Hello Ladies and Gentlemen,

Please join me next Thursday, September 14th from 6-8pm when we will host Antonin Bonnet the export manager for the Iconic Rhone Valley winery, Chapoutier.

The tasting will be held at the Spec’s Oak Ridge North location, right off of I-45.

27490 I-45 North is the physical address.

THIS TASTING IS FREE AND WE WILL HAVE FINGER FOODS TO NIBBLE ON.

RSVP TO JAMESBARLOW25@HOTMAIL.COM

WINES TO BE POURED:

1. M. Chapoutier Banyuls
2. Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage Rouge
3. Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage Blanc
4. Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage ‘Les Meysonniers’ Rouge
5. La Bernadine Chateauneuf du Pape

Antonin Bonnet Bio:

I was born in Montpellier in 1987 and I grew up in St Jean de la Blaquiere (St Jean of the white oaks in Occitan) where my father (both an oenologist and an agronomic engineer) was running the cave cooperative. I worked my first harvest at 13 years old and worked their until we moved to the Rhone Valley four years later; at this time I was sharing my time between playing rugby and working with my father in the Southern Rhone appellation of Lirac.   I meanwhile studied oenology myself in Montpellier (Institute of agronomic studies Agropolis) before departing to Newcastle England following my first passion for rugby.  After realizing I’d never be a professional player – I finally listened to my father’s advice: “in this world, you’d be more successful selling wines than making it” I decided to leave to Montreal – Canada to be a wine rep for the Quebec and Ontario monopolies– studying business on the side at the Mc Gill university.  In 2011 after realizing I’ll never survive another winter in Canada – I met Bobby Kacher in Clos Vougeot France (during my vacation) and I joined him to become his portfolio manager in NY until I transitioned to Michel Laroche, the famous Chablis producer in 2013. Finally, I joined Chapoutier in 2014 and have been based in New York’s SOHO neighborhood ever since, managing sales for the Americas.

See you there!

James C. Barlow, CWE, CSS