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Wednesday, 13 September 2017
Domaine Michel Gros Melbourne Dinner- The Recreation Bistro and Bottleshop - October 10
Wine Connect's Spring 2017 Newsletter
As winter draws to a close it seems like a good time to get out and about a bit more and enjoy some of the wonderful wines that Wine Connect has on offer. So I would like to bring you up to date with some of the happenings at Wine Connect over the next four to six weeks.
Rhone Valley
On Ian’s trip to France back in June, he discovered a wonderful winery from the Rhone Valley that was producing some excellent wines at an unbelievable price point.
Wine Connect have decided to go ahead and import the wines of Chateau La Croix des Pins and we will be offering these wines on an indent basis in a few days time.
Burgundy
Georgia and Michel Gros
Last year we fell in love with the wines of Domaine Michel Gros and so too have many of our clients which resulted in a second shipment of the beautiful 2014 range of wines of which only a few bottles remain available. We recently held a very successful dinner in Bendigo to showcase some of the DMG wines and we will be doing the same at Recreation Bistro and Bottle Shop in Fitzroy on October 10 so make a note in your diary.
Meanwhile the spectacular 2015 vintage has been recently bottled and we will have an indent offer on these wines in the near future.
Champagne
It was around this time last year that Wine Connect was able to secure a selection of champagnes from Dom Perignon, Krug, Dom Ruinart and Veuve Clicquot at a 25% discount. We are currently in discussion with the importer Moet-Hennessy to do the same thing this year at the end of September. The offer is usually only available over a 5 day period so you need to be quick with your orders as this is a great chance to top up your cellar with some truly spectacular champagne.
This offer is also open to your wine club and friends so please feel free to spread the word.
Sunday, 27 August 2017
Huon Hooke reviews Domaine Michel Gros 2014
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Domaine Michel Gros Wine Dinner - Bendigo, Tuesday September 12
Domaine Michel Gros Burgundy Dinner Wine Connect are very pleased to announce that we will be holding a Michel Gros Burgundy Dinner on Tuesday September 12 at the Sandhurst Club in Bendigo.The Gros family have been a part of the fabric of the famous Burgundian village of Vosne Romanee for six generations and it is generally regarded that they have some of the best parcels of vineyard in the appellation. Don't miss this opportunity to try these superb wines matched with a wonderful dinner on Tuesday September 12.
Places are limited so book early to avoid disappointment.
The format will be as follows.
For more information you can email Ian or John and you can book your place here - Michel Gros Dinner $145 per personCanapes and Loriot Pagel NV on arrival. First entrée matched with DMG Hautes-Cotes Nuits Fontaines St Martin Blanc 2014 Second Entrée served with DMG Hautes-Cotes Nuits Fontaines St Martin 2014 Rouge Huon Hooke 91 Points. Main served with DMG Nuits St Georges "Les Chaliots" 2014 Huon Hooke 93 Points. Cheese served with DMG Vosne Romanee 1er Cru Clos des Reas 2014 Huon Hooke 95 Points. The Sandhurst Club, 14 View Street, Bendigo - 7PM Tuesday September 12. 
Georgia and Michel Gros
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Tuesday, 23 May 2017
Wine Connect's 2018 Burgundy Tour
The Wine Connect
2018 Tour de Burgundy.
10 June – 16 June, 2018
Join winemaker Ian Leamon on a tour of Burgundy
where you will visit some of the region’s most prestigious houses and gain a
greater understanding of the complexities of the Burgundy region.
Enjoy seven fabulous days in Dijon and Beaune and
Puligny-Montrachet when we visit William Fevres,
Louis Jadot, Bouchard
Pere et Fils, Joseph Drouhin, Olivier Leflaive and J M Pillot and dine out at
some of the best restaurants in Burgundy.
Day 1 Sunday June 10, 2018
Tour
members will make their way to Dijon and proceed to our centrally located hotel.
