Wine enthusiasts have long known that specialised distributors are the way to go, a gateway to experiencing some of the best drops that local bar or restaurant may not have on the menu, while also taking away the painful hours of research (and the ever-stressful opportunity cost) that comes with trying to find the best online. Curated wine delivery services have been popping up more and more over the years, some touting well-selected portfolios or accessible and cheap wines while others use connections to some of the world’s most unique and innovative wine houses to assemble a selection of premium drops, often at prices much more reasonable than you’d find at that up-scale restaurant you rarely get to dine at. One of Australia’s newest services, French Vine falls into the latter category I guess, boasting a highly curated portfolio of unique French wines ranging from some of France’s oldest wine houses to its most revered young winemakers.
The unifying theme is a respect for the environment and wines which boast a strong connection to where they come from, and curated along this line French Vine has put together a selection well worth your attention. The company was founded by former Wallaby David Lyons and his wife Justine following their move back to Australia from Paris, dedicated to bringing Aussies hand-selected French wines which are very, very hard to find across the country.
French Vines’ impressive portfolio includes several award-winning wines from Leclerc-Briant, a pioneering Champagne house founded in 1852, drops from la boutique Aegerter (including the Gold Medal winning Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits), and some from the highly reputable La Bastide Saint Dominique, an acclaimed estate located in the Southern Rhone Valley.
A personal favourite is a beautiful 100% chardonnay Chablis from Aegerter, a young wine that truly communicates that premium aesthetic many of the selections in this portfolio represent, boasting a fresh and vibrant dry palate bursting with green apple, lemon, mint and acacia notes. That one, for a little price example, retails for $58 bottle but is available from French Vine for $295 per 6 bottles (which works out to roughly $49 per bottle). Some of the wines can be purchased by the bottle, others by the case.
Selecting wines with distinctive characters and rare profiles, French Vine do bring something exciting to an increasingly populated scene of curated delivery services. Their niche portfolio has obviously been finessed with care and a high standard while also maintaining accessibility for those who may not already be well versed in fine French wine. Establishing strong connections to some of France’s most celebrated wineries, both new and older, has obviously helped this process along which only serves to benefit wine-loving Aussies, especially those who’ve experienced just how amazing the wine over in France really is.
Now if we could only get a service like this for more countries, I vote Italy next.
For more information and to check out their entire portfolio head to the official French Vine website HERE
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