Hidden Gem for Wine (and Food) Lovers, on Marlborough Street

So maybe you have heard about the Alliance Française, or the French Library, of Boston.

Its building sits, stately yet minding its own business, on the corner of Marlborough and Berkeley. What happens inside, for the most part, are French language classes -- for kids, teenagers, adults, all ages, all skill levels.

And then there are the wine tastings. And the cooking demonstrations. Both à la française.

This week there happens to be both. Quelle chance!

First the wine. For three Tuesday nights, starting tomorrow, award-winning sommelier (and notably unpretentious) Bertil Jean-Chronberg leads a class called "French Wine Demystified."

By that he means demystifying the wine itself, and pronouncing those funky French names.

(Like Merseault: mur so. Not so hard after all.)

Then on Saturday afternoon, bestselling author Elizabeth Bard offers both a talk about Lunch in Paris: A Love Story with Recipes and a baking demonstration.

It's all very French. Very helpful. Very delicious.

And very fun.

WHAT: French Wine Demystified (3-week session) + author talk and baking demonstration
WHEN: Wine class on Tuesdays, May 11, 18 and 25 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
WHEN: Author talk and baking demonstration on Saturday, May 15 from 2 to 4 p.m.
WHERE: Alliance Française (the French Library) of Boston, 53 Marlborough Street
COST: $60 per class for wine ($150 for the series), $15 for author/baking
RSVP: Call 617.912.0400


DAILY TIDBIT:

It's not only wine that sings
Olive oil sings too
It lives in us with its ripe light

--- Pablo Neruda, "Ode to Olive Oil"