The
Grand Hotel Le Cloche or equivalent. This will be our hotel for the first
night. The remainder of the day is free to explore Dijon. The tour group will
come together later in the day for welcome drinks in the hotel bar. We will
then have our first group dinner together. *Dinner
and wines are included in the cost of the tour.
Day 2 Monday June 11 William
Fevre, Chablis
After
breakfast we will board the tour bus and drive to the township of Chablis. It
is about a one and a half hour drive to Chablis from Dijon but the drive will
be worth it as we will be visiting, in my mind, the best producer in Chablis. A
tour of the cellars will conclude with a tasting of Premier Cru and Grand Cru
Chablis before we lunch at an adjacent restaurant. After lunch we will drive to Beaune and check
into our hotel.
*Lunch and wines are included in the cost of the tour.
Day 3 Tuesday June 12 Joseph Drouhin and Domaine Michel Gros.
We will take the bus to Maison
Louis Jadot which is located a short distance from our hotel in Beaune. Louis
Jadot is an excellent negociant who makes wine from many of the sub regions
within Burgundy. The tasting here is a particular high light.
In the afternoon we will visit
Domaine Michel Gros. Michel Gros is the sixth generation of his family to be
making wines in Vosne Romanée. The wines from this part of Burgundy are
predominantly Pinot Noir and in my mind this village is home to some of Burgundies
best Pinots including of course Domaine Romanée Conti (DRC).
At the end of our visit to
Domaine Michel Gros, I will take you for a quick walk up to the vineyards of
DRC and then we will have a quick visit to Clos Vougeot before returning to
Beaune.
In the evening we will
dine at Restaurant La Ruchotte. La Ruchotte is a farm restaurant owned and operated
by a husband and wife team. Chef and co-owner, Frederic Meneger, worked in a
number of Michelin restaurants in Paris before deciding to buy a farm and start
his own restaurant in Burgundy.
Dinner and wines are included in
the cost of the tour.
Day 4 Wednesday June 13 Joseph
Drouhin and Domaine JM PIllot.
We
will take the short walk from our hotel to the house of Joseph Drouhin, home of
the fabulous Clos du Mouche Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. In the afternoon it is
anticipated that we will visit Domaine JM Pillot. Jean Marc is producing some
of the most wonderful Chardonnays in Chassagne Montrachet. In the evening we
will dine at 21 Boulevarde. *Dinner and wines are included in the cost of
the tour.
Day 5 Thursday June 14 Bouchard Pere et Fils.
Bouchard Pere et Fils is located
in the heart of Beaune just a short walk from our hotel. This famous and
historic house is in fact located within a part of the ramparts of the ancient
walls of Beaune and touring the cellars will take us through part of these old
walls. The tour will conclude with an extensive tasting of Village, 1er Cru and
Grand Cru Burgundies.
The
afternoon is free to explore Beaune and of course the famous Hospice de Beaune.
In the evening we will dine at Ma Cuisine, a local institution. *Dinner
and wines are included in the cost of the tour.
Day 6 Friday
June 15. Olivier
Laflaive.
Today
we are moving camp again, albeit just for one night as all of our final days
activities will take place in the village of Puligny Montrachet so I thought it
would be nice to stay the night in the village.
Today
will be our last day in Burgundy and I wanted to finish off with a house that
produces one of my favourite Mersaults. Olivier Laflaive is located in the
heart of Puligny Montrachet. We will start our visit with a tour of the
vineyards; this will be followed by a tour of the cellars. Finally we will have
lunch in their restaurant. The meal will be matched with tasting samples of six
different red and white burgundies.
After
lunch we simply have to walk across the square to our hotel, Hotel Le
Montrachet. Tonight we will have our farewell dinner in the hotel’s 1Michelin star
restaurant also known as Le Montrachet.
The
Age travel section asked Jacques Reymond where he likes to eat when he returns
to his native Burgundy and his reply was, “I
always dine at Le Montrachet when I visit Beaune” and so it will be for us.
*Dinner is included in the cost of the tour.
