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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…

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iDealwine at The City Wine Show

On Friday 13th and Saturday 14th April, iDealwine heads to the City Wine Show in London. This event in the heart of the city is a great opportunity to chat with producers from all over the world. We’ll have our own stand too so be sure to come and say hi! With delicious wines open to try, you’ll want to pay a visit to the iDealwine stand! Come and have a taste of the magnificent Château Haut Marbuzet 1996 or the Domaine du Tunnel Cornas 2014. We’ll also be pouring: Bret Brothers Pouilly-Vinzelles…

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An introduction to iDealwine

The iDealwine team We've come a long way since we first started 18 years ago and, with exciting projects in the pipeline, it's onwards and upwards for iDealwine! We thought we'd take a moment to remind seasoned and new iDealwiners alike of all the great services available for those who are a part of our wine loving community. Read on for a breakdown… Who we are First things first, who are we you might ask? iDealwine was founded in Paris in 2000 by Cyrille Jomand, Angélique de Lencquesaing and Lionel Cuenca, three wine enthusiasts…

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Les Vignes de Paradis, a Savoie domain that goes against the grain

Dominique Lucas has a 7.5 hectares plot in Haute-Savoie. In an effort to keep his freedom, he has ventured into biodynamics and rid himself of the constraints that come with making appellation wine. We were itching to know more about why this Burgundian decided to call Savoie his home… The domain is a stone’s throw from Thonon-les-Bains, south of Lac Léman near the Swiss border. The vines are situated in three appellations: Crépy, Marignan and Marin. Dominique Lucas made the decision to downgrade to the ‘IGP’ (Indication géographique protégée) ‘Vin des Allobroges’, a…

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iDealwine tasting: O brave New World!

Raphaël de Fonscolombe, head of Commercial Development at iDealwine (left) and Gaétan Turner from South World Wines (right). In anticipation of our fixed-price sale of non-French wines, the iDealwine team got together to broaden their horizons and taste some exciting bottles from New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Argentina. Last week we had the pleasure of welcoming Gaétan Turner to the Paris office who brought with him some delights for us to taste from the New World.  When it comes to wine, we French usually reach for a bottle of something local (who…

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Felton Road: a true expression of ‘somewhereness’

With 20 vintages now under its belt, Felton Road has made a name for itself in Central Otago. Classed as Drinks International’s 13th most admired wine brand in 2017, we take a look at why everyone is falling in love with this Kiwi domain. The Felton Road winery in New Zealand’s Central Otago has established itself as something of an institution in recent years and their biodynamic Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays and Rieslings have garnered them a loyal following. The northerly facing exposure of their vineyards and their contrasting soil profiles give their wines…

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Wine tasting event: 2015 Bordeaux Grands Crus

Tuesday 15th February saw the annual tasting of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux to present the 2015 vintage. This was the perfect occasion to compare this vintage across the appellations. We sent Marie, Elsa and Raphaël down to meet the producers and, more importantly, taste the wines. Here’s the verdict… As you know, the quality of the 2015 vintage in France was universally lauded, especially in Bordeaux where it has even been described as the “vintage of the century”. We must admit the wines we tasted were thoroughly enjoyable despite their youth.…

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China on course to be the world’s second largest consumer market for wine by 2020

New wine import figures released by the Chinese government give us a glimpse into China’s consumer preferences in this burgeoning market. The latest report from the Chinese government reveals that in 2017 overall imports of bottled wine in China rose by 14.6% in volume and 16.4% in value compared to 2016, putting this country on course to be the second largest market in the wine industry by 2020. The figures also show that the Chinese are still buying French: French wines remain the market leader and account for 40% of the market share.…

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