Sur Le Zinc

A Visit with Domaine du Séminaire

Last year, our team visited with Hervé Pouizin, owner and winemaker of Domaine du Séminaire in Valreas. Hervé is a fourth-generation vigneron and, along with his wife, Mathilde, has brought notoriety to their corner of the Rhone Valley for their estate bottlings. Enjoy this video tour from the sky and the ground, as we take… READ MORE

Savoie from the Sky–A Video Tour of Coteau de Cevins

Brice Omont oversees one of the most unique vineyards in the world–Coteau de Cevins in the Savoie. Located halfway between Moutier and Albertville (site of the 1992 Winter Olympics), this hillside site features a multi-soil profile that lends great complexity to the wines of Domaine des Ardoisieres. With a south/southeast exposure and a steepness of… READ MORE

Annabelle Sumeire Discusses Provence Wine History & Style

With the 2017 rosés hitting the market now, it seemed fitting to share a segment of a conversation we had with Annabelle Sumeire last Spring. Annabelle, who represents Famille Sumeire Vignerons en Provence, will be back stateside next month for the 2018 Martine’s Wines Grand Tasting: Le Tour de California on March 26th-27th in Los Angeles… READ MORE

Martine’s Wines Celebrates Five Years of New Ownership with New Additions, Expanded Offerings, and Grand Tasting

Fine wine importer and wholesaler Martine’s Wines celebrated its five-year anniversary under owners Gregory Castells and Kate Laughlin by announcing the creation of a California sales team and several notable additions to its portfolio as the company approaches its 40th year of business. Martine’s Wines was started in 1979 by legendary tastemaker Martine Saunier, who… READ MORE

World War II and A Wife (and Wine) Waiting at Chateau Gilette

The rich history of Chateau Gilette dates back to 1710, when Numa Medeville took the hand of Marie Despujols in marriage. With her came the family home and vineyards, which we know today as Chateau Gilette and Chateau Les Justices. In this video, Xavier Gonet–the husband of Numa’s great-great-granddaughter, Julie Medeville–explains how Chateau Gilette began implementing… READ MORE

A Conversation with Benjamin Gras

In early 2017, when Domaine Santa Duc joined the Martine’s Wines portfolio, our team knew we were adding both quality and depth to our well-established roster of stars from the Rhone Valley. The Gras family has been a fixture in Gigondas since the 19th century, and in recent years, under the guidance of Yves Gras, Domaine… READ MORE

A Visit with Pascal Verhaeghe at Chateau du Cedre

As we toured the vineyards and cellar of Chateau du Cedre just a few weeks ago, it was hard not to be struck by the good humor of the charismatic Pascal Verhaeghe, who tends to the family’s gorgeous holdings in Cahors along with his brother, Jean-Marc. Set not far from the picturesque medieval commune of Puy-l’Eveque,… READ MORE

Introducing Domaine Curtet: Savoie From the Sky

In our newest video, we invite you to join us on a sky tour of the Savoie, as we introduce Florian & Marie Curtet of Domaine Curtet. Our team visited with this dynamic, young couple in April of this year, and their 2016s have recently landed stateside to much acclaim. Click below and learn about… READ MORE

Gregory Castells Discusses Investing in Fine Wine

At first glance, fine wine presents almost unlimited opportunities for passionate investors. While drinkers might balk at the $3,000 average price tag attached to a bottle of Pétrus, one of Bordeaux’s greatest reds, that sum is trivial beside the cost of a new Bugatti sports car, Patek Philippe watch, or Joan Miró painting. Compared to other… READ MORE

Take a Ride with “The Tightrope Grapes” in Côte-Rôtie

We love when our producers share details of each year’s harvest with us, and in 2017, Bernard Burgaud took his update to a whole new level with the domaine’s video, “The Tightrope Grapes.” In this segment, viewers get a glimpse of the unique machination involved when picking and transporting grapes on the steep slopes of Côte-Rôtie…. READ MORE