Day 7 Saturday June 16
Tour
members will be driven to the Dijon railway station by bus where you can
continue your travels in France or catch a return train to Paris. Or you may
wish to travel to the south of France by rail. Should you wish to continue your
journey from Dijon by means other than train then you will find that many hire
car companies are located at or close to the Dijon railway station.
Tour Guide.
Winemaker Ian Leamon is your tour guide. Ian was
involved in the establishment of his family’s vineyard and winery, Chateau
Leamon in 1972. He then studied winemaking at Charles Sturt University and has
been making wine for more than thirty years.
Ian is a founding partner of Champagne Connection
and Wine Connect and he has travelled extensively throughout the wine regions
of France over the past thirty plus years. Ian first visited Burgundy in 1985
and has returned on a regular basis since that initial visit.
Ian also imports champagne to Australia and he visits
Champagne on an annual basis. Ian has twice worked vintage in Champagne, in 1985
for Veuve Clicquot in the village of Bouzy and in 2007 with the Loriot family
at Champagne Joseph Loriot-Pagel in the village of Festigny.
Ian is an experienced tour director, having
conducted tours to Champagne, Bordeaux and Burgundy since 2010. Altogether Ian has visited France on an annual
basis since 2000 and has built up an excellent understanding of the Burgundy region.
Meals.
The
tour offers breakfast on a daily basis plus one other meal, either lunch or
dinner each day. Rarely do we offer a third meal on the same day. We do this
for two reasons.
- Group meals tend to be large
meals and if we had two such meals in one day then people start to feel
weighed down by their food and wine.
- Sometimes tour members like
to take the opportunity to have a free evening on their own and choose
their own restaurants.
Tour Accommodation
We
have selected four and five star hotels for the tour. All hotels have clean and
modern facilities and breakfast is provided at each hotel on the tour.
Included in the tour
price;
- Tour leadership.
- Accommodation in four star
hotels including breakfast each day.
- One lunch and five dinners
including our farewell celebration dinner at Le Montrachet. All dinners
include premium quality wines carefully selected by Ian Leamon.
- Entrance and tasting fees at
all wineries visited.
- Bus transport within Burgundy
Not included in the
tour price.
- Airfares
- Airport Transfers.
- Passport and visa fees.
- Travel insurance.
- International airport and
general travel taxes.
- Sightseeing and general
expenses not specified in the itinerary.
- Lunches and dinners unless
where specified.
- Laundry
- Items of a personal nature
including drinks and snacks consumed from the mini bar in your hotel room.
- Additional travel
arrangements.
Champagne Connection 2018 Champagne Tour
The Champagne
Connection
2018
Tour de Champagne.
24 June – 3 July 2018
Join winemaker, Ian Leamon on a nine day tour of
Champagne where you will visit some of the region’s most prestigious champagne
houses, as well as some of its most exciting grower producers.
Wine
and dine your way through nine fabulous days in Reims, Aÿ and Epernay where you
will visit Billecart-Salmon , Charles Heidsieck,
Deutz, H. Goutorbe,
Joseph Loriot-Pagel, Veuve Clicquot, Ruinart
and Taittinger.
The Champagne Connection, Tour de
Champagne,
takes you behind the scenes of some of the major champagne houses as well as
some of the fabulous family operated boutique producers. You will taste a dazzling
array of champagnes as well as dine at wonderful restaurants and wineries. You
will also have the opportunity to visit houses such as Deutz and Charles
Heidsieck which are normally closed to the public, simply by enrolling in the
2018 Tour de Champagne.
Day 1 Sunday 24 June 2018, Reims
Tour
members will make their way to the Champagne city of Reims and proceed to our
centrally located four star tour hotel, Hotel
de la Paix or equivalent. This will be our home for two nights. Tour members arriving early on Sunday morning
will have the opportunity to leave their luggage with the concierge until their
rooms become available at 2.00pm. The remainder of the day is free to explore Reims.
