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with the Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience

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Château Beau Rivage

Meet our partner Winemakers at a Wine Fair Near You


Now that the harvest is over for the majority of producers, the winemakers are back out on the road in a busy schedule of wine fairs until the end of the year. 

Fancy trying one of our partner wines, and meeting the winemaker ?  Check out the schedule below.  To receive an invitation, please contact us.

Château Beau Rivage

12-15 November, Salon des Vignerons Indépendants, Reims

19-22 November, Salon des Vignerons Indépendants, Lille

25-29 November, Salon des Vignerons Indépendants, Paris (Porte de Versailles)
 


Domaine Chapelle

 

17-19 November, La Bourgogne à l'Hôtel Napoléon, 40 avenue de Friedland, 75008 PARIS (Private Tasting - Invitation Only. Please contact us to receive an invitation)

 


Domaine Jean-Marc Brocard

10-11 December, Le Grand Tasting, Carrousel du Louvre, Paris

20 January 2011, Terroirs & Signatures de Bourgogne, Old Billingsgate, London

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Successful Harvest Experience Day in Bordeaux!


Last weekend we were at Château Beau Rivage, in the Bordeaux region, to get involved in the harvest with some of the Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience clients.  We had a great time, mixing work in the vineyard, getting to know the winemakers and sharing their knowledge, and of course tasting some great wines!

 

Harvest Experience Day at Château Beau Rivage in Bordeaux

 

After a brief introduction to the winery, Christine (the owner and winemaker) and her team, we headed off to the vineyard, each carrying a basket and pair of secateurs.  Christophe explained the differences between the five grape varieties grown in the vineyard, the work involved in bringing the grapes to maturity, and what to look out for to know when the grapes have reached the ideal moment for harvesting.

Adopt-a-vine sign
 

Before starting to harvest, we made our way to the part of the vineyard where the Gourmet Odyssey vines are located, so that each client could find their adopted vines.  To help identify the vines, Château Beau Rivage had engraved wooden signs, specially for the clients of the Harvest Experience Day, at the barrel-making firm that belongs to Christine's family.

Harvester
 

Christine threw out a challenge to us to fill a trailer! In pairs, each on opposite sides of a row, we began to harvest the Merlot plot that was at the peak of its maturity.  A few songs and the regular cry of "Porter" added to the snip snip of the secateurs and the rustle of leaves.  Once the baskets were filled, the harvester called for the porter, and empties the picked grapes into the basket that the porter carries on his back.  Having collected the bunches from the different teams of harvesters, the porter then empties his basket into the trailer, which starts to fill little by little.

 

Transferring the grapes to the trailer

The work of the harvester and porter is very physical, especially if done day after day for a couple of weeks.  Luckily, our mission was finished in a little over two hours, and a wine tasting session and harvester's meal awaited us back at the château!

Barbecue over dried vines
 

The first wine we tasted was the Château Beau Rivage Clairet 2009, a fresh Bordeaux style rosé, served with local charcuterie.  Accompanying the duck and gizzards salad, we tasted the Château Beau Rivage 2005 and 2003 vintages, and the Clementine 2004.  During this time, Christophe started the barbecue by lighting the dried vine branches that would cook our delicious steak bordelaise, served with a gratin dauphinois and a carafed Clos la Bohème 2007, and the Phare 2002. Once the cheese and home-made chocolate cake were also finished, it was time to get back to work!

The grapes climb into the destemmer
 

The tractor reversed the trailer full of harvested grapes to the reception area.  The grapes climb up a mechanized ladder from the trailer to the de-stemming machine, where the grape berries are separated from the stalks.  We all gathered round the sorting table to remove any bad grapes or stems that managed to get through the machine.  There were very few rotten grapes this year, which helped us with the sorting!

Remontage to mix the grape juice with the skin

Once the sorting was finished, we entered the winery to learn more about the first stages of fermentation which turns the grape sugar into alcohol.  We watched a "remontage" happen, where the must (grape juice) is drawn from the bottom of the vats and pumped back into the top to mix with the grape skins that remain at the top.  This process is very important to ensure that the tannins and colour from the grape skins are best extracted to help improve the quality of the wine.  We tasted the sweet tasting must directly from the vat, to better understand firsthand about fermentation.

Tasting the Grape Must in the cellar
 

After a quick tour of the cellar to see the barrels that are currently holding the 2009 vintage, and some cleaning of the tools used during the day, the time had come to say our farewells.  A huge thank you to all the clients, and to the staff at Château Beau Rivage for having brought such energy and good cheer to this harvest experience day.

