Taste the Tour Packs 2017

Get set for the Tour.

It’s that time of year again. It's time to enjoy the legendary Tour de France! Aussie Richie Porte is one of the favourites with team BMC, which will add to the Aussie interest, but who doesn't love the scenery anyway?

You can 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 Burgundy, Bordeaux, the Rhone Valley, Provence (the home of rosé), Madiran in South West France, and Jurançon in the foothills of the Pyrenees. This year these regions are covered during the final 2 weeks of the race. You can drink each wine when the tour reaches that region, or just enjoy whenever you want, before during or after the Tour! Grab some Tour snacks, turn up the heating and enjoy. Follow the virtual peleton on social media. #tdf #tdf17

These wines (2 whites, 3 reds and a rosé) represent very good value for money and are a great introduction to DiscoverVin’s french wines. And all at a fraction of the price of a ticket to France!

6 wines in the Taste the Tour Pack 2017:

Burgundy (stage 7, July 7) 
Domaine Lupé-Cholet Comte de Lupé, Bourgogne (Pinot Noir ) 2014
Bordeaux region (stage 10, July 11) 
Maison Sichel Sirius Bordeaux Blanc 2014
Madiran – South West France (stage 11, July 12) 
Producteurs Plaimont Madiran Collection, 2012
Jurançon – in the foothills of the Pyrenees (stages 12 & 13, July 13 &14)
Château Jolys, Jurançon Sec, 2014
Rhone Valley (stages 16 & 17, July 18 & 19)
Domaine Roche Audran Côtes du Rhone 2015
Provence (stages 19 & 20, July 21 & 22)
Domaine de la Croix Irrésistible Rosé, cru classé Provençal rosé 2014

For more information click here

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 

Producteurs Plaimont and Serge Dansereau: a special night of the wine and food of south-west France November 20th

This will be a special night of wine and food in Sydney. Serge Dansereau and his team at Bathers' Pavilion Restaurant, have put together this fantastic menu and we have matched some special wines from south west France. Serge has recently returned from touring the region so we are sure the food will be inspired!

The matched wines feature some excellent wines from the Producteurs Plaimont, one of the very best producers in the region. 

Export Manager Anais Breham will be present. She will be bringing her wine expertise and giving us also some insights into the rich history and food and wine culture of the region. This region has been producing wines from ancient indigenous grape varieties since the times of Benedictine monks and the pilgrims walking the Campostella de Santiago. By embracing modern wine-making techniques, Producteurs Plaimont have brought these previously "secret" grape varieties and good value wines to the world's stage.

The good folk of this region enjoy an unparalleled quality of life and "joie de vivre"- including slow food and wonderful wines to match. 

Come and find out some of the secrets!

For bookings please call 9969 5050 or email eat@batherspavilion.com.au

The Wine Gang Visit Producteurs Plaimont

The Wine Gang, five UK wine critics put on berets to visit Saint Mont in the South West of France.  This is their description of visiting the charming town of Saint Mont and touring the area including spending time at  Producteurs Plaimont.   

The Wine Gang have graciously let us reproduce their blog on the DiscoverVin blog.

Eric shows Grace how to wear the beret Saint Mont style

Leaving Côtes de Gascogne, we headed to Saint-Mont, a charming town surrounded by vineyards and blessed with beautiful ancient stone buildings including a magnificent monastery (which is also a hotel). Eric Fitan (president of the Saint Mont Wines trade body), Charlotte Grizeaud (communications manager) and Xavier Didelon (area sales manager, Plaimont Producteurs) stuck a beret on our heads (the beret is almost a uniform in Saint Mont!) and took us for a walk around the town.

Ferme Descoubet’s owner shows us his sustainable farming methods

We then joined Christine Cabri in Plaimont Producteurs tasting room for a brief introduction on the three main Saint Mont terroirs and their influences on the wines from the appellation.

We tasted a selection of Saint Mont white and red wines, including a rare wine made from vines that date from before phylloxera destroyed most of the French vineyards in 1863.

Saint Mont is a world-famous site for grape variety and vine research, and international amphelographic (grape and vine) experts come here to study the region’s unique heritage.