The tour group will come together
later in the day for welcome drinks in the hotel bar. After our welcome drinks
we will proceed to a nearby restaurant where we will enjoy our first tour
dinner together. Dinner plus
accompanying wines are included in the price of the tour.
Day 2 Monday 25 June, Reims. Veuve Clicquot.
After
breakfast we will board the tour bus and go directly to Veuve Clicquot where we
will enjoy a tour of the historic cellars before we receive a supervised
tasting from Chief Winemaker, Philippe Thieffry.
We
will then enjoy a fabulous lunch where each dish will be matched with a wine
from the Veuve Clicquot range. It is anticipated that our lunch will take place
at Veuve Clicquot’s Manoir de Verzy. Lunch
plus accompanying wines are included in the price of the tour.
The evening is free.
Day 3 Tuesday 26, Aÿ: Billecart-Salmon and Henri
Goutorbe.
After breakfast we will take the bus
to the village of Mareuil-Sur-Aÿ where we will visit the beautiful gardens and
cellars of Billecart-Salmon. After our tour and tasting at Billecart we will check
into our new hotel, Hotel Castel Jeanson. We will then have lunch with the
Goutorbe family followed by a tour of their winery. Our family lunches with the
Goutorbe’s are irresistible as both the food and the champagne flow. Lunch plus accompanying wines are included
in the price of the tour.
Day 4 Wednesday 27, Aÿ, Deutz and Taittinger.
We
will have a leisurely start to the day as our first visit is at 10.00 am at
Champagne Deutz. Deutz is located a mere 100 metre walk from our hotel.
Deutz
make excellent champagne and they are a proud house with a long history dating
back to 1853. After the cellar tour we will receive a tasting of their
champagnes in the stunning Deutz mansion.
The
afternoon is free to relax or to explore Epernay.
In the evening we will take the
bus into Epernay where we will have dinner at the Taittinger mansion, known as Chateau
La Marquetterie. The dinner will be accompanied by Taittinger champagnes
including the fabulous Comte de Champagne.
Dinner plus
accompanying wines are included in the price of the tour
Day 5 Thursday 28, Aÿ: Joseph Loriot-Pagel.
After
breakfast we will take the bus along the Vallée de la Marne to the quaint
village of Festigny. Here we will visit the Joseph Loriot-Pagel winery. Joseph
and his son Jean-Philippe Loriot will take us on a tour of their vineyard and
winery and we will learn about the significance of the Pinot Meunier grape in
the Vallée de la Marne region.
After
the tour we will enjoy a wonderful lunch with Jean-Philippe, Joseph and his
wife Odile. The range of Loriot wines will be matched with lunch and possibly a
Jeroboam of vintage champagne.
Both the lunch and
accompanying wines are included in the price of the tour.
Day 6 Friday 29, Reims: Charles Heidsieck
After
breakfast we will board the bus and drive to the village of Verzy where we will
visit Les Faux Foret de Verzy. Here you will have the opportunity to see some
highly unusual trees found only in three locations in Europe.
From
the Faux Foret we will take the scenic route to Reims where we will return to
the Hotel de la Paix, located in the very heart of Reims, this will be our
Hotel for the next four nights.
After
lunch we will meet at the Hotel and then take the bus to the Charles Heidsieck
cellars. Charles Heidsieck does not conduct public tours and so this is a very
rare opportunity.
In
the evening we will have a group dinner at a nearby Restaurant Dinner plus accompanying wines are included
in the price of the tour.
Day 7 Saturday 1 July,
Reims.
This
is a free day to relax and explore the city of Reims. There is a wonderful
market located near the centre of Reims where you will see a stunning array of
fresh produce as well as charcuterie and cheeses. You will also have the
opportunity to visit a number of the tourist attractions as well as the many
wine shops. This is also the traditional ‘Sale’ time in France and you will
find some tremendous shopping bargains wherever you see the sign ‘Soldes’.
Discounts up to 75% are not unusual.
In
the evening we will be dining at the fabulous Le Millénaire restaurant. Le
Millenaire is a One Michelin star restaurant. Dinner plus accompanying wines are included in the cost of the tour.
