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 

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 Tour de France, Basque Chicken and Chateau Jolys Jurançon sec white wine

The Tour de France finally heads into the beautiful Pyrénées. We look forward to sitting back and enjoying the gorgeous scenery (and the wines of the region, contained in our Taste the Tour Pack.) 

To get in the mood, we have prepared a delicious Basque chicken casserole typical of the region (using the recipe on the SBS website originally published by Margaret Fulton.) We modified it a little by adding some powdered Pimento de Espelette that we had squirrelled away in the pantry. We bought a small container during our last trip to the south-west of France. It adds a gentle warmth and smoky depth of flavour. A tiny bit of chilli powder would be an alternative.  

And just in case we are still hungry late in the evenings, we have picked up some delicious hard sheep's milk cheese from our friends at Jones the Grocer. 

We are planning to enjoy this with one of our favourite (and best-selling) wines. The versatile and award-winning Chateau Jolys Jurançon sec- a perfect match with the chicken, the cheese, or seafood, or a few nibbles or just to match the scenery! ....

Stage 17: Jurançon Wednesday July 23 - Saint-Gaudens : Saint Lary Pla d’Adet 124.5 km

At 125 km, the shortest stage comes just after the longest. A difficult stage through the Pyrenees mountains. Three category one climbs including the Col de Peyresourde before finishing in the mountain ski resort town of Saint Lary Pla d’Adet.

 Wine 3    Chateau Jolys, Jurançon Sec, 2011

A delightful, complex, fruity but dry wine. From the excellent 2011 vintage, this wine is from one of the most beautiful and under rated regions in France. 92 points Huon Hooke. A great alternative to sauvignon blanc. Tropical fruits and citrus on the palette. Crisp dry finish. Our best selling white. 

Suggestion:  It would be a perfect match with seafood and shellfish, but also goes down a treat with pre-dinner nibbles and dips as you watch the highlights.

"Offal the beaten track" : food and wine event in Sydney.

Chophouse, one of our favourite Sydney CBD restaurants is holding a winter dinner on 3rd June. It's called 'Offal the Beaten Track' and features some interesting cuts of meat and a superb array of interesting unusual wines/grape varieties.

The dinner includes one of DiscoverVin's white wines - Domaine Bellegarde "Pierre Blanche" Jurançon Sec 2009 - a superb dry white from an organic producer in the foothills of the Pyrenees in the south-west of France.  

We attended a wine dinner at Chophouse last year and it was a fantastic night- excellent food, service, atmosphere and generous wine pours.  For more details see the menu below.

Seems like this will be a great night of "culinary exploration for the adventurous"! 

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!