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More Medals for Château Beau Rivage


Congratulations to our partner, Château Beau Rivage, who picked up a gold and silver medal at the Concours de Bordeaux 2010 in the Bordeaux Supérieur category.

 

 concours de Bordeaux 2010  Concours de Bordeaux 2010

A gold medal for the Raphaël 2007, and a silver medal for the Château Beau Rivage 2006, the wine chosen for the clients of the Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience

The medals were awarded at the Salon de l'Agriculture d'Aquitaine, and follow on from the other medals that the winery has won this year at the Salon de l'Agriculture in Paris and the Concours des Vignerons Indépendants.

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Great Wine Discovery Experience Day spent in Bordeaux


Last Saturday, we spent a sunny day on the banks of the Garonne river with clients of the Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience at Château Beau Rivage.

Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience Day in Bordeaux

After a brief introduction to the region and the winery, we headed straight out into the vineyard with Christophe Issartier from Château Beau Rivage.

Explaining the different grape varieties, Merlot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, malbec and petit verdot

Christophe showed us the differences between the five grape varieties grown on the estate, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, malbec and petit verdot, and explained the work that has been done thus far in cultivating the vines.

 

A Vine Surprise

There was a surprise awaiting the clients when they met their adopted vines. 

Rent a Vine Sign
 

Christine and Christophe had arranged for the family cooperage to make wooden sign posts with the name of each client of the Wine Discovery Experience Day burnt into the wood.  The clients could take them away with them at the end of the day, and those clients who will be coming back for the harvest experience day chose to leave them to age next to their adopted vines before reclaiming them!

 

To Work

We then made our way to the petit verdot vines for some leaf removal work, "effeuillage".  At Château Beau Rivage, the petit verdot vines are the first to be worked on in this way because their grapes take the longest to ripen because of their relatively thick skins. Conversely they are the last vines to be harvested.

Effeuillage - removing leaves from the petit verdot vines

The work consisted of removing some of the leaves from around grapes that are already well formed.  This task enables more sunlight to reach the grapes, allowing them to ripen faster, and also for a better circulation of air, which reduces the risk of rot.

 

A Well Deserved Fresh Claret

After the couple of hours spent in the vineyard under the baking sun, the wine tasting session in the shade of the trees was most welcome!

Wine Tasting Claret, Château Beau Rivage and Clos de Bohème

To start with a Joly Rivage 2009, the claret that is produced by the winery, followed by a Château Beau Rivage 2006 and 2002, before finishing with the Clos de Bohème 2005 with the meal.

 

The Chai and the Cellar

The afternoon started in the "chai" with an explanation of the work that will be done during the harvest time to receive the grapes and start the fermentation process in the vats.  Each grape variety is fermented and matured separately, which increase the workload, but ensures a better quality wine.

The Chai

In the cellar, we tasted cabernet sauvignon and merlot from the 2009 vintage straight from the barrels, and tasted the marked differences of the grape varieties, and also from the different French and American oak used in making the barrels.

Wine Tasting 2009 Bordeaux straight from the barrel

 

A fantastic wine experience day, informative and fun, which enabled us to get an insight into the life of a winemaker, and the care and work taken to cultivate the vines.

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Bordeaux Wine Festival


Our partner vineyard in the Bordeaux region, Château Beau Rivage, is at the Bordeaux Wine Festival (Bordeaux Fête le Vin) from the 24-27 June 2010.

 

Bordeaux Wine Festival 2010

The wines from Château Beau Rivage are available for tasting at the Tonnellerie Nadalié stand, the family's cooperage.  You will be able to find out more about barrel making, including a demonstration of how the barrels are heated.

You can also learn how you can adopt vines at Château Beau Rivage, get involved in wine experience days, and follow the making of your own vintage with the Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience.
 

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Harbour and Estuary Fete at Château Beau Rivage


Château Beau Rivage, partner of Gourmet Odyssey, invites you to join them at the Harbour and Estuary Fete on Sunday 13th June (link french only).

Garonne

Wine tasting of the Clairet 2009, and visit of the cellar and vineyard. You can also enjoy grilled fish, walks on the bank of the Garonne river, a vintage car display and music from the "Bandas", traditional Basque country fanfare music!

Open from 10:00 to 18:00

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Adopt a Vine in France and Follow the Making of Your Own Wine !

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