Water: the source of life Since our return to Alsace ten years ago, my wife Céline, my daughter Zoé and I never tire of walking the countless hiking trails that crisscross the Vosges, often offering breathtaking panoramas of the mountains and the Alsace plain. On the days when the sky is at its purest, even the snow-covered summits of the Alps can be seen in the distance on the horizon.

 The wine journalist and critic, Andrew Jefford was recently interviewed by Gavin Smith for the blog of wine merchant Fine+Rare. Words from Andrew on this thought-provoking interview: "I asked him to leave out the softballs, as 'polite' or 'respectful' interviews are tedious.  He didn't actually lay

Late afternoon in Nice, almost the golden hour when the Mediterranean turns from cobalt blue to Homer's wine-dark sea. Sitting with a friend at a café, I hold up my glass of rosé to the setting sun. Platinum, not a drop of pink. 'Is this actually rosé? Seems like white wine,' I wonder aloud. 'It's made from red grapes—it's rosé. This is how they do it now,' my friend insists. The conversation drifts on as the sea and sky continue to change but the thought remains.