Taste the Tour Pack 2015

It’s that time of year again; time to enjoy the legendary Tour de France. Enjoy the sights of the racing and the stunning scenery while enjoying a selection of French wine from DiscoverVin. 

Each year DiscoverVin puts together a 6 pack of wines that can be enjoyed whilst watching the Tour. These wines relate to regions that the 2015 Tour de France passes through. They represent the mid and final sections of the race through the mountains and south of France, when the battle for the yellow jersey really hots up.  

As excellent value for money they are a great introduction to DiscoverVin’s portfolio of boutique French wines. And all at a fraction of the price of a ticket to France!

The wines in this six pack are sourced from vineyards in the Pyrenees, Gaillac in South West France, Cahors (the home of Malbec), the Rhone Valley, Provence, and finishing strongly with a fabulous Champagne as they turn towards Paris. 

Here is the list of wines, as matched with some of this year’s Tour stages.  Notes on serving suggestions and some information on the stages will be included with the pack.

In summary:                                                                                     

Champagne

Château Achille Princier Grande Tradition Champagne NV               RRP $54.00

Rosé

Domaine de la Croix Irrésistible Rosé 2012                                    RRP $29.90

White

Domaine Bellegarde Pierre Blanche Jurançon Sec 2009                   RRP $36.00

Red

Château de Saurs Gaillac Rouge 2010                                            RRP $26.50

Château Haut Monplaisir Prestige Cahors Malbec  2006                   RRP $34.90

Domaine Roche Audran  Côtes du Rhone  2012                              RRP $25.90

Valued at                                                                                     $207.20

Save over $30 when you buy the Taste the Tour Pack:            $175.00

The monsieur (below) may not be in the Tour but he seems to have the right idea, racing to buy his wine and cheese at this Epicerie Fine in Bordeaux! 

We look forward to our virtual wine and food peleton again this year and enjoying some fabulous Tour viewing and fine wines! And of course we will be following our friends Les Vaches du Tour on social media as they comment on the real heroes of the Tour- the cows!

More details available here.

White Wine and Cheese - The Wine Gang recommend some South West whites

Homage au Fromage, by Jane Parkinson

23 September 2014

It might seem controversial to die-hard red wine fans, but the modern school of thought among those in-the-know is that white wine is a much better all-round wine partner for cheese.
Why? Because its inherent freshness cuts through cheese’s fatty content much better than a chewy red wine would. And so perhaps it’s one of the wine world’s best-kept secrets that South West France – with all its indigenous and delicious white grape varieties to offer – is in fact a Mecca for cheese-friendly wines. So let’s dive in.
White cheeses that are chalky in texture and/or salty in flavour, like goat’s cheese and halloumi, are notorious for working wonders with Sauvignon Blanc. But this isn’t an exclusive pairing by any means, so for something slightly different but just as successful a match, try the dry white wines of Gaillac, which are made from punchy native grapes such as Mauzac and Loin de l’Oeil and are tongue-tingling, crisp, fruity and salty. Sometimes these whites even have a drop of Sauvignon Blanc blended into them too,.
Crumbly cheeses, such as feta, Wensleydale and Caerphilly are also best served with a fruity and fresh white wine. To match these, it’s worth buying a bottle of dry white wine from Côtes de Gascogne. Local grapes here such as Ugni Blanc, Gros Manseng and Colombard (as well as Sauvignon Blanc sometimes too) make fruity, slightly textured white wines with bags of apple-flavoured freshness.

Richer, Alpine-based cheeses, such as Comté and Gruyère, as well as Spain’s most famous sheep cheese Manchego, are crying out for wines with plenty of depth to the flavour all the while being tense with freshness. And so step forward the white wines from the Basque region of Irouléguy, or even the dry Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh wines. These really make the most of indigenous varieties such as Gros Manseng, Arrufiac and Petit Courbu by being zingy, sometimes smoky, and full of nutty and herbaceous flavours.
These wines would also serve a richly-flavoured Cheddar well, but if you’re interested in tracking down something unique, go for a Chardonnay from the Pyrenean region of Ariège which can have a lovely nutty and waxy flavour.
As we all know, sweet wines are hedonistic in their own right, but even more so when paired with two types of cheese styles; salty blue cheese such as Roquefort, Stilton or Gorgonzola, and washed rind powerfully-flavoured cheeses like Munster or Epoisses. There are two no-brainer places to look in South West France to meet your wine needs here. Firstly the sweet Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh wines, often made with Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng, they’re full of luscious honey and apricot flavours. Or else go to Gaillac and indulge in their delicious honeycomb and marmalade-rich sweet wines.

WIne and Food Dinner: Talking French- Bishop Sessa Thursday November 6th

We are looking forward to seeing our friends in Sydney for a great night of wine and food at Bishop Sessa, 527 Crown Street, Surry Hills on Thursday November 6th at 7pm

It will be a pleasure to taste the amazing dishes of chef Paul Cooper. Have a look and see what customers have been saying recently about Bishop Sessa on Trip Advisor. We know the wines will be great!  

Call 02 8065 7223 to secure your spot. 



Fifth anniversary Cocktail Party at Franck Provost Double Bay

Franck Provost Paris Hair is France's number one salon and last night the Double Bay Salon was celebrating its 5th Anniversary.  Amber Renae, the Franck Provost brand ambassador, VIP's, members of the French Trade Commission and Alliance Francaise, bloggers, journalists, fashionistas and just about every French person living in Sydney was there! So French, so chic!!

DiscoverVin wines were sponsors of this event and we offered the following wines by the glass:

Domaine de la Croix, Irrésistible Rosé  - The name says it all! A delicious rosé from one of the top producers in Provence.

Château de la Bouyere Bordeaux Blanc - A great value for money crisp white wine for the coming summer months.

Château des Saurs, La Constance, 2009 - One of our best sellers is this lovely lighter style red from Gaillac in South West France. Silver Medal winner.   

We also offered tastings of some of our best sellers:

Château Jolys Jurançon Sec 2011 - a delicious dry white wine awarded 92 points and voted 'Best Import' by Huon Hooke in the Sydney Morning Herald in June 2013.

Château Haut Peyrous, Retours de Palombieres, 2008 - a sensational Merlot/Cabernet/Petit Verdot blend from an organic producer (Marc Darroze) in Graves (Bordeaux).

Chateau de Saurs, Moelleux, 2011 - A late harvest wine made from an ancient variety in Gaillac.  Silver medal winner at the Paris 2012 Concours General Agricole.  

All of these wines, I am happy to say, were a hit with Francophiles and French people alike. 

There was a real buzz in the air as the glamorous models displayed the Summer 2013 (Hair Style) Collection - long soft curled tresses seem to be the hairstyle of the moment - pity I've got short hair!  

Event: Slowed cooked food and wines of South West France Sydney

Looking forward to seeing some of our Sydney friends in Sydney! This will be a great night of tasty slow cooked food and some great wines to match. Excellent value! Call Chophouse 1300 246 748

South West France Dinner Bathers Pavilion May 23rd 2013

We are very much looking forward to seeing our Sydney friends this week at a south-west France dinner at Bathers Pavilion in Sydney. 

The menu looks fantastic and the wines will be great!

This will be your chance to explore (or re-aquaint yourself) with the food and wine of this beautiful region of France.

At the time of writing this, tickets are selling fast. Please contact Bathers Pavilion on 0299695050 or eat@batherspavillion.com.au for bookings or for more information. 

We look forward to seeing you there. If you can't make it, follow the blog and we will post some photos/details after the event!

DiscoverVin: Bordeaux Dinner At Bistro Vue