Not only does Saint Mont have some vines that are more than 180 years old, but it also has grape varieties that are so rare that they have not been identified yet!

Saint Mont terroirs

Eric shows us around the Saint Mont classified plot

Visit of Saint Mont monastery with Eric, Charlotte and Xavier

We moved on to Château de Sabazan and then Château Saint Go, where we tasted a flight of Saint Mont reds, including a vertical tasting (several vintages of a same wine), showing the ageing potential of these tannat-based wines.

Saint Mont vineyards

Plaimont Producteurs have played a key role in preserving andidentifying Saint Mont’s grape variety heritag

We then drove to the Maison des Vins in the tiny village of Madiran, where Paul Dabadie (President of Madiran wines trade body) was expecting us. Paul had prepared a special blind tasting of 20 Madiran and Pacherenc du Vic Bilh wines to introduce us to the denominations.

What a great way it was to discover the two appellations! We tasted our way through the different expressions of the local varieties: Tannat, complemented by Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon for the reds of Madiran; and Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng, Petit Courbu, and Arrufiac for Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh’s dry whites and sweets.

Pacherenc du Vic Bilh’s barrique d’or

We moved on to dinner at the restaurant Le Prieuré, our appetites whetted by all the lovely wines we had just tasted.

We were joined there by Frédéric Richevaux (Plaimont Producteurs) who had brought wines from their respective properties to complement our dinner.

We first enjoyed a homemade foie gras terrine with sweet Pacherenc du Vic Bilh. Followed by a white fish in a creamy saffron sauce, paired with dry Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh.

We then had duck served with a sauce and vegetables. It was brilliant to taste Madiran wines with food, after having tasted them on their own an hour earlier. We could see how the tannins of the wine cut through and lifted a rich dish like the duck.

Our hosts had prepared another surprise for dessert, pairing chocolate fondant with a 100% tannat Madiran wine. And what a success!

Our trip ended with a lunch at the restaurant de la Tour in Lembeye, where the chef and winemakers had worked together to pair a Moroccan inspired meal with their wines.

It highlighted how modern these wines are, and how they can be a perfect match for not only local cuisine, but international dishes, including spicy food.

So, next time you order a curry from the take-away, try and match it with a Madiran or a Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh!

A million thanks to all the producers and representatives involved in the trip, who made it a great voyage of discovery, and who made us fully experience the warmth, the hospitality and the passion of South West French wine producers!

With Roland et Emmanuel

http://www.thewinegang.com
http://southwestfrancewines.com

Discovervin is pleased to sell the wines of Producteurs Plaimont in Australia, including this mixed pack of 6 bottles of their wines.

Tour de France and the wines of Madiran

The Tour de France is turning north to Paris. Today it   passes through a beautiful region in the foothills of the Pyrenees. A region crossed for centuries by pilgrams heading to Campostella de Santiago on the coast of Spain. They feel in love with the wines of the region and were said to carry them onwards on their journeys. (Some say this was the origin of alter wine- must have mighty fine alter wine if you ask us!)  We included an excellent red wine from the Madiran region in our Taste the Tour 6 pack. Although the Tour is nearly over, these 6 wines will give you a great introduction to the wines of the region, to enjoy at your leisure.

Stage 19: Madiran Friday 25 July - Maubourguet Pays du Val D’Adour : Bergerac 208 km

The tour leaves the mountains of the Pyrenees.   Today’s departure is from Maubourguet Pays du Val D’Adour in the foothills of the Pyrenees. An area of plains and hills, the Pays du Val D'Adour is at the crossroads of the Béarn, Bigorre and Gascogne cultures.  Maubourguet, the name of the common was chosen by its inhabitants to inspire fear to possible invaders. But the “Bad Village” will certainly be far more hospitable to the riders.  This 208 km stage is completely devoid of any real difficulties and, on paper at least, should smile upon the sprinters.  There could be a surprise breakaway.



