Hold the press - the best easter wine and food match - Coq au vin and Madiran.

We really enjoyed the seafood paella and Chateau La Rayre Rosé on Good Friday (see earlier blog) and thought that could be THE easter wine and food match. However, upon returning home from camping decided to put together dinner from the pantry and the garden. In the garden we had last of the summer zucchini with flowers attached and the first of the autumnal field mushrooms, plus some fresh herbs. We had been wanting to try a jar of Comtesse du Barry Coq au Vin with Madiran Sauce. This is a very well respected product in France and recently available in Australia on-line at Hubert Gourmet in Perth (http://www.hubertgourmet.com.au/). At first look this looks like reasonably expensive product but it easily fed 2 adults and 2 children and at the end of the day it's a nicer and cheaper option than thai take-away. I stuffed the mushrooms with goats cheese, garlic and parsley and roasted them in the oven while reheating the coq au vin. Steamed the zucchini seasoned with salt and pepper and lemon rind. Then all was served with some couscous to mop up the delicious sauce of the coq au vin. Wow! great dinner and then there was the wine - Domaine du Crampilh Vielles Vignes Madiran 2006 which complimented and enhanced the coq au vin perfectly. The wines of this region date back to roman times and were made famous by pilgrims passing through the region. Winemakers of the region  draw on centuries of cumulated experience to ensure optimal viticulture practices, but modern techniques have brought out the best from this wine. It is made from 70% Tannat and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is 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. This wine represents incredible value as this wine was awarded 2 stars in France’s prestigious wine guide, the Guide Hachette 2010. So I guess this comes down not to "paella v coq au vin" or "rose v madiran", but rather how the combination of the dish and the wine enhance each to create a memorable meal.

Wine Spectator Unveils Free VintageChart+ App for Smartphones | News | News & Features | Wine Spectator

Wine Spectator Unveils Free VintageChart+ App for Smartphones | News | News & Features | Wine Spectator

Great app from Wine spectator. Our current favorite app!. Of course DiscoverVin will only stock wine from good producers in good years so the need for this becomes less(!), but nevertheless a really useful smartphone app.

Best Easter Wine and Food Match

We just spent a lovely few days camping on the banks of Lake Hume near Albury-Wodonga on the border of NSW and Victoria.  Great campsite, great weather, great friends. We celebrated H's significant birthday on the first night with surprise silly dress ups,  white table cloths, candles, candles and more candles, champagne then a great meal. A spicy seafood paella and the most beautiful wine match Ch la Rayre Bergerac Rosé 2009. A beautiful red/pink colour, great fruit and soft acid. Perfect marriage with the spices of the  paella. Perfect wine to enjoy round the camp-fire with friends. I am sure that the spicy nature of the paella would have been too much for a white and the heat would have swamped a red. Not a wine for cellaring or intellectualising about, but a lovely wine to enjoy on its own or with a meal - it matches just about everything. Three days later and everyone was saying what a memorable meal and wow that rosé!

Wine tasting coming up next month in Melbourne

12 May · 19:00 - 22:00
Location	Casa de Vinos, 227 Bay St, Port Melbourne
More info	On this class we will taste 10 different French wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Cotes Du Rhone, Cahors and Madiran. All together with some French produce to match (olives, cheese, and pate!). Includes Malbec from Domaine Lagrezette (Cahors) and Tannat from Domaine du Crampilh (Madiran) Thursday 12/5 at 7pm Cost $35 Please Book as early as you can as we have limited places. Tel: (03) 9681 8006 E: sales@casadevinos.com.au

The Top 50 Best Restaurants 1-50 | The World’s 50 Best Restaurants

The Top 50 Best Restaurants 1-50 | The World’s 50 Best Restaurants

how many of these restaurants serve wine in our portfolio. Lots!

some interesting easter viewing

why DiscoverVin wines tick the boxes..

http://rickbakas.com/7-things-to-look-for-in-wine

why cahors is one of the great wines in the world (start at 6 minute mark)
http://tv.winelibrary.com/2010/02/03/2000-and-2005-cahors-tasting-episode-810/

would love any feedback about these!

have a great Easter and hope you get to drink a good bottle or two!

from the team at DiscoverVin

DiscoverVins list of stockists continues to grow

Hope you enjoyed world Malbec day yesterday! We enjoyed a Domaine Lagrezette with beautiful 
duck and pistachio sausages, marinated lamb cutlets,  sunshine and friends!

The number of restaurants/bars/wine shops stocking our wines continues to grow. We are very 
proud that our unique and good value for money wines are making their way onto more lists.


These customers include:

Gigis of Beechworth

Sourcedining, Dean Street, Albury

Armadale Cellars, Armadale

Seddon Wine Store, 2/101 Victoria St, Seddon

Casa de Vinos, 227 Bay St, Port Melbourne

Beaux Bar, Sydney Rd, Brunswick

City Wine Shop, Spring Street Melbourne

La Niche Cafe, Smith Street, Collingwood

We hope to announce some more in coming days (That will knock your socks off!) We keep updating the list and will make announcements on our facebook page DiscoverVin Wines

Good news too....We have more award winning wines from the South-West on the way in temperature controlled conditions. We will be topping up our stock and increasing the range on offer. More details soon.

If you are looking for wines for Easter get in quick! Our tasting packs are ready to go