Affordable luxury: French wine for Easter 🍷

Click on the link to pick up some French wine specials for Easter.

You've thought of eggs and buns, but don't forget wine!

Offer closes March 29th 2018.

http://mailchi.mp/…/affordable-luxury-french-wine-for-easter

Affordable luxury: French wine for Easter 🍷

Easter is a great time to relax with friends and family. Here are some of our current French favourites. These are wines that we hope to be sharing over some holiday meals. They are classy wines but they won't break the…

MAILCHI.MP

Melbourne French Christmas Market

Next week-end its the Alliance Française de Melbourne French Christmas Market.

Open from 10am to 5 pm Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 December 2017.

Free entry.

Come and see us for a wine tasting, grab some bottles to take home, order some wine for delivery or pick up some gifts. You might find your new favourite French wine!

We will have some great deals for you.

Brisbane French Festival 2017

DiscoverVin is looking forward to participating in the Brisbane French Festival this week-end. 

Come and say Bonjour at the Wine Pavilion and taste some of favorite French wines from South-West France and the Rhone Valley. We will have some wines available at festival only discounts.

It''s possibly Australia’s biggest French festival – Le Festival – and has released its full programme, promising a weekend in Brisbane of food, wine and French culture like no other.

This year’s festival, from Friday 7 – Sunday 9 July 2017 in South Bank’s Cultural Forecourt, will see the return of festival favourites as well as a host of new French-inspired acts.

The Wine Pavilion returns for the fourth time in 2017, and is be dedicated to French wine, Champagne and spirits.

The Pavilion will welcome visitors in a fashion that has proved very successful during the previous years. Entry to the Pavilion is free for all Festival visitors, allowing everyone to talk to exhibitors and have a look at their products. However, a great way of visiting the pavilion is to buy at the entrance a tasting glass which includes three tasting tickets. The price in only $10 and enables you to sample three of the exhibitors’ wines offered for tasting.

DiscoverVin is able to take orders for delivery after the festival and we are offering great deals during the festival.

This year there is a Wine Bar within the Pavilion. You will be able to buy a glass of DiscoverVin wine. The bar will sell Exhibitors’ wines exclusively. (This is in addition to the French wines including DiscoverVin wines available at the main Festival bar.)

One of the wines we will have to taste, on offer at a special price  and to enjoy by the glass is the new 2015 vintage of Domaine Roche Audran Cotes du Rhone. This is a fabulous grenache/shiraz blend, from an independent producer in a stunning part of the Rhone Valley (below). If you are in Brisbane this week-end, come and have a taste!

Sexy Red Comes of Age

Style magazine has written about our NEW Beaujolais-Villages...

Read more at discovervin.com.au

This World Malbec Day – Think French!

In the world of wine, the French will invariably tell you that they did it first. But when it comes to Malbec wine, there’s no argument - they did!

So when World Malbec Day rolls around on 17 April, give credit where credit is due. Rather than breaking out the empanadas and gaucho boots - and going all Argentinean, lift a glass to those who did Malbec first, the French - and who are in a class of their own.

Malbec’s traditional heartland is in the south west of France in Cahors where it is known as the Black Wine of Cahors. The city of Cahors (above) sits on a bend of the Lot river which snakes through this stunning region.

Although historically one of the six grapes allowed for blending red Bordeaux, further south west in Cahors, Malbec reigns supreme. It is the dominant red varietal where the region’s appellation controlee calls for a minimum of 70% Malbec in its reds.  Says The Guardian (UK): "Cahors is that rarest of all wines: both a rising star and a timeless classic."

It was French agronomist Miguel Pouquet who bought French grape vine cuttings to Argentina in the mid 19^th century. But it was his godfather, Seur Malbek in France for whom the grape was named in the late 17^th century, who was the champion of this ‘timeless classic’.

Cahors Malbec draws on the legendary Dordogne soils to display complexity and structure with a full bodied, tannin backbone that unashamedly points to longevity. In its modern form its gorgeous, brooding colour belies its sensual elegance.

