Best bike accessory ever?

Our New York correspondent and graphic designer Jenn sent us these pics from the quirky independent wine store Pasanella and Son. 

Its a great wine store at the South Seaport on lower Manhattan almost under the Brooklyn Bridge (if you look closely you can see the lights of the  Brooklyn Bridge behind the bike). For wine lovers it is a fascinating shop to browse in and take in an amazing range of wines from around the world.

At the moment the window display includes this great wine carry accessory! And is that a bottle of rosé in the holder? Makes sense to us as a dry rosé is a perfect picnic wine to match almost any food, a smile or a sunny day. Or the perfect wine to quench a thirst after a bike ride. 

Check out our range of dry rosé.

We think its the best bike accessory ever! Do you agree?

Rosé for languid days of summer and autumn

Living in North East Victoria we love having 4 distinct seasons and we particularly love summer. We love being able to pick from the garden, tomatoes warmed by the sun  for salads and BBQs.

#summer #tomatoes !

A photo posted by discovervinwines (@discovervinwines) on Feb 6, 2015 at 6:58pm PST

But its hot! And that means its "rosé o'clock".

Not so many summers ago, rosé was a bit uncool and unfashionable. Now we have realised its the prefect summer wine. The best rosé wines are crisp dry and refreshing. They are a prefect match to tomatoes and salads.
They are a perfect wine for a pre-dinner drink with olives under a shady tree or a glass by the pool. They are a perfect solution to the heat. We love a cold bottle of rosé for an autumn picnic on a warm sunny day.

So hot ! #Rosé time! #wine #summer #coolchange

A photo posted by discovervinwines (@discovervinwines) on Feb 7, 2015 at 11:49pm PST

But rosé is now cool and fashionable. Rosé sales are soaring.  In France rosé now outsells white wine. Provencal rosé was rationed in New York and the Hamptons last summer! This week surging rosé sales were reported in the US.


Here's 2 perfect dry rosé wines on offer from DiscoverVin.

The first, Chateau La Rayre Bergerec Rosé 2013 ($26.50), is slightly darker in colour and has a slightly bigger mouth feel (the colour comes from briefly leaving the skin in contact with the grape juice). It is organic (no pesticides and herbicides, minimal sulphur) and it was reviewed recently by Sean Mitchell AIWS in the Grape Observer


"There is much talk of context in wine tasting, and that perhaps more should be made of it.  Today's context is that it is high summer, 37 degrees outside and climbing, with gusty northerly winds testing the mettle of some new tree plantings.  So, in two words, largely awful.  A chilled bottle of rosé therefore seemed a rather good idea with lunch.   From the 2013 vintage, this rosé is from Chateau La Rayre in Bergerac (inland of Bordeaux) and is a blend of one part merlot, and two parts cabernet franc.  The result is refreshing, dry on the palate, and has attractive and balanced flavours reminding of strawberries and raspberries.  This wine is recommended - I really quite liked it - and is perfect for summer."








The second is a classic Provencal rosé Domaine de la Croix Irresistible rose 2013 ($29.90). 

It's crisp and refreshing. Close your eyes, and you could be on a beach in Provence! It was also reviewed by Sean Mitchell in the Grape Observer.


"This rosé speaks of salty, humid air, and long warm days.  A very light salmon in colour, it refreshes with its reminders of rose petals and fresh lemons.  A blend of cinsault, shiraz and grenache, this is a typical Côtes de Provence rosé to be enjoyed with seafood and summer."


Click here to find these wines online.





Prices above are for our on-line customers. Trade enquiries welcome via info@discovervin.com.au

DiscoverVin Top 10 wines of 2014 (Part 2)

This is the second part of our Top 10 wines of 2014. Part one can be found here.

The top 5 was dominated by rosé and white wine. Wines 6 to 10 features a wonderful Champagne and some great value reds.

6.Achille Princier Champagne Grand Tradition NV $54


This champagne was new to DiscoverVin in 2014. 
Its a great value Champagne from a small producer. 

It received 2 stars in French "wine bible" Guide Hachette 2014, beating a lot of well-known champagne brands, so it doesn't get any better at this price. 

Oz wine writer Sean Mitchell reviewed it recently: " Overall, this is a very impressive Champagne and one that I'll be buying. " 

It has quickly become one of our best sellers.

More details on this link.








7. Chateau Laroche Joubert 2011 $29.90

The 2010 version of this wine was selected in Gourmet Traveller magazine's Bordeaux feature in August 2014 and made it into the top 10 - and quickly sold out. This 2011 we think is just as good!

An easy drinking merlot blend from the Bordeaux Cotes de Bourg appellation. The vineyards of Bourg face Margaux across the Gironde estuary and offer exceptional quality and excellent value for money.

This is a good example of what we specialise in- finding good value Bordeaux wines from small producers.

The guys from The Wine Wankers loved this one. Read about it here. 

More details and technical information is available here






8.Chateau Haut Monplasir Prestige AOC Cahors 2006 $34.90

A great Malbec from the Cahors region from a top organic producer. 

This wine was mentioned in a review of Cahors, where the malbec grape originates from, in Decanter October 2014 as an up and coming producer.
Château Haut-Monplaisir is owned by Cathy and Daniel Fournié.  Cathy took over from her parents in the 1990s and adopted modern practices. These approaches have lead to impressive improvements in the wines from the property. They are now certified organic producers.



"Cahors is that rarest of all wines: both a rising star and a timeless classic." --The Guardian (UK) April 2013. 

This producer is a rising star of Cahors and this vintage is one of their classics. Details here.




9 .Chateau de Saurs 2010 $24.00

This wine is from the Gaillac region near Toulouse in south-west France. Wines have been made here from Roman times. Nowadays both "new" varieties like Shiraz and merlot are used as well as ancient indigenous varieties that grow wild and were domesticated many centuries ago.

This one is a blend of shiraz, merlot and an indigenous variety Braucol.

"This is easily the best Gaillac wine that I have tried" Sean Mitchell, Grape Observer, June 2014.

Another good example of the wines that DiscoverVin is bringing to Australia. From an ancient vineyard that has been producing quality grapes for many centuries, premium grapes are now being made into modern, organic and clean wines while retaining characteristics typical of the terroir. 

Again this offers great value for money for the quality!

This wine was awarded a Silver medal at the Concours National des Vignerons Independants 2010.

Please click here for more information



10. Chateau Truquet 2011  $31

A rare budget-friendly Saint-Émilion red wine which you will love for its soft rich fruit, balance and complexity. 

This is an undervalued producer that is the immediate neighbour of famed Chateau Figeac (which sells for many times the price.) 

Bronze Medal Concours des Grands Vins de France (Macon).

Another example of the great value wines we are bringing from France.

Further details can be found here.



To recap, out Top 10 for 2014 included 2 rosé, a dry white, 5 great value reds from a mixture of appellations, a new Champagne to Australia and a stunning dessert wine from the Pyrenees. If you haven't tried any of our wines, we suggest that any of these top 10 would be a great place to start!

Prices above are for online customers. Trade enquiries welcome via info@discovervin.com.au or 0260 206 016

Please see our website for terms and conditions.