Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Summer has arrived, Christmas is approaching and before you know it 2012 will be here!
2012 means New Year celebrations and the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.
Please read on to discover our next adventures and Christmas and summer wine ideas.

1. DiscoverVin and the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.

We are partnering with our friends at The Commoner in Fitzroy to present  “Sweet Discovery” a special dinner as part of the MFWF.  This will be a wonderful opportunity to match our Jurançon wines with great food. Hope you can make it!
·  WHEN:   8 March, 6:45PM - 10:00PM
·  WHERE:   The Commoner Restaurant, 122 Johnston Street, Fitzroy
·  COST:   $120.00 food, wine and coffee
·  BOOKINGS:   Book through DiscoverVin - (02) 6020 6016 or info@discovervin.com.au

Discover the richness and versatility of dessert wines through an eclectic menu matched with wines from Jurançon.  

Classic French food and wine combinations inspire the menu designed and prepared by Jo Corrigan and the team from The Commoner. Fine meats, terrines, and game will feature. Late summer produce, cheeses and fruit matched with a range of unique dessert wines.

Petit manseng and gros manseng, the grapes indigenous to Jurançon in the foothills of the Pyrenees, produce dessert wines that will challenge traditional ideas of “stickies”. Imported by Victoria-based DiscoverVin, the sweet wines of Jurançon will be matched to enhance the flavours presented by The Commoner, with a menu based on produce from Red Hill farmers showcasing the flexibility of dessert style wines. Some classic matches and others might challenge your preconceptions.

2. Bordeaux Arrives in the Border

We are still excited about the recently arrived Bordeaux wines. Not one bottle was broken in transit. We have been happily sampling them and continue to be amazed at the quality of each. Descriptions of the wines and the appellations are now on our website. It has been great to re-discover the Château Haut Belian. At $19.90  it provides wonderful value for money.
The two Pauillac wines (Les Tourellles de Longueville $69.00 and Château Pibran $69.00) would be ideal gifts or a wonderful Christmas drop.

3. A Claret Christmas Cracker, $175

Festive reds.  An ideal present for a lover of Bordeaux clarets or to open at the Christmas table or New Year BBQ.
Three elegant Bordeaux clarets, from Saint Émilion on the Right Bank, Pessac on the other side of the Garonne, and from the Bordeaux Côtes.
2 bottles  Château Haut Vigneau, Pessac-Leognan, 2009
2 bottles  Château Fontblanche, Cotes de Bordeaux, 2009
2 bottles  Château Lagarde Saint Émilion

4. Dessert Wines from Château Jolys and Domaine Bellegarde

In preparation for “Sweet Discovery” you can order Jurançon dessert wines from our website.  Vue de Monde have been serving Château Jolys Cuvée Jean as the finale at functions.  Visit our website and order some for yourself.

And don't forget all of our great Gift Ideas

Just order any of our wines and you can add whichever gift box you would like at the checkout.  But don't leave it too late!

For those wanting to buy a great, aged Bordeaux, as a present or to drink at Christmas we have a few suggestions:

If you want a classic claret ready to drink now we recommend you try the Chateau Lanessan, 2004, $53.00

If you want to discover the famous “silkiness” of Margaux then go for the Chateau Vivens, $55.00

For Merlot, as it is meant to be try the Chateau Fontblanche, 2009, $22.00, or the Fleur de Clinet, 2008, $72.00 - this is the second label of the famous Pomerol producer Château Clinet.  All prices and descriptions are on the website.

Take Zette to the beach – Special Summer offer $96.00

Perfect for any summer occasion.  Six bottles of ZETTE and comes with a stylish Chateau Lagrezette carry bag (We know it’s stylish because the owner of Château Lagrezette, also owns Cartier).
The pack includes 2 bottles of white, 2 bottles of rosé and 2 bottles of red. Throw them in the car as you head to the holiday house or favorite camping spot.  You will be prepared for any holiday occasion!  Or stay at home and drink them anyway!
You can't go wrong with these 3 value for money, easy drinking, modern French wines from master producer Domaine Lagrezette.
They won't break the bank but will definitely impress.

Christmas Day in a Box - Three Wine Selections to help take the Stress out of your Christmas preparations.

