Read more about the article Chambord vineyard resurrected after 500 years
®Ludovic Letot
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Chambord vineyard resurrected after 500 years

In June 2015, domaine Chambord began replanting the vineyards of King Francis I, 500 years after its introduction to the Loire Valley in 1519. The famous Château de Chambord is the largest of the Loire Valley châteaux and a Unesco World Heritage site. It was built for King Francis I in 1519 in the town bearing the same name – on the site of an old château of the counts of Blois and the village’s church – in order to affirm power and to serve as a hunting lodge. At the start of…

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Read more about the article Asia’s thirst for wine
An iDealwine tasting in Hong Kong at Hullett House for 25 of our customers.
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Asia’s thirst for wine

The days of wine being little more than a status symbol gift with which to impress colleagues and friends, may soon be over – there is a fresh new wind blowing through Asia, with a growing number of young and knowledgeable consumers enjoying a wider range of wines, more frequently. The Chinese may be known for their “Red Obsession” – overtaking France and Italy last year to become the number one consumer of red wine – but according to an article in Gambero Rosso, there is definitely room for something new. The article quoted…

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Christophe Delorme of La Mordorée dies at age 52

Christophe Delorme, head of domaine La Mordorée (Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Tavel and Lirac), suddenly passed away on the 9th of June at the age of 52. Domaine La Mordorée (a reference to the particular colour of the woodcock, the emblem of the domaine) was created in the late 80s by Christophe Delorme, who traded his original profession in textiles for a life of vines and wine. His passion quickly revealed a particular focus on quality, both for vine growing and winemaking. Very soon the domaine was recognised as one of the great producers of the…

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Evin Law change: victory for the wine industry

The amendment to the controversial Evin Law, suggested by Senator Gérard César for a clear distinction between advertising and information regarding wine in France, was adopted by the National Assembly last week. This amendment has been dubbed ‘incomprehensible’ by his opponents, but celebrated by his followers – so what does it really mean? The consideration by the National Assembly committee regarding the new Macron Law (Emmanuel Macron, minister for Economic Affairs) was validated on Thursday, 11th June, against the advice of the government. The amendment of Girondian Senator Gérard César (Republican, former UMP)…

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A taste of Provençal life

The arrival of beautiful sunny days, blue skies and the first barbecues create an almost holiday-like atmosphere, and with it comes a desire for good rosé. Our Fixed-Price Sale offers a superb selection to choose from! Rosé has become a real phenomenon. In France, it represents nearly 30% of wine consumption. Unfortunately, lower prices often lead to a certain mediocrity in quality, which becomes more acceptable when you are relaxing in the sun or at the seaside… For this sale, however, we were particularly careful to select only the very best rosés (after…

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A world of wine tourism

If you want to discover new and exotic locations, eat delicious food and experience wines from different vineyards, then try wine tourism. Indeed, in these difficult economic times, wine tourism appears to be a useful tool, taking advantage of the growing tourism sector. Both old world and new world countries have their own approaches in this regard. In recent years we have observed the emergence of quality wines, accompanied by wine tourism, from new world wine producing countries such as Australia, Chile, South Africa, California and Argentina. Did you know that the USA…

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Considering the UK market

The UK wine market finally seems to be stabilising, with especially the on-trade showing signs of a revival, while the price per litre for wine has been increasing in both the on-trade and off-trade. With our head office in Paris, iDealwine has been growing its international reach by opening an office in Hong Kong in 2013 and London in 2014, focussing more time and resources on serving our clients in the UK, Western Europe, Asia and the US. Based in our London office and following the recent London Wine Fair, I decided to…

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Jancis Robinson on the evolution of wine since 1985

Last week, the famous wine critic Jancis Robinson published an article on her website in which she analyses the evolution of wine and viticulture around the world since 1985. Some of the factors that emerged from this analysis include the globalisation of the wine trade, "francisation" of grapes around the world, the emergence of New World wines, the globalisation of tastes and wines, and finally, in a kind of countermovement, the promotion of identity and uniqueness of terroir. In 1985, Australia exported only 2% of its wine production (compared to 60% today). This…

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Read more about the article Stephan von Neipperg invests in South Africa
Baron Stephan von Neipperg
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Stephan von Neipperg invests in South Africa

Count Stephan von Neipperg, owner of (among others) Châteaux Canon La Gaffelière and La Mondotte, has expanded his portfolio by investing in Capaia Wines near Philadelphia in South Africa. Aside from Canon La Gaffelière (premier grand cru of Saint-Emilion) and Mondotte (premier grand cru of Saint-Emilion), Stephan von Neipperg is also the owner of Peyreau (Saint-Emilion), Aiguilhe (Côte de Castillon), Clos de l'Oratoire (grand cru of Saint-Emilion) and Clos Marsalette (Pessac-Léognan). He also has interests in Châteaux Guiraud (Sauternes) and Soleil (Puisseguin-Saint-Emilion), and is the co-owner of domaine Bessa Valley, in the Pazardjik region…

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1945 – The Victory Year

Today marks the end of the Second World War in Western Europe, when 70 years ago on the 8th of May 1945, Germany unconditionally surrendered. In France, the churches rang out the end of the war and people took to the streets in joyous celebration, while General de Gaulle announced that “victory is ours”. As if to celebrate the end of the war, 1945 is also considered one of the best vintages of all time in Bordeaux! Some wine regions may claim to produce a great vintage, or even a “vintage of the…

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