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!

Discover New Grape Varieties Stokehouse City March 10 2015

Stokehouse City and Discovervin are partnering to host a special wine dinner on Tuesday, 10 March. 

Part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival which has the theme this year of, "try something new", at this dinner guests will discover new grape varieties from France.

Tannat, petit manseng, braucol, malbec and cot are all grape varieties indigenous to South-West France where dynamic producers are using organic and biodynamic methods to make exciting wines from ancient grapes and terroir.

Come and try some of these wines imported by DiscoverVin which will be accompanied by a four course menu prepared by Stokehouse City’s Head Chef, Ollie Gould. The menu (below) looks superb. We can't wait to see some of our Melbourne friends there.

Book now!

DISCOVER NEW GRAPE VARIETIES DINNER

TUESDAY 10^TH MARCH 2015

1st Course

Hervey Bay Scallops Crudo, Rockmelon, Shaved Prosciutto, fried quinoa, crème fraiche

Chateau Jolys Jurançon Sec 2011 ’Petit/Gros Menseng’

2nd Course

Marget duck leg, caramelised black figs, lardo, black pepper crumble, cauliflower puree

Chateau Bouissel, Le Bouissel 2010  ‘Negrette’

Chateau de Saurs, La Constance, Gaillac Rouge 2010 ‘Braucol Blend’

3rd Course

Braised Lamb Shoulder, eggplant Puree, blueberries, pickled onions, cracked wheat

Château Haut Monplaisir, Prestige 2006 ‘Cot’

Domaine du Crampilh Cuvée Vignes Vieilles 2009 ‘Tannat’

4th Course

Cheese Served with quince paste, seasonal fruit, lavosh, walnut and raisin bread

Domaine Bellegarde Cuvee Tradition 2012 ‘Petit/Gros Manseng’

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. 

DiscoverVin Top 10 wines of 2014

Here is a look at our most popular wines of 2014. 

It makes for some interesting reading, none the least for the prominence of rosé. 

For the second year in succession two rosé wines have made the top 10! Once considered sweet and uninteresting, dry rosé certainly appears to be making a resurgence in Australia as it is in Europe. In France in 2013 rosé sales exceeded white wine sales for the first time. Similarly we appear to be in the middle of a rosé revolution ! If you have never had a French rosé we suggest that you try one of these wines.

Here are the first 5 of our top 10 wines for 2014. We will blog about wines 6-10 next week!

1. Chateau de La Bouyere Bordeaux Blanc 2013 $22.50

We are thrilled to see this lovely easy drinking white wine making the it to the top of our list again in 2014 as it did in 2013. 

It has struck a chord as a good value easy going alternative to NZ savvy blanc. It was a big hit when served cold and crisp on a hot week-end at the Paris to Provence Festival in Melbourne in November. Sommeliers are reporting customers coming in and asking for "that" French white they had last time.

Its a stylish wine. A blend of semillon and sauvignon blanc.  Crisp and refreshing, perfect on its own , with nibbles or with salads or seafood and can stand the heat in spicy Asian dishes. Great value. No wonder its flying!

If you would like to see some of the technical details or grab a case, click here

2. Domaine de la Croix Irrésistible AOC Cotes de Provence 2013 $29.90

Number 3 last year and just short of number one this year. 

The name says it all.  Irresisitible!  An irresistible rosé from Provence, the home of rosé.

Domaine de La Croix, created in 1882, has an outlook to the beaches of St Tropez. It has the classification of cru class. Very few Provençal producers are given the cru classé classification, denoting an exceptional winery.

In 2011 Vigneron magazine named this as one of the three best producers in Provence.

For more information in general on rosé and its rising popularity here's a link to an article on rosé that we wrote for French Living magazine in January 2014. 

For more technical details or to place an order click here.

3. Domaine Roche-Audran Cotes du Rhone rouge 2012 $25.90

From a biodynamic producer on the Cotes du Rhone. A delicious grenache/shiraz which is excellent value for money for the quality of this artisanal wine. It was cited in the 2015 Guide Hachette- France's premier wine guide!

Domaine Roche-Audran has been following biodynamic practises since 2006. It is situated on 3 separate sites on the Cotes du Rhone and uses vines between 35 and 100 years old. Vincent Rochette has developed a growing reputation for producing quality wines of character.

70% Grenache, 15% Carignan, 15% Syrah

For more technical information or to place an order click here





4. Chateau La Rayre Bergerac Rose 2013 $26.50

Wow! A second rose in the top 10 for 2014. 

This rosé seems to appeal to wine lovers who say they "don't like rosé" once tried they love it!

It is darker in colour and has more body than other styles of rosé (this is achieved by a pressing of the skins with the juice which otherwise would be clear). It has a loyal following with many repeat customers.

Try some and you will see what all the hype about rosé (and in particular French rosé) is all about. 

More details can be found here .

5. Domaine Bellegarde Cuvée Tradition Jurançon Moelleux 2012 

The sweet wines of Jurançon are amongst the great sweet/dessert wines of the world. They are great value for money compared to dessert wines from other regions. This is an excellent example- luscious complex fruit, balance, length and not too sweet on the finish. We are so happy to see a desert wine make our top 5 wines of the year!

Gorgeous late picked dessert wine and "sensational value for money" Winsor Dobbin. Domaine Bellegarde is a certified organic producer. It received 17 points by Jancis Robinson and featured in her "Top-tip whites and fortifieds" December 2014.

Available in 375ml for $28 or 750 ml for $35.90

For more information on this amazing wine, click here.



Thanks to all of you who purchased wine from us in 2014. Thank you for coming on our adventure to find interesting and good value wines from France!

Prices shown reflect our online price. Trade prices on application: 0260 206 016 or info@discovervin.com.au

Here's an updated link to the rest of our top 10- five more interesting, authentic and good value wines!

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!  

"Braising the Steaks' Dinner Chophouse Sydney July 30th 2014

It's the perfect Winter wine dinner at Chophouse, one of our favourite Sydney CBD venues. 

Four courses of deliciously braised meats with extraordinary wines to match.

$95 includes four courses with matching wines. 

View Menu Here

Call 1300 246 748 to make a reservation.