Christmas lunches and dinners are a great time to drink new wines with favorite recipes.   What will you serve? Ham, turkey, pork seafood, prawns? Roasts or cold platters? Traditional Christmas pudding, fruit jelly, or a raspberry torte?
While you arrange the menu, DiscoverVin present three versatile wine options, thoughtfully considered, to complement your meal.
Three terrific selections, at three price points to match your food and your budget.  Each selection includes a Rosé, White and Red wines and Dessert wine, designed to enhance your Christmas table:
Christmas Day in a Box – Value Pack - $119 - click for link
Christmas Day in a Box – Premium Pack - $275 - click for link
Christmas Day in a Box – Prestige Pack - $385 - click for link


Go to the Mixed Packs section of our website for more details.  Or phone (02) 6020 6016 for more assistance.

Want to go directly to our homepage?  Click here 

Rosé Revolution at Barakee, Wooragee.

The Rosé  Revolution continued in northeast Victoria with  DiscoverVin providing wines  for a Rosé in the Roses evening at Barakee in Wooragee (near Beechworth).

The Barakee garden is an exquisite mix of natives, snow gums, grasses, emu bushes and exotics including roses and irises. Guests wandered the gardens, rosé in hand, appreciating the roses and the thoughtful design of the garden in the dusk light.

A range of Australian rosés were tasted including Anderson’s Shiraz Rosé from nearby Rutherglen and Yering Station Pinot Noir.

As DiscoverVin were hosting the event two of our rosés were highlighted.

The blush style Zette was popular.  Its gentle colour and dry, but delicate flavour was enjoyed.   The comment from our facebook friend Sue Fairlie-Cunningham, producer of The Mongrel Rose, that the Zette Rosé is an excellent example of what we should be aspiring to with rosé here in Australia, was repeated numerous times.

The Chateau La Rayre Rosé from Bergerac was also enjoyed. A blend of two thirds cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon and one-third merlot, it  has a deep hue of salmon pink with a crisp aroma and savory balanced palate.   No wonder it is one of our best selling wines.  Great for summer festive drinking.

Heard at the Rosé Revolution- Border Wine Room Albury

 "The Irresistible is irresistible!"

"McLaren Vale Rosés are my favourite"

"I'm looking forward to Summer and more Rosé"

"A very generous interesting evening at The Wine Room, thank you" 

"Wonderful colour in the La Rayre"

"I prefer the blush style of ZETTE"

" Thanks Discovervin's, Mary, Helen & Craig, for the opportunity to sample some of your gorgeous French Rose' at the Border Wine Room last night. It was fun being a part of the Rose' Revolution. We are looking forward to our case of Bergerac arriving. Thanks again."

" La Croix- sounds like a fashion designer darling"

"Loved the Irresistible Rosé from Domaine de la Croix, but loved the bottles even more - they are so sexy!" 

"Where is ZETTE"

 

A little glass of rosé with dinner

The Rosé Revolution is upon us, so with samples in the fridge chilling, wine menus printed, glasses polished and the ice bucket dusted off we can now sit and enjoy a lovely well chilled glass of the pink stuff.

For dinner I made a plate of smoked salmon, added some freshly picked and blanched broad beans and asparagus, some very finely sliced salad onions and finely snipped chives. I made a ponzu dressing and we had a plate of green salad and some Milawa sourdough on the side.

Sounds too perfect? Reality was ..... I threw this lot together after helping kids with homework, took a quick photo, tossed dinner down with a swill of La Rayre Rosé, gave the husband a peck on the cheek as he came home and I headed out to book group.

When I returned home, the house was quiet and the evening still balmy. Then I could sit and relax and really enjoy a glass of the La Rayre Rosé at leisure with the husband. The La Rayre rosé 2009 is a great drop and from a great vintage. For me it is summer, a beautiful fresh and well balanced wine. It is a deep pink/red color and seems to go with just about everything.

The wine: Château La Rayre Bergerac Rosé, 2009 (merlot, cab sav and cab franc)

The dinner: Inspiration came from a recipe from Gourmet Traveller Dec 09/Jan 10 - Salmon carpaccio with citrus ponzu dressing by Andy Harris. http://gourmettraveller.com.au/salmon-carpaccio-with-citrus-ponzu-dressing.htm My version is only very loosely based on this recipe!

The Rosé Revolution

The Rosé Revolution kicks off on November 10^th and is all about  celebrating, Rosé - which has its traditional home in the south of France. 

DiscoverVin are excited to be part of the Revolution.

What is the Rosé Revolution?

A: The Rosé Revolution is a celebration of dry, purpose-made and delicious Rosé wines. Variety incidental, these are serious styles to be enjoyed at any time.

We are spreading the word that these wines are delicious, a great match with food and a great wine to consider at any time of the year. So grab some Chateau La Rayre or Zette Rosé or a few for that matter and start spreading the word.