Wine 5 Domaine du Crampilh, Vignes Vieilles, Madiran Rouge, 2009

This is a powerful multi-award winning wine from a well-regarded producer in the Madiran region. This domaine aims to produce a wine “in a style that brings out the heart and soul of south-west France”. The wines of this region date back to Roman times but were made famous by pilgrims passing through the region.  Made from 70% Tannat and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. A beautiful deep purple colour. An intense and savoury nose with black fruits, vanilla and leather. A concentrated palate with rich black fruit and peppery spices balanced with great structure, fine chalky tannins and acid. Intense, powerful but great length and balance.

Suggestion: Perfect with lamb shanks or duck breasts. We found this excellent recipe on the SBS Food website for beef checks braised in Madiran- we used some chuck steak instead and a bouquet garni from the garden. Delicious!  

DiscoverVin at Le Tour Lounge

Le Tour is over.  

The Olympic track cycling, while exciting, lacks the French scenery and cows.

DiscoverVin were happy to be involved with Le Tour Lounge in Oxford Streeet, Sydney.  

This was a hub to watch the Tour de France live. 

An exciting use of an otherwise vacant retail space, the lounge proved to be very popular.

•              Open from 11am to 2am daily.

•              200+ people a day through the doors

•              Featured on Triple J (national radio station)

•              Featured on National ABC news

•              160 or so new Facebook friends with a FB reach of over 7000 people per day

•              Featured on multiple bike blogs through Sydney.

•              Featured in “Time out” and “What’s on” in Sydney. Made the front page of the City of Sydney Website, Lord Mayor Clover Moore has been tweeting……etc

DiscoverVin's "Taste of the Tour Pack" was promoted at the Lounge, through tastings and as you can see in the photos, framed as a wine of the day.

The pack is still available through our shop.  www.discovervin.com.au

Taste the Tour with DiscoverVin

Its that time of year again, time to enjoy the legendary Tour de France. Enjoy the sights of the racing and the stunning scenery whilst enjoying this selection of French wine.

We are also pleased to partner our friends at Les Vaches du Tour for possibly the social media event of the Tour. Follow Les Vaches du Tour as they celebrate the unsung heroes of the tour. That's right, the cows! Enjoy riding our virtual peleton over the pyrenees. Enjoy the wine and food, the stunning scenery and the magnificent TV coverage of the Tour.

The wines in this 6 pack are sourced from vineyards in the Pyrenees and the South West of France - regions that the 2012 Tour passes through in the third week as the battle for the yellow jersey really hots up. They represent great value for money and a great introduction to the wines of the region. And at a fraction of the price of a ticket to France! 

Here is the list of wines, as matched with this years Tour stages, with some serving suggestions...more food suggestions and recipes are included in the tour pack.

In summary:

Domaine de la Croix Irresistable cru classé rosé 2010, 500ml - $19.90
Château Bouissel, Bouissel Classic, 2008, 750ml $19.99

Domaine du Cramplih, Vielles Vigne, 2006, 750ml $28.99
Château Jolys Cuvée Jean 2008, 375ml $22.00

Domaine Bellegarde, Pierre Blanche, Jurançon sec 2006, 750ml $29.99
Château Haut Monplaisir Prestige-AOC Cahors-Rouge 2006, 750ml $29.90

Usually $150.77 if purchased individually, the total price for the Taste of the tour 6 pack is only $140.

Packs include notes on the wine and some serving suggestions and recipes.

Stage 13-Provence

Saturday 14 July

Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux > Le Cap d’Agde

215 km

The tour enters Provence, we crank up the heating, crack open the nibbles and pop the cork on this classy rosé. Not the sweet rosé of our youth but something dry, minerally and classy. Imagine that you are sitting in a café overlooking the Mediteranean Sea, smelling the sea air and the scent of herbs and local delicacies from the kitchen, as the peleton whizzes by. Are you starting to get the idea? Its Bastille Day. Vive la France and Vive le Tour!

Wine 1-Domaine de la Croix Irresistable AOC Cotes de Provence 500ml $19.90 Cru Classé rosé from Provence. Rosé seems to be popping up everywhere these days- see what the fuss is about! Pale pink, elegant nose with citrus fruits aromas. Supple, fruity with a soft and silky "finale".

