A blog is, by definition, a very personal thing. So, here is my biography or, rather, my autobiography…
My name is Alex Rychlewski. Born and bred in upstate New York, I have lived most of my life in France. A graduate of Boston College (B.A. in philosophy) I have worked in wine in various capacities for the following companies: Champagne Charles Heidsieck (Reims), Sterling Vineyards (Napa Valley), Borie Manoux, Chantecaille, and de Luze (Bordeaux) and as Export Manager for Albert Besombes-Moc Baril (Saumur, Loire Valley).
However, my primary occupation for some time has been managing a company specialized in supplying translations and interpreting (www.aquitaine-traduction.com) to the wine industry (among other business sectors).
Except for a 2-year hiatus in Saumur, I have lived in Bordeaux since 1978.
In light of my love for wine, food, France, the written word, and – if the truth be known- controversy, the idea of creating a blog has been in the back of my mind for years. This became reality on September 1st 2014.
I started the blog for two other reasons.
One is to try, as best I can, to give readers a “you are there” feeling, so that the wines of Bordeaux are not seen as disembodied products with percentage point ratings, but as representing a place, a context, the people who make them, etc.
The other reason is to champion the 95% of Bordeaux wines that are NOT great growths, but that are eminently worth discovering. Oh, I’ll certainly be posting on the crus classés from time to time, and I love those wines to bits. But they need to be put into perspective. And one of the mains thrusts of this non-commercial blog is simply to share my experience with the good, affordable wines of Bordeaux, which I feel can hold their own in terms of value for money with any other wine producing region in the world.