Q: When is this year’s Rose Revolution taking place?

A: The launch of the Rose Revolution will take place on Thursday 10th November 2011 for a taste and tweet. 

Q: Where is this year’s Rose Revolution taking place?

DiscoverVin's friends on the NSW/Victoria Border can celebrate the increasing popularity of dry rosé with a tasting, some hors d'ouevres and chat to fellow rosé revolutionaries at the 

 

Border Wine Room

Dean St, Albury

Thursday November 10, 2011

6pm-7pm

rsvp (for catering) 02 6020 6016  or  info@discovervin.com.au

DiscoverVin's friends in Capital Cities can become rosé revolutionists at their local rose revolution events.

Q: How do I get involved?

Order some Rosé from DiscoverVin.

We have two lovely fresh dry rosé wines

Chateau La Rayre and  Zette Rosé 

 

Let us know about the great, dry Rosé wines you are drinking, share your stories and photos with us on our facebook page or on twitter. There are a number of sites where you can find out more on the Rose Revolution and see all the exciting events happening happening all over Australia: www.facebook.com/RoseWineRev.

There will be a number of live events and social media opportunities for consumers throughout summer but the Rosé Revolution is encouraging wine lovers to organise their own events too! 

Grab some friends, celebrate this fine wine and show the world how great it can be!

DiscoverVin Dinner in Brisbane and Perth

We are looking forward to meeting some of our Brisbane and Perth friends and clients at 2 dinners in November. These promise to be memorable dinners and an opportunity  to sample several of our wines matched to some great cuisine form award winning chefs. In the last 6 months we have now received 20 reviews for various wines in our portfolio and several of these will be tasted on the night.

Join us and discover the wines of South West France

New tastes and varieties from the ancient appellations of Jurançon, Madiran, Cahors and Bergerac matched to the magnificent cuisine of Neil Herbert (Bistro Felix) and Michel Bonnet (C'est Bon)

Perth
Bistro Felix
Subiaco
Wednesday 16th November
7pm

6 course dinner plus matched wines

Tickets $110 per person all inclusive

Full payment required upon booking

Please call 08 9388 3077 for reservations

This is a communal dining event

Brisbane

C'est Bon

Wollongabba

7.00pm, Thursday 17th November 2011

5 courses plus matched wine

Tickets $110 per person all inclusive

Places limited; please call 02 60 20 60 16 for reservations

For more information or details on menus and wines please call 0260206016 or send an email to info@discovervin.com.au

7.00pm, Wednesday 16^th November 2011

Discover European Wine in Spring St Melbourne

161 Spring St  - the address of wonderful venues for any wine lover.  Three great venues to experience both Melbourne and Europe.  Situated opposite Parliament House  its one of DiscoverVin’s favourite places to visit when in Melbourne.

DiscoverVin popped into The City Wine Shop after a day of meetings in Melbourne on a recent Friday.   It was “very Melbourne”.  Men in suits, women dressed in stylish black.  Some having a coffee at the bar or at the alfresco tables, but many enjoying a class or two of wine.

The brief wine list presented a well-balanced range of wines from Victoria, Australia and Europe. Trimbach Riesling from Alsace was at the top of the list and I needed to go no further. Crisp and dry with lemon and lime acidity, zest and persistence.  With purity and freshness it was the perfect after work drink.  DiscoverVin had no problems recommending it to the person sitting next to me at the bar when he expressed his hesitation regarding Alsace Rieslings. With citrusy dryness and a flinty finish it was almost like a crisp Polish Valley Riesling.

While enjoying the Riesling I was able to contemplate the wall of wine bottles.  Arranged by variety, European and Australian wines are in racks to the ceiling.

With focussed searching I was able to locate The Domaine de Crampilh Madiran Tannat, imported by DiscoverVin amongst a range of “other” Reds.

The staff were friendly, welcoming and informed.  Happy to discuss wine and busy assisting customers decide on a bottle to take home for dinner or what to try at the bar with something  tempting from the round the clock bar menu.

I was wishing I had time to eat downstairs at the common table or to follow those heading up stairs to enjoy a wine at “The Melbourne Supper Club” or to move next door for dinner at “The European”.  The menu was enticing - Another time.  The European’s wine list of only European wines, offers serious temptations.  The DiscoverVin team are proud our Monbazillac and Madiran have found a home on the list. 

