The French Cultural Center Offers a Guided Tasting of the Finest Wines
Join the French Cultural Center as they kick off their 2018-2019 season of tastings with panache! For this event, they’re turning their gallery into a stylish tasting lounge, in a first of its kind setup that promises to be the beginning of a new series of tasting events. Sommelier Alexandre Sojfer will lead guide you in comparing five delicious champagnes on their sweetness, domains, and balance of Chardonnay versus Pinot.
Guests will also enjoy a special tasting of Crémant de Limoux, Domaine Collin, sparkling wine produced in Languedoc Roussillon.
Wines will be accompanied with light hors d’oeuvres and bites.
The tasting will start no later than 7:10. Thank you for your understanding.
WHAT YOU WILL BE TASTING
Jacquesson – Cuvée 740 – Extra Brut
The NV Cuvée 740, based on the 2012 vintage, is superb. Rich, ample and creamy, yet with striking translucence, the 740 has it all. A classic Jacquesson Champagne, done in the house’s contemporary style.
Bollinger Brut – Special Cuvée
A blend of current vintage stock with reserve wines aged in magnums, Bollinger’s Special Cuvée is consistently one of the top multi-vintage blends from Champagne.
Le Mesnil Grand Cru – Blanc de Blancs
Le Mesnil is the name of perhaps the best Growers Cooperative Champagne House in all of Champagne. Beginning in 1937, they now draw on the resources of 553 different growers, all of whom have their vineyards in Le Mesnil-Sur-Oger, one of just 17 Grand Cru Vineyard (out of 318 vineyards in the region).
Billecart-Salmon – Brut Rosé
Billecart-Salmon believes that an early harvest yields more elegant, delicate champagnes.
Moët & Chandon – Nectar Impérial Demi-Sec
Moët & Chandon has been the champagne of success and glamour since 1743. Renowned for their achievements and legendary pioneering spirit, Moët & Chandon is synonymous with both cherished traditions and modern pleasures and has helped celebrate life’s most triumphant moments for more than 270 years.
ABOUT ALEXANDRE SOJFER
A Paris native, Alexandre is passionate about wine. He became an expert on the subject while working and studying across the globe—from France and England to Hong Kong and, of course, the USA. His dedication to the study of wines granted him immediate success and he became a Certified Sommelier in 2016.
Discover all that the French Cultural Center has to offer.
C’est la rentrée! The French Cultural Center invites all French speakers, Francophiles and French-at-heart to join them for their annual Open House. Get a taste of their exciting offerings and take a sneak peek at the fall season. Sip on French wine and savor tasty treats. Come in, mingle, and discover a little piece of France right in the heart of Boston!
Attendees who register for class at the Open House receive an exclusive discount!
This event is free. No prior experience with French is necessary. An RSVP is recommended but walk-ins are welcome.
About this Event
IN THE LIBRARY
Check out the latest arrivals, learn more about upcoming library programs and discover Culturethèque, the online platform available for free to members that contains hundreds of magazines, eBooks, comic books, and children’s picture books.
IN THE EDUCATION CORNER
Take a placement test and register for a fall class. Attendees will enjoy discounts on French courses if they register during the Open House. Interested in getting a taste for a class before registering? We’ll be offering 30 minute crash courses for B1 Coffee talk at 5:30 and for A1 Beginner French Core Language at 6.
Please RSVP at info@frenchculturalcenter.org if you want to attend a crash course. There is a limit of 10 students per class so act fast!
BECOME A MEMBER
Join or renew your membership. All those who join at the event will receive a free giveaway!
UPCOMING CULTURAL EVENTS
Learn about our fall line-up! With a variety of lively events featuring local and international artists, creative thinkers, innovators, and performers, our monthly programs include art exhibits, film screenings, debates, hands-on workshops, cooking classes and wine tastings, social evenings and holiday celebrations.
Free, festive holiday fun for the whole family.
Stop by the Center for some fun holiday activities for ages 1-17. This is a great opportunity to learn more about us, sample our children’s classes, and celebrate the season with cookie decorating, story time, French language workshops for teens, and more!
All activities are FREE and open to the public. Walk-ins welcome, but activity registration is required as space is limited.
