Enjoying wine – Page 30 – Le blog iDealwine

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:18 April 2018

Jean-Marie Guffens-Heynen, master of the Mâconnais

Jean-Marie Guffens-Heynen’s reputation precedes him. Hailed as a master of Chardonnay, Jean-Marie has been influential in elevating the reputation of Mâconnais wines. The success story of his small Vergisson domain has put this little slice of Burgundy on the map. We were fortunate enough to talk to Jean-Marie and learn more about this iconic domain. It was in the 1970s that Maine and Jean-Marie Guffens-Heynen made the decision to pack up and leave their native Flanders. They headed to Burgundy in the pursuit of learning French and becoming winemakers. After a pleasant sabbatical…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:18 April 2018

The principle grape varieties of France | Part 2: Alsace

This week in our tour of the grape varieties of France we head to Alsace. Its perilous location on the German border has given this region a unique viticultural heritage and influences from both countries permeate the wines produced here today. It runs 100km in length from North to South but spans only 2 to 15km in width. With the Vosges Mountains to the West and the Black Forest to the East, this narrow and picturesque slice of France is a series of rolling hills and valleys carpeted in vines and interspersed with…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:6 April 2018

Champagne exports in 2017: a record year

The Comité Champagne (Comité interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne) has announced that Champagne has set a new record for turnover in 2017, with sales reaching €4.9 billion. This strong progression has been fuelled by a growing international market and a subsequent increase in exports. Last week the trade association Comité Champagne revealed the impressive Champagne sales figures for 2017. At €4.9 billion, 2017 has been a hugely successful year for Champagne producers. This is thanks mainly to an increase in exports which registered a 6.6% rise compared to 2016. The Comité Champagne also…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:5 April 2018

The principle grape varieties of France | Part 1: Bordeaux

Welcome to the iDealwine guide to the grape varieties of France! We’ll take you on a tour of all the finest French winemaking regions, explaining the key differences between the most commonly found grapes and their specific characteristics, with a little bit of history thrown in too. First stop, the legendary vineyards of Bordeaux. Petrus, Château Margaux, Château Mouton-Rothschild, Château d’Yquem… These domains are emblematic of this great region. Bordeaux is the second biggest winemaking region after the Languedoc-Roussillon and is divided into three different areas stretching across the Garonne and the Dordogne…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:27 March 2018

Champagne: the sublime camouflages of Lui Bolin for Ruinart

Source: Maison Ruinart Champagne house Ruinart has collaborated with Chinese artist Liu Bolin for the 2018 instalment of its yearly art project and has unveiled a new collection of limited edition coffrets (wooden Champagne boxes) for their flagship Blanc de Blancs cuvée. To compliment the project, a series of photographic works were also released that centre around the camouflage of the artist. Take a closer look at these vines and you’ll see Chinese artist Liu Bolin and Ruinart’s cellar master Frédéric Panaïotis emerge out of the foliage. Founded in 1729, Ruinart is the…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:7 February 2018

The 2016 vintage in France (part 2)

Following our round up of the 2016 vintage in the northern regions of France, this week we will be focusing on the southern regions including Bordeaux, the Rhône, the Languedoc, Roussillon, Provence and Corsica. Bordeaux Left bank reds: 19/20 Right bank reds: 17/20 Dry whites: 16/20 Sweet whites: 16/20 2016 was a vintage of contrasts in Bordeaux. Many different climatic conditions came together to make this vintage all in all quite difficult. The weather in the first part of the year was (too) humid and the region saw 850mm of rainfall during this…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:6 February 2018

What do you and Churchill have in common?

If you’re an oenophile, you might find that you have more in common than you think with the late Prime Minister… What with the release of Joe Wright’s latest film Darkest Hour (a must see!), we thought we’d spare a moment to reflect upon that true love of Sir Winston Churchill: no, not Mrs Churchill, but rather Champagne. In our favourite scene of the film, Churchill is asked what he is going to do now that he has been elected. His response? “Drink a glass of Pol Roger”. Quite right too Prime Minister!…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:26 January 2018

Mixed case of 2010 Romanée-Conti goes for €36,723 at auction

A case of Romanée-Conti Grands Crus sold for €36,723 at auction at iDealwine on 18th January, a sale that sees a price increase of 30% for each wine. This case included some of the most sought-after wines from the legendary Domaine de la Romanée-Conti in Vosne-Romanée. This lot started the New Year off in style and sets the tone for 2018 auctions. No doubt the vintage of these wines affected the price enormously as 2010 is now being considered one of the strongest in France, especially in Burgundy. 2010 produced high quality wines…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:26 January 2018

The 2016 vintage in France (part 1)

It’s here! The long awaited 2016 vintage is starting to appear on the shelves and, apart from having to endure a few freaks of nature, it was another good year in keeping with the excellent 2015 This week we are focusing on how the northern French regions fared from Alsace, Jura, Savoy and Burgundy to Beaujolais, Champagne and the Loire Valley. Alsace Dry whites: 16/20 Sweet wines: 14/20 Reds: 15/20 2016 will go down in history as an as unusual year, particularly concerning the staggering of the harvest from mid-September until the beginning…

Post author:iDealwine
Post published:18 November 2017

Champagne Roederer: exceptional tasting discovering the Cristal Vinothèque

The Roederer house organized a few days ago a breath taking vertical tasting of several vintages of the Cristal cuvée, in white and rosé. At the centre, the latest creation of the smart cellar master Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon: Cristal Vinothèque 1995, a wine aged for 20 years in the cellars of the house. A legendary moment, enhanced by a lunch concocted by chef Thierry Marx at the Mandarin Oriental. And with the complicity of the brilliant chef sommelier David Biraud to ensure a service of wines in perfect conditions. The opportunity to revive the…