Le Guide Hachette 2011 Reviews wines from DiscoverVin. Part 2 Cahors

Le Guide Hachette 2011 – the French wine bible has reviews for 10,000 wines. The South-West chapter reviews wines from several of our suppliers.

The “jury” – a team of wine professionals from around the world, tasted each wine blind, described it in terms of colour, aroma and taste and then scored  each from 0-5.  A score of 3 is needed to be give a star, 4 for 2 stars and 5for a wine to be given 3 stars.  

Cahors

Chateau Lagrézette

A world famous and critically acclaimed producer from Cahors in the South West of France, Chateau Lagrezette has five centuries of winemaking history.  Entrepreneur Alain Dominique Perrin, the former president of Cartier, has transformed Chateau Lagrezette.

DiscoverVin stock three levels of wine from Chateau Lagrézette.  Zette is the every day quaffer;  Zette Red, Zette White and Zette Rosé. A great bargain at  $20 per bottle.

The Chateau Lagrézette 2005 is an award winning Malbec for $36 per bottle. It was given a citation in the 2008 Guide Hachette.

The Dame d’Honneur is a super premium Malbec and the 2003 vintage is available for $90 per bottle.

The review of the 2007 Dame d’Honneur in the 2011 Guide Hachette gives us and Australian wine drinkers something to look forward to. Awarded two stars the Guide describes the wine as follows:

“The wine is, as often, an excellent expression of its heritage. Adorned with a deep purple color with hints of black, it reveals a delicious and exuberant nose of ripe fruit, licorice and menthol. Ample, sweet, well-structured and always very aromatic, it can be appreciates with duck or game. One year or two years of cellaring are possible. The 2007 Cuvée Dame Honor good structure and wood our two, wait at least three years to soften.”

 

Le Guide Hachette 2011 Reviews wines for DiscoverVin WinesPart 1

Le Guide Hachette 2011 – the French wine bible has reviews for 10,000 wines. The South-West chapter reviews wines from several of our suppliers.

The “jury” – a team of wine professionals from around the world, tasted each wine blind, described it in terms of colour, aroma and taste and then scored  each from 0-5.  A score of 3 is needed to be give a star, 4 for 2 stars and 5for a wine to be given 3 stars.   The ultimate is “un coup de cœur , a heart.

Gaillac

Chateau de Saurs

Usually only one wine per producer is reviewed in the Guide Hachette. The 2011 review for Chateau de Saurs is predominately about their  2008 Réserve Eliézer which was given a star. Two other Chateau de Saurs wines were included in the 2011 Guide.  Both made in larger volumes than the Eliézer and both available from DiscoverVin.

The 2008 Blanc doux, a dessert wine, was given a star (well balanced with roundness and acidity). DiscoverVin stock the 2009 vintage of this lovely sweet wine made from the loin de l'oeil grape.

The Chateau de Saurs 2008 Rouge (rich and structured) was also given one star. DiscoverVin have ample stock from this vintage.

The 2010 Blanc doux, has just recieved a star and wonderful review in the 2012 Guide Hachette.
"Pure ... Lion de l'oeil  the sweet wine's golden colour reveals an intense bouquet with nice notes of spices, lemon confit and baked potatoes. The mouth is rich, concentrated and sweet. The balance between sweetness and liveliness is successful, as is the aromatic expression of the candied citrus and acacia honey. A rich wine of great length, by the end of the meal .... "

Fronton

Chateau Bouissel

Le Bouissel 2008, a blend of negrette, shiraz and malbec, is stocked by DiscoverVin  and was given two stars  and a coup de cœur.

The review mentions that Bouissel wines are regularly in the Guide and that 2010 was an important year as Nicholas Selle, son of the proprietors returned to the domaine, and it was the start of their conversion to biodynamic classification.

The coup de cœur indicates that the wine shows “la Haute Expression” ( high expression ) of the range of flavours expected in wines from Fronton.

“This 2008 offers an intense bouquet reminiscent of berries in l’eau-de-vie (blackcurrant, raspberry) statements of  spices and decorated with a scent of roasted coffee. The mouth has a high density, full and silky, perfectly balanced by a frame of tannins, velvety and aromatic with finesse of style. Ready to drink this superb Fronton represents the appellation with class.”

Review of Domaine de l'Ancienne Cure Bergerac Rouge (L'abbaye Range) 2008

Hot on the heels of wine of the week in Sydney Morning Herald for Chateau Saint Go Saint Mont 2007 on October 4th 2011 By Huon Hooke, comes another review of one of the wines from DiscoverVin. This time for the Domaine de l'Ancienne Cure Bergerac Rouge 2008

We were thrilled to receive this review by well-known wine writer Winsor Dobbin.