Schedule of Activities
9:30 AM – 10:15 AM
Holiday themed arts & crafts (ages 3 – 5)
RSVP here for the 9:30 AM workshop
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Cooking Workshop (ages 7 – 12)
RSVP here for the 10:00 AM cooking workshop
10:30 AM – 11:15 AM
Holiday themed arts & crafts (ages 3 – 5)
RSVP here for the 10:30 AM acitivites
11:30 AM – 12:15 PM
Holiday themed arts & crafts (ages 6 – 8)
RSVP here for the 11:30 AM acitivites for children 6 to 8
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Cooking Workshop (for teens)
RSVP here for the cooking workshop for teens
12:30 PM – 1:00 PM
Holiday Story Time (ages 1 – 4)
RSVP here the storytime
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Pronunciation Workshop (for teens)
RSVP here for the pronunciation workshop for teens
Celebrate National Cocoa Day with the Fairmont Copley Plaza and its Back Bay neighbor, L.A. Burdick Handmade Chocolates.
From 7:30–8:30AM, a Pop-Up Cocoa Bar will serve *complimentary* L.A. Burdick drinking chocolate and assorted mini muffins from OAK Long Bar + Kitchen’s Pastry Chef outside the hotel’s Dartmouth Street entrance for commuters and passersby to enjoy, while supplies last.
The artisan chocolatier, famous for its European-inspired chocolate bonbons, hot chocolates and pastries, will have cups of the following to warm the neighborhood:
- Dark Drinking Chocolate – robust & full-bodied
- Milk Drinking Chocolate – gentler yet still decadent & luscious
Visitors who drop their business cards will have the chance to win a $25 L.A. Burdick gift card.
To learn more about the Fairmont Copley Plaza, please click here.
For more on L.A. Burdick, please click here.
Wish Carly Copley a very happy birthday with cake and a story!
Fairmont Copley Plaza will host a birthday party for its canine ambassador, Carly Copley, on Sunday, December 16, 2018 at 1pm. Hosting Carly’s 8th birthday will be Vanessa Welch, Anchor for Boston 25 News, who will be reading “Catie Copley” to guests. The reading will be followed by birthday cake (for humans) and special snacks for Carly’s canine friends. This beloved Boston holiday tradition is free and open to the public.
In lieu of gifts for the hotel’s pampered pooch, Fairmont Copley Plaza invites guests to bring a donation of towels, blankets or toys for the dogs and cats at the Animal Rescue League’s Boston Shelter.
*This is a dog-friendly event.
Toast the holiday seasons with a lavish five-course dinner at the Fairmont Copley Plaza
All Photos: Person + Killian Photography
Fairmont Copley Plaza will toast the holiday season with a lavish five-course Holiday Bacchanal Dinner featuring a special menu and wine pairings from Executive Chef Laurent Poulain.
Join the Fairmont on Wednesday, December 19, 2018 at 6:30 p.m. for Boston’s most luxurious affair where guests dine underneath the hotel’s magnificent ceiling murals. Once a year for this event, the dramatic 106 year-old lobby is transformed into an elegant ambiance with tables running the length of the space.
Cocktail attire is suggested.
MENU
Braised Lamb Shoulder & Vermont Smoked Cheddar Croque Monsieur
oven dried tomatoes
Pairing: Guigal Chateauneuf du Pape 2013
Nantucket Bay Scallop & New England Lobster Gratin
grilled baguette
Pairing: Cave de Lugny Charmes Macon 2016
Pickled Roasted Local Baby Beets
candied pumpkin seeds, Great Hill blue cheese, beet syrup, fleur de sel, micro greens, EVOO
Pairing: Lucien Albrecht Gewurztraminer 2016
Orange Citrus Glazed Long Island Duck Breasts & Leg Confit
truffle vinaigrette, fine herbs, sautéed seasonal mushrooms, creamy polenta, maple roasted root vegetables
Pairing: Chanson Marsannay Rouge 2015
Warm Flourless Dark Chocolate Cake
white chocolate ice cream, milk chocolate feather and mint garnish, raspberry coulis
Pairing: Dow’s Quinta Senhora Ribeira 2015 Vintage Port
Join the French Cultural Center for a series of cooking and wellness workshops for women.
Is living healthy at the top of your resolutions this year? Join physician and Certified Health and Wellness Coach Martine Vounatsos for a series of three cooking workshops. We will discuss ways to incorporate wellness into every aspect of a woman’s mental and physical health, from exercise and supplements to sleep habits and cooking methods.