In recent years, as the world-wide interest in Malbec wines has increased, the Cahors producers have prominently displayed Malbec on the front labels. They have become one of the first French wine regions to label by variety not just by region.

We have found a steadily growing following for our Cahors Malbec. The Argentinean Malbecs made in their sunny Australian style have helped open people’s eyes to the variety.  But, on this World Malbec Day, for those looking for something more complex and definitive, discover the ‘black wine of Cahors’ and in particular, our Chȃteau Haut Monplaisir Prestige. Once you go black – there’s no going back.” 

Château Haut Monplaisir Prestige 2006

AOC Cahors-Rouge

100% Malbec

Certified Organic  

Our Tasting notes:  Deep garnet red colour. The nose is intense, with notes of red fruit, spices and blackberry jam.  Crisp and even, this wine presents aromas of blackcurrant and blackberry on the palate, along with a mineral note.  The finish is lengthy and complex, with notes of chocolate and spices, and with just a hint of woody aromas. Fabulous malbec, aged and drinking to perfection.

RRP through www.discovervin.com.au $35.00

This Magnificent Life

We always appreciate feed-back from our customers.

Sometimes the feed-back blows us away!

One such moment occurred this week when Ian MacTavish wrote about us in This Magnificent Life, and interviewed Helen on her current favourite wines.

"One of our favourite companies in Australia flies under most radars but brings enormous pleasure to those in the know. Their passion for particular wines drives them to identify and deliver bottlesful of delight to Aussie enthusiasts."

Read more here. 

Champagne Jeeper in Sommeliers International Magazine

More on Champagne Jeeper which continues to turn heads and receive great reviews. We have previously blogged about this excellent Champagne producer.

Its distinctive taste (Chardonnay predominant) and distinctive packaging sets it apart form its peers.

The latest edition of Sommelier International magazine is putting Champagne Jeeper in the spotlight, on its cover, as well as in a great article inside (in French).

Paris to Provence- Melbourne French Festival

This week-end we are off to Paris to Provence: Festival Français de Melbourne !

Come and say hello, grab a glass of wine or Champagne and pick up some bargains.

A bientot!

Tour de France: Taste The Tour Pack 2016

It’s that time of year again! It's time to enjoy the legendary Tour de France. 

Enjoy the sights of the racing and the stunning scenery, whilst enjoying a selection of French wine.

The wines in this 6 pack are sourced from vineyards in the Loire, Cahors (the home of Malbec), Madiran in South West France, Jurançon in the foothills of the Pyrenees, and the Rhone Valley.

They represent good value for money and are a great introduction to DiscoverVin’s wines. 

And all at a fraction of the price of a ticket to France!

6 wines in the Taste the Tour Pack 2016:

Villebois Touraine 100% Sauvignon Blanc 2014 (Loire) RRP $38.90

Château Haut Monplaisir, Prestige, 100% Malbec, 2006 (Cahors): RRP $ 35

Domaine du Crampilh, Vieilles Vignes, 2009 RRP $38.40 (Madiran)

Château Jolys, Jurançon Sec, 2014 RRP $29 
plus Domaine Bellegarde, Thibault, Jurançon Late Harvest dessert wine, 2009 RRP $36

Domaine Roche Audran, Côtes du Rhone Rouge, 2014 (Rhone Valley)RRP $28

Usually valued at $201.30
Save over $25 when you purchase the Taste the Tour Pack:

6 excellent French wine for $175.00

Comes with tasting notes and our guide for the relevant stages of the Tour

For more information or to buy click here 

Drinks on Helen

Helen was recently interviewed by the Daily Telegraph in Sydney! 

DiscoverVin Country Style

The following is reproduced from the August 2015 edition of Country Style magazine...

Chateau Haut-Monplaisir Prestige Malbec 2006 can be found here . It recently was awarded 90 points by Wine Spectator magazine. 

