Anyone planning a trip to France to buy wine direct from local vineyards, can now choose wines on-line before leaving home. A unique new web service, winedrive.com, allows wine lovers to take a virtual trip around some of the best wine producers in France, choosing where to visit and how to get there.
Instead of wasting precious holiday time driving around unfamiliar countryside and taking pot luck, winedrive.com helps visitors choose the vineyard in advance, work out the best route and book ferry crossings and hotels. Many of the wines listed have a history and pedigree which will set them apart on the dinner table, coming from Chateaux that date from the Crusades or Charlemagne, vineyards which have existed since Roman times and producers whose ancestors go back many centuries.
"We have created the service because, despite the thousands of wine lovers in the UK who visit France, there’s just nothing else like it available," states David Spokes, co-founder of winedrive.com. "The site provides an immense amount of information for anyone interested in fine wine and travel. The research certainly proved very rewarding!"
Detailed descriptions of more than 40 producers from Bordeaux, the Loire Valley and Champagne are included, with Burgundy, Alsace and the remaining regions of France being introduced over the next few weeks. They are listed by invitation only and offer wines of recognised quality and value which are unlikely to be found on general sale in the UK. Many hold awards and commendations, yet some of their wines are priced from less than four Euros a bottle.
Winedrive Premier Pages give the background of each vineyard, descriptions of their wines and details of how to find them with map references. If visitors make a telephone appointment, the producer will meet them to talk about his wines and history, and tour the vineyard. They will be made welcome and invited to taste before buying at local producer prices.
Other pages give notes about the wines of each region including how they are made and how to read labels, plus how to taste, buy, serve and keep wine. For the motoring tourist, Winedrive Premier Pages provides step-by-step routes from the Channel ports to the wine regions with a full itinerary including tourist information about towns and places of interest en-route, plus where to go and what to see. Individual guides give detailed historical information and describe places of interest.
News pages give current information about road works and delays before you set off, and there is an e-mail newsletter to keep subscribers up-to-date with the latest news about wine production and driving in France. Premier Pages are available for an annual subscription of only £24; "a cost the visitor can recoup the first time they use the service," according to Spokes.
A comprehensive free access section gives basic route information and town guides, history and introductory notes on aspects of French wine, together with on-line bookings direct with ferry companies and hotels.
Anyone wishing to test drive the new web site and view chateaux and other information should visit www.winedrive.com
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