Participants will craft and enjoy a traditional and healthy French meal with Martine in a convivial environment.
Each workshop will begin promptly at 11:10 AM. Aprons, ingredients, and will be kitchenware provided.
Please note, this event is intended for women only and in English.
About the Workshops
FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM
Come learn about nutrients, water intake, and dietary habits, then enjoy preparing soupe de poireaux et pommes de terre avec une salade en vinaigrette (potato leek soup and salad with homemade vinaigrette).
FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM
In this discussion, we will learn about sleeping better and exercising—how and when? For the cooking workshop, attendees will prepare velouté d’asperges et salade de carottes râpées (asparagus soup and homemade carrot salad).
FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM
For our last discussion, we will learn about vitamins, supplements, and meditation. For the cooking workshop, attendees will prepare soupe et crème de champignons et salade frisée au vinaigre balsamique (mushroom soup and frisée salad with homemade balsamic vinaigrette).
The Center is proud to host the show French Eyes on Boston, a collection of portraits and landscapes painted by Marguerite Wibaux, who moved to Boston from France in 2017.
Marguerite’s landscapes marry the Renaissance perspective tradition with an American expressionist approach. The paintings engage with the artist’s perceptions of various points of view in Boston. From a pictorial standpoint, the landscape series explores various mediums and techniques, mixing oil and spray paint with acrylic and collage.
But what is a city without its people? The second component of Marguerite’s work explores Boston’s youth through portraiture.
These paintings aim to pay tribute to a rich diversity of styles, personalities, genres, origins, and cultures in a visually thriving and energizing series.
The gallery opening will include a presentation of Marguerite’s work and a reception with light refreshments. Registration required.
Join the French Cultural Center for a series of cooking and wellness workshops for women.
Is living healthy at the top of your resolutions this year? Join physician and Certified Health and Wellness Coach Martine Vounatsos for a series of three cooking workshops. We will discuss ways to incorporate wellness into every aspect of a woman’s mental and physical health, from exercise and supplements to sleep habits and cooking methods.
Participants will craft and enjoy a traditional and healthy French meal with Martine in a convivial environment.
Each workshop will begin promptly at 11:10 AM. Aprons, ingredients, and will be kitchenware provided.
Please note, this event is intended for women only and in English.
About the Workshops
FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM
Come learn about nutrients, water intake, and dietary habits, then enjoy preparing soupe de poireaux et pommes de terre avec une salade en vinaigrette (potato leek soup and salad with homemade vinaigrette).
FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM
In this discussion, we will learn about sleeping better and exercising—how and when? For the cooking workshop, attendees will prepare velouté d’asperges et salade de carottes râpées (asparagus soup and homemade carrot salad).
FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM
For our last discussion, we will learn about vitamins, supplements, and meditation. For the cooking workshop, attendees will prepare soupe et crème de champignons et salade frisée au vinaigre balsamique (mushroom soup and frisée salad with homemade balsamic vinaigrette).
Join the French Cultural Center for a series of cooking and wellness workshops for women.
Is living healthy at the top of your resolutions this year? Join physician and Certified Health and Wellness Coach Martine Vounatsos for a series of three cooking workshops. We will discuss ways to incorporate wellness into every aspect of a woman’s mental and physical health, from exercise and supplements to sleep habits and cooking methods.
Participants will craft and enjoy a traditional and healthy French meal with Martine in a convivial environment.
Each workshop will begin promptly at 11:10 AM. Aprons, ingredients, and will be kitchenware provided.
Please note, this event is intended for women only and in English.
About the Workshops
FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM
Come learn about nutrients, water intake, and dietary habits, then enjoy preparing soupe de poireaux et pommes de terre avec une salade en vinaigrette (potato leek soup and salad with homemade vinaigrette).
FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM
In this discussion, we will learn about sleeping better and exercising—how and when? For the cooking workshop, attendees will prepare velouté d’asperges et salade de carottes râpées (asparagus soup and homemade carrot salad).
FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM
For our last discussion, we will learn about vitamins, supplements, and meditation. For the cooking workshop, attendees will prepare soupe et crème de champignons et salade frisée au vinaigre balsamique (mushroom soup and frisée salad with homemade balsamic vinaigrette).