A complex but elegant red wine. It is typical of the good value wines that DiscoverVin is bringing to wine lovers in Australia. 

Here is the review from Winsor Dobbin....

"Yet another well priced import from the south-west of France from the team at DiscoverVin who seem to have the knack of sniffing out bargains. This one comes from a family-run domaine at Colombier, outside of Bergerac, and is made very much made in Bordeaux style with a blend of merlot, cabernet suavignon and cabernet franc and just a soupcon of malbec. At just 12.5% it is the antithesis in style of bold South Australian red but does not lack in ripeness or flavours, simply offering a more elegant, food friendly style of drinking with some impressive complexity and spice."

WINE OF THE WEEK Chateau Saint Go, Saint Mont

 

Huon Hooke gives the Tannat/Cabernet blend from Chateau Saint Go in Saint Mont 93/100.

DiscoverVin are excited to read that a wine from historic Saint Mont where  Tannat grapes have been grown for centuries and with a recently re-invigorated wine making practices is described as modern wine.

Le Guide Hachette des Vins - The Hachette Guide to French Wines 2011

This is described as the French wine bible.  It provides a thorough and current guide to French wine.  Usually only one wine per producer is reviewed, but occasionally a second wine is referred to within the review. Incredibly the guide is never “updated”.  It is rewritten each year from current tastings of the last vintage bottled. 

The 2012 Guide has just been released.  For the 2011 Guide  36,000 wines were tasted and 10,000 of those were included in the Guide.  The “jury” – a team of wine professionals from around the world, taste each wine blind and describe it in terms of colour, aroma and taste and then scored from 0-5.  Wines scoring 0 or 1 are not included in the Guide, a 2 leads to inclusion, but a score of 3 is needed to be give a star, 4 for 2 stars and 5 to be given 3 stars.   The ultimate is “un coup de cœur , a heart, of which there are 471 in the current edition.

The Guide Hachette provides ample information on each of the wines reviewed: producer, vintage, region, vineyard area, number of bottles produced, use of barrels or vats, price and value for money, when to drink or keep past vintages and which years were exceptional.

Information in the 2011 entry for DiscoverVin’s supplier Domaine du Crampilh is very comprehensive. The review for the 2007 Vielles Vignes tells the reader that there are 3 hectares of vines. 8,000 bottles and the wine is made in oak barrels. Domaine de Crampilh’s entry is found in the Madiran section of the South-West chapter.  Visitors are welcome for tastings and wine can be purchased at the winery.  The translation of the description of the wine itself is evocative.

This Madiran of pure Tannat stored for in oak barrels for ten months, is adorned with a cherry color, a fruit that can also be smelt, along with smoky and spicy scents. The mouth, balanced, supported by fine tannins, offering flesh, volume and flexibility. Qualities that can be assessed with a meal of duck with olives.  To be drunk over the next five years.

The contact details and opportunities for cellar door visits for each producer are included at the end of each entry.  There is plenty of information is provided for anyone interested in wine tourism such as the presence of a gîte or chamber d’hôte and their price range. New to the 2011 Guide is a chapter with reviews of wine bars and restaurants by region.

Entries are classified by region, but with four different indexes (appellation, commune, producer, wine name) information is easy to locate.  The guide provides an excellent notes on each region with the first chapter providing an overview of what’s been happening, region-by-region, in the French wine industry in the past year.  The first chapters explain how to buy and keep wine, the wine making process and how to taste and serve wine.  It really is a wine lovers bible!

Le Pigeonnier

In french the word  pigeonnier means dovecote. It is also the name of the rarest wine produced by Domaine Lagrezette in Cahors.

Dovecotes dot the landscape throughout southwest France, often in the middle of a field, or as at Lagrezette in the centre of a vineyard. 

Pigeonniers are located away from trees that may harbor birds of prey and from prevailing winds. They have smooth walls with a protruding band of stones to stop climbing predators. In France in the middle Ages, owning a pigeonnier was the privilege of the lord of the manor. The bird poo (known as colombine) was an excellent fertilizer.

The Lagrezette pigeonnier is an exceptional building on six columns.  The Lagrezette Pigeonnier wine is an exceptional wine.  Production is limited to about seven thousand bottles per year.  The vineyard is only 2.7ha and the yield is limited to between 15-20 hL/ha. The Malbec grapes are harvested and destemmed by hand.  Vinification occurs in large oak casks and the wine is aged for twenty-eight months in new oak casks. With favourable reviews from Parker (95 points for the 2001), Le Pigeonnier has become expensive and exclusive, selling at close to $1600 per case in America.