Stage 14-Fronton

Sunday 15 July

Limoux > Foix

192 km

The tour enters the Pyrenees region for the first time, just to the north are the wine regions of Gaillac and Fronton. We have selected an interesting blend of 55% Négrette, 20% Shiraz, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Malbec. A lively nose redolent of flowers, herbs, with some meaty tones; rich fruit, complex and round. Serve with a plate of charcuterie such as hams, salami and some cheese. Allez Cadel!

Wine 2- Chateau Bouissel Classic AOC Fronton Rouge, 750ml $19.99 This is a great value for money wine. The modern expression of classic Fronton wines. 

Stage 15- Madiran and St Mont

Monday 16 July

Samatan > Pau

160 km

The tour traverses the wine regions of Madiran and Saint-Mont- ancient wine growing regions undergoing a resurgence. Where classic south-west wines are produced from ancient terroir, by small passionate producers using modern wine making techniques-wines being rediscovered and celebrated by the French, reacting against the "sameness" of international wines. A region where duck is king of the table.

Wine 3 Domaine du Crampilh, Vielles Vignes, 2006, 750ml $28.99.

This is a powerful multi-award winning wine from a well-regarded producer in the Madiran region. This domaine aims to produce a wine “in a style that brings out the heart and soul of south-west France. The wines of this region date back to roman times but were made famous by pilgrims passing through the region. Winemakers of the region can draw on centuries of cumulated experience to ensure optimal viticulture practices. Modern techniques have brought out the best from this wine. Made from 70% Tannat and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. A beautiful deep purple colour. An intense and savoury nose with black fruits, vanilla and leather. A concentrated palate with rich black fruit and peppery spices balanced with great structure, fine chalky tannins and acid. Intense, powerful but great length and balance.

Stage 16 & 17-Jurançon

Wednesday 18 July

Pau > Bagnères-de-Luchon

197 km

After a days rest, the peleton departs Pau- the Tour’s most visited city after Paris and Bordeaux.  It is the birthplace of King Henry IV who was baptised with the sweet wine of Jurançon. The famous cols of the Pyrenees, Tourmalet, the Aubisque, the Aspin and the Peyresourde will challenge the riders today. We sit back and enjoy the ride as we enjoy one of the famous wines of Jurançon. 

Wine 4 Château Jolys Cuvée Jean 2008, 375ml  The nose presents notes of honey, apricot and peaches. The palate is fresh, powerful yet smooth - Petit Manseng at it's very best. Fabulous length and balance. This wine like many from Jurançon are pleasantly sweet without a cloying finish. Best served with one of the classic cheeses of the region or a fruit dessert such as the classical tarte tatin.

Thursday 19 July

Bagnères-de-Luchon > Peyragudes

144 km

Another day of high mountains Tour drama. Tonight we celebrate the dry white wines of the region. The manseng grapes used in the famous dessert wines are picked at optimal ripeness and made into classy dry minerally wines. With their lovely fruit and dry finish they seem to appeal to baoth the chardonnay and the sav blanc "camps". They keep well for years, and we present here one reaching its optimal drinking age. To enjoy on its own or with chicken pieces roasted with orange and thyme.

Wine 5 Domaine Bellegarde Jurançon Sec "La Pierre Blanche" 2006, 750ml $29.99. Selected parcels of petit and gros manseng grapes from 60 year old vines, aged in oak. The nose is very expressive and complex with spicy and mineral notes. The palate is long, rounded and complex with spices and complex stone fruit and citrus flavours. Good acid to give great balance and structure to the wine.

Stage 18-Cahors

Friday 20 July

Blagnac > Brive-la-Gaillarde

215 km

Turning north and racing through the Fonton and Cahors region, crossing the Dordogne and Lot rivers, this is a day for the sprinters. We have put together a quick steak recipe to enjoy with a classic red from Cahors. We have picked a great Malbec from a top producer. Good value for the quality of this wine which has won multiple awards including three $$$ from Robert Parker:The World's Best Wine .

Wine 6 Chateau Haut Monplaisir Prestige-AOC Cahors-Rouge 2006 750ml $29.90 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.