Undervalued French Appellations

This week we are highlighting wines from a recent article in Forbes magazine about "appellations that are under-valued". Per and Britt Karlsson wrote "France makes some of the world’s most expensive wines. But it also makes some much more modestly priced wines. It is a fantastic source for value for money in wine, provided you know where to look. Here I have selected five wines that in general I would consider to be under-valued and that are definitely worth trying."

The 5 regions/styles were

• Languedoc
• Cahors- frequently referred to as a region "renewed" or "on the rise". See more here.
• Jurançon sec- known for its dessert wines but the dry whites are receiving much attention awards in international shows. We work with 2 of the best producers (Domaine Bellegarde, an organic producer and Chateau Jolys )
• Loire Chenin Blanc
• Bordeaux- Karlrson : "I am of course not thinking of the Big Names, the ones that you may have read about in the “primeurs” reporting. Instead, take a look at the “mid-range”.  I suggest that you avoid most of the big brands (although some of them are quite good) and look for the smaller, private producers"

Yes that's right we have been saying for a while now, there are good value quality producers in Bordeaux!

Robert Parker, on his retirement from rating and reviewing Bordeaux also wrote:

“There is more diversity in wine styles than ever before. The choices are unbelievable. We all benefit from that.”

Parker picked out some key trends that have emerged in the global wine world since he started.

“Spain is the giant that has awakened,” he said. “It has these great old vineyards. In 1978 the only Spanish wines available in the US were a few Riojas. Cava was later.

“Southern France – the entire Rhone valley, Languedoc, Rousillon, Corsica, south west France apart from Bordeaux – has emerged."

At DiscoverVin we firmly believe there is a growing market for good value Bordeaux and wines across southern France especially the south west appellations and Rhone. We work with mostly small independent producers that are working on renewed vineyards. Many are at the forefront of the movement towards organic and biodynamic production. All are  making authentic, terroir driven delicious and good value wines.

For more browse our website.

The March of Organic Wine

The “Wine Planete” column of the April 2015 edition of The Revue du Vin de France (the Wine review of France) contained a piece called “The Long March of organic wine."

  

The production of organic wine in France has more than doubled in 7 years.

Just to be clear on the terminology here, organic (or “Bio” as it is called in France) refers to wines made with no chemical fertilisers or artificial pesticides and herbicides. Organic production has to be certified and there are several authorities that can certify a producer as complying with organic production. Biodynamic refers to additional steps taken by the producers who follow the methods of Rudolf Stein (burying a cows horn, producing according to the lunar cycle etc.) In this way biodynamic production is a subset of organic production.  We have previously blogged about the topic.

In 2014 only 8% of production was organic, but nevertheless a doubling in 7 years from a miniscule base .  If we include vineyards that are converting to organic production (and not yet earnt their certification) the area under organic production continues to grow rapidly. In comparison only a tiny proportion of vineyards in Australia follow organic production methods.

There is no sign of this trend slowing.  For example in Champagne up until recently, there were practically no organic producers. In 2014 there were 120.  Similarly Bordeaux, in the past had very few producers using organic methods, now Guiraud in Sauternes and Pontet-Canet in Paulliac are 2 well known proponents. Without much publicity the famous Chateau Latour and Chateau Margaux have converted some test plots to biodynamic production. It seems that the long march continues apace.

DiscoverVin stocks wine from a number of producers who are either organic or biodynamic….

Chateau de Saurs (Gaillac)- converted since 2012 vintage

Domaine de l'Ancienne Cure (Bergerac)- converted since 2012 vintage

Chateau Haut Peyrous (Graves)- in conversion

Domaine Bellegarde (Jurancon)-in conversion

Chateau Bouissel (Fronton)-in conversion

Chateau Semeillan Mazeau (Bordeaux/Listrac Medoc)-in conversion

Chateau Moulin Pey-Labrie (Fronsac)- in conversion

Domaine Roche-Audran (Cotes du Rhone)

Our biodynamic producers..

Tour des Gendres (Bergerac)- converted to organic since the 2005 vintage.