Australian wine drinkers can purchase Malbec wines produced at Domaine Lagrezette from DiscoverVin - Cuvée Dame Honneur, Chateau Lagrezette and Zette rouge. 

DiscoverVin_ CahorsDiscoverVin_Lagrezette

DiscoverVin friends special offer with French Tutoring in Sydney

DiscoverVin has formed a partnership with French Tutoring.


For our friends in Sydney, French Tutoring offer a range of French language lessons/services.


If you mention DiscoverVin when enrolling you will receive
-free pocket-size bilingual phrasebook
-10% off all one to one lessons
-save $30 on group conversation classes


In addition, students of FrenchTutoring receive 10% off orders of $100 or more on DiscoverVin wines! 


For more information to go http://www.frenchtutoring.com.au/


What they say makes FrenchTutoring stand out from other providers:

- No enrolment costs

- No cancellation fees (see below)

- No administrative fees

- No travel fees (see below)

- No peak / off-peak tutoring times / rates

- No other hidden fees

- 50% off group conversation classes (see below)

- Flexible tutoring options (see below)

- All materials and handouts used (if any) are provided at the end of the lesson

- All our students can access our books and resources free of charge (you do not have to purchase books)

- All our students get 10% off any books / magazines purchased online at BORDERS

- All our students get 10% off language books purchased at ABBEYS Bookstore

- All our tutors are native French speakers and expert tutors - you do not pay extra to have an expert / premium tutor

- Our teachers do not teach using books - anyone can learn from books!

Discover the Wines of Bergerac Part 2

Map showing the geographic locations of the DOC Appellations within Bergerac

Bergerac - The upriver neighbour to BordeauxThe Bergerac region is picturesque and historic with bastides (walled towns), medieval cities, chateaux, Romanesque churches and abbeys and gorgeous stone villages full of character and history and some exciting wines.

Situated on the Dordogne River the town of Bergerac is about 50 km east of Bordeaux.
Bergerac has a climate similar to that of St Emilion and Pomerol.

History, rather than geography has lead to the difference in perception between the wines of Bordeaux and Bergerac. The 100 years war changed the medieval wine trade. Vineyards upstream of Bordeaux, (Gaillac, Bergerac and Cahors) were under French control, while the English linked to Bordeaux since the reign of Elinor of Aquitane continued their relationship with Bordeaux.

Grape Varieties of Bergerac
Bergerac, the neighbour and close cousin of Bordeaux produces similar blends without the price tag. The main grape varieties are those of Bordeaux: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot usually make lighter style wines that are elegant, supple with silky tannins and represent the “terroir” of the region.
Bergerac Blanc will be a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. It is usually crisp, aromatic and full of vitality, pale in colour with a fine finish.

Appellations of Bergerac
As with Bordeaux, Bergerac is not one simple appellation, but one broken into sub-sections according to slope, microclimate and soils; including Bergerac Rosé, Bergerac Rouge, Bergerac Blanc, Pecharmont, Saussignac Monbazillac, Montravel and Côtes de Bergerac.

Three Bergerac Wine Producers
Luc de Conti is currently one of France’s leading white wine makers. He has been leading the movement to adopt organic viticultural practices in France.
Chateau Tour des Gendres showcases both his viticultural and oenological skills.
One of the loveliest wines from Chateau Tour des Gendres is the Bergerac Sec, Le Moulin des Dames Blanc, 2009. A fabulous complex and balanced Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc blend.

Chateau La Rayre is situated in the gorgeous village of Colombier in the heart of Bergerac on the Dordogne. The Chateau La Rayre rosé could be one of the wines of the Aussie summer. A great wine to take to a BBQ or to the beach – it goes with just about anything!

From renowned winemaker Christian Roche, the wines of Domaine de L’Ancienne Cure are made with passion, attention to quality and are considered amongst the best in the region.
Pécharmont, a small appellation with the broader Bergerac region, is the oldest collective of vineyard in Bergearc. "Pécharmant" comes from the words "Pech" ( "Hill") and "Charmant" (Charming), thus meaning "the charming hill." Pécharmant vineyards are well exposed to the sun and the soil consists sand and gravel from the Périgord. The Domaine de L'Ancienne Cure Pecharmont Sélection, Rouge, 2008 has fine tannins, reflective of the sandy terroir, power without aggression, round and savoury.