Day 8 Sunday 2 July: Reims.
With
your shopping done you have Sunday free to discover the history and beauty of
Reims. There are many museums which cater for all types of interests such as
the Musée de la Reddition where the treaty was signed to end the Second World
War, the Automobile Museum and the art deco mansion, Villa Demoiselle. Of
course there is the Notre Dame Cathedral where the Kings of France were crowned
and it’s adjoining museum the Palais Tau plus the Saint Remi Basilca to name
but a few attractions. And when all of that is done you could relax in the
courtyard of our hotel with a glass of champagne from their champagne bar.
Day 9 Monday 3 July, Reims: Ruinart.
Monday is the last day
of winery visits and we will certainly be finishing on a high. In the morning we
will visit the oldest champagne house, Ruinart which is located in the centre
of Reims. Ruinart is best known for their Blanc de Blancs but this is only one
of the beautiful champagnes they make.
In
the evening we will have a wonderful farewell dinner at Le Jardin Brasserie to
round out our Grand Tour de Champagne. Our
dinner at Le Jardin Brasserie will conclude the tour. Dinner plus accompanying wines are included in the price of the tour.
Tuesday 4 July
With
regards to your movements post tour you will find the Reims railway station and
hire car companies are located within walking distance of our hotel. TGV trains
leave from both the Reims railway station and the Champagne-Ardenne railway
station (located on the outskirts of Reims). These TGV trains can take you to
Paris, Strasbourg, Lille or Charles de Gaulle airport. Chauffeured vehicles can
also be arranged to take you to Charles de Gaulle.
**If
you are flying out of Charles de Gaulle or catching the Eurostar to London from
Gare de Nord, I strongly recommend that you book your departure time after
13.00 so as to leave enough time to travel from Reims to Paris and allowing for
check in time.
Tour Guide.
Ian Leamon is your tour guide.
Ian is a winemaker and founding partner of Champagne Connection. His experience with champagne precedes the
founding of Champagne Connection in 2002. Ian can still remember tasting his
first champagne which was a bottle of Laurent Perrier NV, consumed in December
1978. This was like no other sparkling wine Ian had tasted before and so it
wasn’t long before he was embarking on a never ending journey to discover more
and more about champagne.
Ian
has twice worked the vintage in Champagne; once in 1985 for Veuve Clicquot in
the village of Bouzy and secondly in 2007 with the Loriot family at Champagne
Joseph Loriot-Pagel in the village of Festigny.
Ian
has visited Champagne on an annual basis since 2000 and has built up an
excellent understanding of the region and its people.
Tour Accommodation
We
have selected centrally located, three and four star hotels. All hotels have
clean and modern facilities and breakfast is provided each day at each hotel on
the tour.
Tour Costs
The
tour is a land only package and costs A$5,600
per person twin share or A$6,600 for
a single traveller. Please
note; all prices are in Australian Dollars
We
understand that many tour members will be extending their time in Europe beyond
the length of the Champagne tour. For example some tour members may wish to
travel in Europe prior to the commencement of the Champagne tour in Reims or
they may wish to continue their holiday after the Champagne tour
concludes. Either way we feel that it
will be easier for tour members to make their own flight arrangements with
their preferred carrier.
Included in the tour
price;
- Tour leadership.
- Accommodation in three and four
star hotels including breakfast each day.
- Three lunches including lunch
at Veuve Clicquot and five dinners including Taittinger.
- Entrance and tasting fees at
all wineries visited.
- All bus transport, Reims to
Reims.
- Gratuities
Not included in the
tour price.
- Airfares
- Passport and visa fees.
- Travel insurance.
- International airport and
general travel taxes.
- Sightseeing and general
expenses not specified in the itinerary.
- Lunches and dinners unless
where specified.
- Laundry
- Items of a personal nature
including drinks and snacks consumed from the mini bar in your hotel room.
- Additional travel
arrangements including to and from Reims.
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