FRENCH WORD-A-DAY

You don't have to drink wine to benefit from today's incredible tip! (I use the opened bottles for ice tea.) Don't miss today's lively, one minute demonstration on how to open a bottle of wine without a corkscrew.

le tire-bouchon (teer-boo-shohn)

    : corkscrew

Un tire-bouchon est un ustensile utilisé pour tirer le bouchon en liège naturel ou reconstitué d'une bouteille.  A corkscrew is a utensil used for pulling out the natural or reconstituted cork from a bottle.

(Only, what do you do when you can't find your corkscrew?...)

HOW TO OPEN A BOTTLE OF WINE WITHOUT A CORKSCREW
or Comment ouvrir une bouteille de vin sans Tire-Bouchon

No corkscrew? No problem! Try Kristin's tip and learn how to open a bottle of wine with a paperback! Many people have tried the "no corkscrew" stunt with a shoe, but no one has attempted it with a handy-dandy book.

And not just any book....
 
To open a bottle of wine without a corkscrew, you need two things:

• 1 tender book on France (this one here really does the trick)
• 1 powerful bottle of French wine (Domaine Rouge-Bleu "Mistral" )

Ready? Watch Kristi's one minute video demonstration (click right here). Using her latest book, she'll drive out that cork in under twenty whacks! You've got to see it to believe it!

Note: no trucages or special effects were used! This video records my very first attempt, no practice runs were used! Watch the bottle closely. With each slam of the book, the cork raises from the bottle. Tip: synthetic corks may be more difficult than liège, or natural cork oak.

You Can Do it! (Vas-Y! Tu Peux le Faire!)
My son snickered (that's Max you hear in the video background). My husband said it could not be done. Even I began to have doubts. But perseverance won out! Thanks for sharing this video with a friend who loves wine or books (or cool tricks). Meantime, never lose hope. If you think you can do something, try!

*    *    *

 "Corkscrews." Who needs a tire-bouchon when a paperback will do? One of these newly-delivered books was sacrificed in today's video demonstration. Good news: it fared well! Only a dozen rainbow-shaped imprints across the cover, each with "lifted dots" from the bottles design. When I open the back cover of the book, and run my hand over the surface, it feels like reading braille. I wonder, just what are those imprints saying? I believe they're whispering bon courage!

Book Giveaway!
Win the copy of First French Essais used in today's video demonstration! Here's how:

• Share today's video and give it a thumbs up on YouTube
• Leave a comment here in the comments box, telling me where you shared the video or post (in an email, on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, or some other place we haven't thought of...). 

Entries accepted until April 1st! Thank you for helping me get the word out about my First French Essais. And good luck--bonne chance!--winning this very original and sentimental copy. I hope to send it to you with pretty French stamps, directly from France!

Out of the rubble a wine is born!  Jean-Marc gave more than heart and soul when he made his first wine: he gave his blood, his tears, and an alarming number of kilos. I talk about this, and more, in an interview about the organic winemaker on French TV. 

il paraît (eel-pah-ray)

    : it seems, it appears

synonyms: on dit (they say) or  le bruit court (rumor has it)

Example from today's video:

"Alors, son vin?" So how's the wine?
"Il paraît que c'est bon!" I hear it's good! (or Rumor has it it's pretty good!)

Click on the screen below to enjoy the following 

Portrait de Jean-Marc Espinasse pour l'émission... par BrokenArmsCompany
I am sorry not to have a transcript, in English, of this interview. I hope many of you can understand what is being said. I know I had a hard time... which led the interviewer to rephrase a question or two.

The man who can passionately follow his vision--yet keep his eyes soft enough to see what lives and loves around him--his family, his friends--that is beauty.

Jean-Marc taking time out of whirlwind winemaking - to dance the tango with his mother-in-law, Jules.

Mom was so moved by his gesture that she captured the image forever. "Tango 62" Can you guess what 62 means?

You have captured all our hearts, may yours be bursting today, Jean-Marc, as you celebrate your 46th year. Joyeux Anniversaire!


Have fun--but not too much fun!... Untangle yourself from those Arlesiennes and hurry home!