Gourmet Traveller Wine - Best Buys April/May 2012

DiscoverVin was happy to read the review for 2009 Saint-Albert Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh in the Best Buys over $25 category in the April/May edition of Gourmet Traveller Wine

2009 Saint-Albert Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh, Madiran (France), A$36/500ml 

This delicious sweet wine, made from local varieties petit manseng, gros manseng, courbu and arrufiac in the Madiran region of southern France, tastes a bit like a Jurançon and is similarly produced from naturally dried rather than botrytis-affected fruit. It has an exuberant peachy aroma, not as complex as a botrytis wine perhaps but with a controlled sugar-level and lip-smacking, more-ish, bitter citrus-peel flavour. It’s not ‘sticky’, hence you can drink more of it without feeling over-loaded. HH


It is a pleasure to bring this wine to Australia. We first tasted it in Paris when we were living in Bordeaux. We ducked into a wine shop to buy something to go with a raspberry and cream birthday cake. The owner suggested this wine, over and above more expensive sauternes and champagne. We were so impressed with the wine and the match that we sought it out while living in France. Each time we loved it especially with cakes! The name is a mouthful and so is the flavour of the wine! Delicious!

In fact this is not the first review that it has received in the Australian media...

Winewriter Winsor Dobbin made this his Wine of the Week 10 September 2011 "Another terrific late-picked wine from Producteurs Plaimont, one of the most consistent co-operatives in the south-west of France. An affordable alternative to the dessert wines of Sauterne, this is a blend of four south-western grapes; petit manseng, gros manseng, petit corbu and arrufiac from the Madiran region. You’ll find ripe citrus and tropical fruit salad notes on the nose, leading in to more ultra-ripe fruit on the palate, balanced by some delightfully fresh acidity. Complexity has been added by oak maturation and while this would be great with puddings, it would also work with pates and blue cheeses."


Here are some more details on this lovely dessert wine:

Terroir: The Pacherenc vinyards are in the same geographical area as Madiran (reds are called Madiran and whites Pacherenc). This wine is from vineyards of 115 hectares where the ancient tradition of late harvest wines were revived by the Producteurs Plaimont. In the 17th century, growers realised the magnificent potential of the local grapes to benefit from the climatic conditions- sunny autumn days enabling ripeness and high sugar levels and the cool nights, preserving high acid levels and intense aromas.
Grape varieties: Petit Manseng 50%, Gros Manseng 30%, Petit Courbu 10%, Arrufiac 10%
Winemaking: Harvest takes place around the 15th of November (Saint-Albert's Day). Pacherenc de la Saint Albert comes from grapes left on the vine until the third or forth pass through the vineyard, ensuring very ripe grapes with concentrated flavours. As per tradition, the grapes are placed in small wooden cases for transport in order to preserve the quality of the grapes. Once vinified the wine is aged in oak barrels.
Tasting Notes: Bright straw colour. The nose has ripe fruit characteristics of citrus and quince with favours of vanilla and cocoa. The wine has great balance, freshness and acidity so that it is not cloying at all. The complex ripe fruit characters are then taken over by the fresh acidity which cleans up the palette (and makes you wish for some more!)
Although in Australia we would label this as a dessert wine, it is really quite versatile. The French would serve it as an apertif. Traditionally it would also be served with foie gras or a sheep milks cheese (perhaps from the Pyrenees!). The producer says "wonderful with desert based on cream and fruit". Yes Birthday Cake!
Alcohol: 12.5%

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. 

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!

Yet another media review of Cahors, Madiran and Jurançon exclusive to Discovervin

The team at DiscoverVin is thrilled to receive more favourable reviews of our wines. We know that we have good value, interesting wines on offer. We love it  when experienced wine professionals validate that view. Below we have reprinted a review by Kerry Skinner, Assistant Editor (Special Publications and Letters), Weekend Editor and Wine Writer for the Illawarra Mercury, writing in the Illawarra Mercury Weekender August 11, 2011:

These wines are exclusive to Discovervin. Click here to go to our online  shop.