Buying wine these days just keeps getting easier doesn’t it? You’ve got shops, the internet, and obviously your friendly neighbourhood wine broker to sort out all your wine needs. Surely the old method of jumping on the ferry over the channel and winging your way down those glorious French motorways to the Châteaux themselves to buy your stock for the weeks is a bit irrelevant? I couldn’t disagree more!
Well firstly the travelling is a lot easier these days! Easyjet flights to Bordeaux are cheap as chips, going daily from Luton and Gatwick. You could even sit yourself on the Eurostar then the TGV down too. Ok that’s a bit longer, but nice and scenic if you’ve got the time!
Once you’re there, what do you do? Well you’re all members of 20h33, so you’ve got the option to give JB or me a call and book yourself a trip in the Van Du Vin. We use our contacts across the region to set you up with a bespoke trip through the vineyards to meet and greet owners, winemakers, and of course taste some stunning wine!
Well that’s the practicalities out of the way, but why do I think you need do it?!
Personally I was never a wine lover until I visited my first vineyard. These places are invariably stunning. If you don’t get a buzz from standing amongst the vines, whether on sundrenched slopes or undulating plains as far as the eye can see, then I’m sorry, I don’t think we can be friends! It’s where (without trying to sound like a tool here) wine stops becoming just a drink.
More than this though you get to meet the guys and girls who make this incredible liquid! As a self confessed wine geek it’s great for me as I get to ask a shed load of questions and really get into the details of what I’m drinking. But let’s rewind to before I knew which end of the glass to hold…these winemakers are so passionate about what they do, and it’s incredibly infectious. You can’t help but be impressed.
If you want a glass of wine then of course you can just ping us an email and we’ll send you some over. But don’t ever forget that’s only a small fraction of the story. Find the time and book a trip to discover the rest!
Enjoy
Mike
Director of www.20h33.co.uk
Photo: The magnificent Van Du Vin!!!