Bastille Day

As you know, on that famous day in 1789 the French proletariat (mixing up terms, countries and centuries, but you know what we mean) rose to demand better wine for the masses and in the process overthrow the French Monarchy.

Legend has it that the storming of the Bastille prison was done to free political prisoners, but, given that there were few left at that bastion, we can reliably surmise that the revolutionary masses actually stormed the gates and walls of the Hôtel des Invalides and then the Bastille to find Louis XVI's personal stash of wine.

After all a nice Summer evening deserves the good stuff!

However, upon realizing that there was only Vin de Plonk on hand their fury escalated and mere days later, after firing his new Minister of Finance, the King donned a Tricolour Cockade in an attempt to ingratiate himself with the revolutionaries - although he still kept the good wines to himself.

This changed the narrative of that evening from a sudden, violent event to one seen as a political renunciation of Tyranny over Wine.

The next month Feudalism was abolished and the hopes of non land owners in Burgundy, Bordeaux and the Rhone Valley were raised as they realized that some day they, or their descendants, could craft fine wine to be enjoyed by future French and American democratic citizens.

A year later, France would host the Fête de la Fédération on July 14 to celebrate France's new constitutional monarchy and to honor the countries newfound unity of winemaking purpose.

Which brings us back to Murielle who will serve up lovely offerings from the Rhone, the Loire Valley, Bordeaux and Provence.

Her egalitarian approach to importing fine, organically grown, wines at reasonable prices has endeared her to us - and hopefully soon to you.

See you on Le Quatrorze!!