Owned and operated since 2004 by Franco-American couple Héléne Fenouillet-Affatato and New York-born Michael Affatato, the La Gatte chateau, nestled in the hilly countryside of Saint André de Cubzac in Bordeaux, was built in 1646 and encompasses 28 acres of old-vine merlot, cabernet sauvignon, sauvignon gris and sauvignon blanc. The artisan-style wines of Chateau La Gatte are exported to more than 15 countries and the chateau doubles as a country bed & breakfast under the auspices of Gites de France.
The Story of Appellation Sensations…
One day, a neighbor named Corinne knocked at the Chateau La Gatte door and suggested she and Helene collaborate on the creation of hand-crafted wine-infused chocolates. Corinne asked Helene for some of La Gatte’s red wine in bulk, which she simmered in a pot with sugar and a touch of fruit pectin to make the “confit de vin” filling for her hand-made dark chocolates. The result was astounding and the taste tests, done by several dozen local food and wine experts, was unanimous: no other chocolatier had ever come close to creating such finesse and complexity in a single bite.
Subsequently, Helene and Michael began selling these chocolates filled with their own wine directly from the Chateau. While initially successful, things began to take hold the following Spring when Michael brought a dozen bars with him on a trip back to New York, where a large group of wine aficionados leapt out of their seats after tasting the chocolates, practically assaulting him for more.
As a result, the husband and wife team from Bordeaux realized there was a market in the U.S. and elsewhere for their chocolate creations and began exporting them commercially, along with other wine-infused items, including Helene’s home-made Sel au Vin (wine salt), small-batch flavored mustards, and dipping chocolates, all of which are described on the Appellations Sensations website and available for direct purchase.
A Unique Confection…
Unlike other wine chocolates in the market today, most of which are invariably “ganache” blends, Appellation Sensations chocolates are filled with a confit de vin, delicately cooked in a copper cauldron over low heat, mixed with cane sugar and pectin. A difficult to achieve blend, Corinne gets it right every time, filling her molds of 72% cacao chocolate made exclusively of all natural ingredients using no animal or vegetable fats. The result is an astounding and truly unique confection in the world of fine quality chocolate.
Recently, Michael and Helene Affatato have joined forces with John Sexton, president of NetGurus, to ensure that the Appellation Sensations products are well-represented and easily available for ordering online. Careful packaging and shipping assures satisfaction for chocoholics the world over who wish to indulge in these unique “gourmandises” or order them as a thoughtful and decadent gift to a loved one or colleague.
Discover these unique chocolates for yourself at: http://www.appellationsensations.com or http://www.winechocolate.net
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About Appellation Sensations, LLC.
A French-based production and export company headquartered in Delaware, USA that produces all natural, wine-filled chocolates and other wine-infused comestible creations. The company was launched on June 22, 2009, after nearly 24 months of perfecting the formula for its wine-filled chocolates. All of the wine used in Appellation Sensations products is traceable to one source: Chateau La Gatte in Bordeaux http://www.chateaulagatte.com.
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