Events in France
We sample the wines of Jean-Michel and Laurent Pillot, visit Domaine Jacob and Domaine Ragot and join the winemakers of Givry for their annual celebration of their wines with the sort of afternoon banquet the French do so well. Prepare to be well fed, to drink wines and be merry among people who care about food and wine - and having a good time! Accommodation is at the Val d’Or in Mercurey (with its Michelin-starred restaurant).
Our wines produced by the winemakers we'll meet:
Gevrey-Chambertin En Songe, Beaune Premier Cru Les Avaux, Savigny-lès-Beaune rouge, Hautes Côtes de Beaune rouge, Hautes Côtes de Beaune blanc
Domaine JacobMercurey rouge Premier Cru En Sazenay, Mercurey rouge Premier Cru Clos des Montaigus, Mercurey rouge
Domaine PillotGivry rouge Premier Cru La Grande Berge, Givry blanc, Givry rouge
Domaine Ragot
Valentine in Champagne
February
Staying at the Grand Hotel in Reims, we visit both of 3D’s Champagne Houses, Maison Lenique and Comte de Lantage, as well as the large international Champagne House - Taittinger - with its impressive labyrinth cellar. Partners learn about the skill that goes into making champagne, and discover the secrets behind the hype of the big names. Are they really so much better?
Our champagnes produced by the winemakers we'll meet:
Champagne Cuvée 3D, Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de blancs Vintage
Maison LeniqueChampagne Cuvée de Réserve
Comte de Lantage
Beaujolais, Mâcon & Pouilly-Fuissé Whistlestop Weekend
May
A bit of a spread, this weekend. For the first time, we are tasting the wines of all three of our Beaujolais vineyard (rude not to, don’t you think?). We stay at the Hôtel Maritonnes set in pretty wooded grounds, with its excellent food and swimming pool – the weather will certainly be warm enough for this to be welcome after a hard day’s wine tasting. We will visit Domaine de la Madone, Domaine les Roches Bleues, Domaine Lacharme and Domaine du Vieux Puits. Beautiful rolling scenery in the centre of France and eclectic wines!
Our wines produced by the winemakers we'll meet:
Fleurie Vieilles Vignes Domaine de la Madone
Morgon La Roche-Briday Domaine Colonat
Côte de Brouilly Des Lys Domaine Les Roches Bleues
Mâcon blanc La Roche-Vineuse La Genière, Bourgogne rouge La Genière Domaine Lacharme
Pouilly-Fuissé En Châtenay Domaine de Vieux Puits
We stay in Chalon-sur-Saône, in the heart of Burgundy, visit Domaine Brelière, and meet our winemakers from Domaine de la Vieille Fontaine. Burgundy is well known for its escargots, Epoisses (a cheese created by Cistercian monks in the middle ages), and did you know that this is where kir was invented? Jean-Michel and Christine Jacob’s picnic at their domaine in the delightful hamlet of Échevronne (near Beaune) will be something to remember, with delicious flavours of both food and wine.
Our wines produced by the winemakers we'll meet:
Gevery-Chambertin En Songe, Beaune Premier Cru Les Avaux, Savigny-lès-Beaune rouge, Hautes Côtes de Beaune rouge & blanc Domaine Jacob
Rully rouge Premier Cru Les Préaux, Rully blanc La Barre Domaine Brelière
Rully rouge Premier Cru Les Cloux, Aligoté de Bouzeron, Rully blanc Domaine de la Vieille Fontaine
Golden Alsace Weekend
June/July
Alsace is a piece of France that has had an extremely colourful history and became part of France in 1789 during the Napoleonic period.
This weekend is not one for dieters - the Hôtel du Faudé is renowned for its excellent cuisine. We visit our two Gold Medal-winning vineyards - Vignobles François Baur in Turckheim and Domaine Gruss in Eguisheim. Both vineyards won a Gold Medal for their wines at the 2006 International Wine Challenge!
Our wines produced by the winemakers we'll meet:
Gewürztraminer Vieilles Vignes, Riesling Les Prélats Domaine Gruss
Riesling Grand Cru Brand, Gewürztraminer Herrenweg, Pinot Gris Herrenweg Vignobles François Baur
We dine at Château Monconseil-Gazin near Blaye, visit the fairytale castle of Château de la Grave, picnic at Château Rousselle in one of the prettiest parts of the region, and take our first ever trip to our new Margaux vineyard Château Mongravey where the Bernaleaus have already produced a Gold Medal-winning wine exclusive to our partners.
Our wines produced by the winemakers we'll meet:
Margaux Cuvée 3D Château Mongravey
Blaye Château Monconseil-Gazin
Côtes de Bourg Château de la Grave
Côtes de Bourg Château Rousselle
We stay in Montreuil-Bellay, the beautiful medieval fortified town at the crossroads of three provinces, Anjou, Touraine and Poitou. Lunch is in the cellars at La Jarnoterie: the Caves de Cochomtorille are large enough to drive into and a perfect place to savour food and wine. There is a tasting of the Loire reds and whites produced by Jean-Luc and Jean-Albert Mary, from Domaine de la Cune, whose vines were planted in the 17th century and still producing Gold and even Trophy medal-winning wines. Then we go to Domaine de Salvert, between Saumur and Angers. A wonderful exploration of Loire Valley wines.
Our wines produced by the winemakers we'll meet:
Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil Cuvée Carine La Jarnoterie
Saumur-Champigny, Saumur-Champigny Les 3 Jean Domaine de la Cune
Anjou Les Noëlles, Anjou Cuvée 1895 Domaine de Salvert
We stay at the Panoramic, dine at La Tour, visit the wine fair in the old mushroom caves and relax over a picnic lunch with Pierre and Jacqueline Riffault at Domaine du Carroir Perrin – a vineyard that sells out regularly to enthusiasts for the fresh and fruity wine that comes from this stony limestone land – if you know how to produce it!
We visit both our Chablis vineyards - Domaine Chalmeau and Domaine Séguinot-Bordet - and the famous Caves de Bailly beside the river Yonne. A wonderful Chablis experience at the domaines of wine makers who have been producing their elegant whites for generations.
Our wines produced by the winemakers we'll meet:
Chablis Côte de l’Étang, Aligoté Envers des Côtes Domaine Chalmeau
Chablis Vieilles Vignes, Chablis Premier Cru Fourchaume Domaine Séguinot-Bordet
Grape-picking in Loire Valley
September
Pierre Caslot from Domaine de la Chevalerie invites 3D Partners to help with his vendange. It's a fun weekend and Pierre keeps us well supplied with the finished product! Based in the charming medieval town of Chinon, the weekend also includes a tasting at Domaine Chauveau.
Our wines produced by the winemakers we'll meet:
Bourgueil Vieilles Vignes Domaine de la Chevalerie
Crémant de Loire, Domaine Pibaleau
Cave Ouverte - Champagne
November
The Robinets from Maison Lenique clear their cellars each year to make way for 20 3D winemakers from all over France. A great chance for 3D Partners to stock up for Christmas.