Tag: France

Duperrey Champagne

Australians love their fizz; so much so that according to the 2018 data, we are the seventh-largest market for Champagne in the world. And at 8.38 million bottles imported in the year, that’s the second-highest amount of champenoise that we’ve ever consumed. And while the global market for French bubbles has only inched forward in…
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Les Peyrautins – Languedoc

The Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France has long been the poor cousin of the French wine industry. Grape growing in the area dates back to the Pliocene period yet despite being one of the oldest wine-producing regions in Europe, the district has never been highly regarded by the French as a premier wine-producing region. Such…
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Champagne

It’s a fizzy time of the year….

From Jingle Bells to “ho ho ho” and all the way to “Happy New year”, the sound of popping corks is a prominent feature of the festive season all around the world. So much so, that according to French data, two-thirds of total annual champagne sales occur in the months from September to December! And…
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Chateau Du Seuil

Wine Tourism, French Style

Steeped in tradition and blessed with diverse terroir, the French wine industry enjoys an enviable position atop the rankings of the world’s wine producing regions. As one of the top three producers of table wine by volume (Italy and Spain produce similar volumes each year, depending on vintage conditions), France is also blessed with a…
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Alsace Gentil Hugel 2015

Reach for a white

Make light of the changing season As summer approaches and temperatures climb, many wine lovers put aside the heavy reds in preference for lighter styles like Pinot Noir or even make a complete colour change to the vin blanc styles that can be chilled within an inch of their lives. And if you’re anything like…
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Rose wine

A Rose Revolution?

Trend, fad, passion or fetish, call it what you will, but the growing obsession with rosé as a style seems to have finally entrenched itself in foodie culture and it seems the craze is not confined to Australian shores. In the US, a 2014 industry report observed an annual increase in retail sales of rosé…
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Domaine Du Grand Montmirail 2014 Gigondas

Gigondas

By Australian standards, good French wine is undeniably expensive. While we consider the “best” Australian brands like Penfolds Grange to be ridiculously expensive (at prices approaching $800 a bottle for the current release), many French producers would consider the ask of our winemakers to be “entry level”. After all, the Premier Grand Cru French Wines…
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Rouge et or 2015 by Chateau Minuty

Provencale Paradise

Another day in the French Riviera, and another opportunity for some serious viticultural research. Though, given that Rose from Provence is beginning to dominate the pink vin de table market, one hardly needs to travel the 16,000 kilometres to Cannes to sample wines from the region! Just take a look at the origin of the…
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Henri Bourgeois - Pouilly-Fume en Travertin 2013 Review

Henri Bourgeois, Pouilly-Fume en Travertin 2013

If you’re a devotee to the Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc style but feel like being a tad adventurous, why not take a punt next time you’re at the bottle shop and look for something from the Pouilly-Fumé region instead. The Upper Loire Valley in central France has two pre-eminent wine production regions, Pouilly-Fumé and Sancerre. And…
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Dopff Pinot Blanc 2013 Review

Dopff Pinot Blanc 2013

Inspired by a recent trip to France and Germany, I couldn’t resist reaching for the Dopff Au Moulin Pinot Blanc 2013 when I recently spotted it on the shelf at a major retailer. The Alsace region from where the wine hails is near the French/German border and is responsible for producing some of Europe’s best…
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