crisp and clean pear flavors. Very refreshing and perfect for a walkabout in an ancient European city!
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