When it comes to wine, one of the year’s best deals is definitely the traditional Wine Fair (Foire aux Vins) that takes place in French supermarkets throughout the month of September.
It is the perfect opportunity to stock up on bottles at low prices, but also to discover a wonderful selection of vineyards. You know my passion and love for wine, as well as the sense of sharing that forms around consuming it, so it will come as no surprise that I am writing about it here.
So, this year, after tasting, I have put together my personal selection of must-haves at Carrefour and Monoprix.
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Table of Contents
Carrefour Wine Fair 2015
As for dates, the Carrefour Wine Fair will run from September 8th to 21st, 2015 in the Hypermarkets, from September 18th to October 4th, 2015 in the Markets, and from September 18th to 27th, 2015 in Carrefour Contact stores.
It will feature a total of over 1,300 references (800 for the hypermarkets, 360 for Market, and 112 for Contact), and for the first time, each brand will present its own specific Wine Fair, tailored to the clientele of its various stores.
Honestly, having tasted a few of these wines as a preview, I can tell you that the quality-to-price ratio is definitely worth the trip! It is primarily the perfect opportunity to fill your cellar for less, with some very interesting bottles.
Pro tip: if you want to prepare for your wine fair a bit in advance, the mobile app and the Carrefour website allow you to view the offers at a glance.
My selection:
- Loire Valley – Chardonnay Domaine Petit Château (Loire Valley) – white 2013 – prestige cuvée – price: €4.30 – aging potential: drink within 3 years / perfect to pair with grilled fish and white meats or, quite simply, for an aperitif / at Carrefour Market
- Burgundy – Hautes Côtes de Nuits Albert Bichot and Bernard Loiseau – white 2013 – price: €9.95 – aging potential: 1 to 3 years / a straw-gold Burgundy with notes of toasted hazelnut for a 100% Chardonnay grape variety / at Carrefour Hyper
- Rhône Valley – Saint Joseph – Dauvergne Ranvier – red 2014 – price: €8.99 / this wine is a good investment to age and drink in a few years
- Saumur Champigny Domaine de la Perruche – red 2014 – price: €6.50 / very good value for money – aging potential: ready to drink, can be kept for 2 to 5 years / perfect paired with poultry and grilled red meats or meats in sauce, fish, dry or semi-dry goat cheeses, soft cheeses, or bloomy-rind cheeses. It will be perfect to drink next spring, it is better to let it spend the winter / at Carrefour Market
- Burgundy – Pouilly-Fuissé – Verget Terre de Pierres – Jean-Marie Guffens – white 2014 – price: €17.90 – aging potential: 1 to 5 years / a very mineral wine for yet another 100% Chardonnay variety, which will pair very well with shellfish / at Carrefour Hyper
- Bordeaux – Château Yon-Figeac Grand Cru Classé Saint Emilion – red 2012 – price: €18.95 – aging potential: 15 years or more / an ideal wine for great occasions as it comes from an old grape variety, it is perfect to pair with a red meat dish or a platter of refined cheeses / at Carrefour Market
My favorite:
- Cahors – Château Lagrezette – red 2009 – price: €16.95 – aging potential: 15 years / this 100% Malbec wine (a variety now very common in Argentina and Chile) is a beautiful bottle to treat yourself. It is dense and structured on the palate with woody and red fruit notes, it will pair perfectly with game, for example, or a good piece of red meat / it is a real bargain, and has incidentally won several competitions and medals / at Carrefour Market
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Monoprix Wine Fair 2015
The Monoprix Wine Fair will be held from September 9th to 27th, 2015, with a selection of 250 references, curated throughout the year by the Monoprix wine team.
On the agenda, a wide choice of appellations and prices with a “ready-to-drink” selection offering a very good quality-to-price ratio, but also a significant proportion of wines from organic farming.
There is also a quality benchmark at the store with the “Monoprix Gourmet” jury label for wines that have won over a jury of experienced enthusiasts.
Pro tip: the “3 bottles for the price of 2” promotion is applied every day of the wine fair on several references in the selection, for holders of the Monoprix loyalty card.
My selection:
- Bordeaux – Saint-Emilion Grand Cru – Château d’Arcole – red 2012 – price: €15.95 / a wine with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in organic and biodynamic that is well worth the investment
- Burgundy – Marsannay – Domaine Bernard Bouvier – red 2012 – price: €16.90 / this village appellation wine is rather woody
- Burgundy – Marsannay – Domaine Bernard Bouvier – white 2012 – price: €16.90 / a dry nose and rather mineral on the palate
- Loire – Pouilly Fumé – Domaine Tabordet – white 2014 – price: €10.20 / this Sauvignon variety with mineral and citrus notes will pair very well with a warm goat cheese salad
- Rhône – Muscat Beaume de Venise – Domaine des Bernardins – sweet white 2014 – price: €14.95 / this naturally sweet wine is very well balanced with honey notes and a little spicy touch that will pair very well with a peach tart for example
- Savoie – Mondeuse – Château de Mérande La Belle Romaine Arbin – red 2013 – price: €10.90 / Mondeuse is an old Savoyard grape variety. After testing, I would say that this wine is strangely more interesting in red than in white with quite pronounced peppery and spicy notes
- Southwest – Jurançon – Cauhapé Délice de Lucie – sweet white 2013 – price: €11.90 / perfect for lovers of sweet wines
My favorite:
- German Mosel Wine – Domaine Dr Loosen – Riesling Qualitätswein – white 2014 – price: €12.90 / this wine is a treat, it is very surprising with its blend of acidity and residual sugar that gives it a very sweet side without being too alcoholic (only 10°), with a lot of finesse / perfect paired with fish, sushi, or just to share as an aperitif
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Inter Caves Wine Fair 2015
The Autumn Wine Fair will be held from August 22nd to October 3rd in all Inter Caves stores.
On the agenda: Natural and organic wines, grands crus, discovery wines, champagnes, spirits, beers… There is something for everyone!
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Auchan Wine Fair 2015
From September 22nd to October 6th, 2015, the 119 Auchan hypermarkets offer the selection from the brand’s wine team, who spend the whole year traveling the vineyards to unearth good vintages.
For 2 weeks, 150 identical wines will be available throughout France, among which are the buyers’ favorites. The rest of the offer is specific to each region, totaling about 400 wines, including some regional favorites.
Pro tip: Auchan promises a very good pleasure-to-price ratio across all vineyards and in a large number of vintages starting at €2.
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E.Leclerc Wine Fair 2015
The E.Leclerc wine fair closes this oenological new school year with slightly later dates, as it begins on September 30th and lasts for about ten days in the 642 E.Leclerc centers.
This year the brand is highlighting a national selection of 193 wines, to which is added a regional selection (between 150 and 200 wines), which results in a total of over 400 references for each store.
Pro tip: a benchmark brand Les Incroyables E.Leclerc, a selection of wines worthy of the big names but at accessible prices.
My selection:
- Château Bernadotte – Haut Médoc Cru Bourgeois 2012 – red – red fruit nose – price: €7.50 / to be tasted in 2017-2020 / with meat, grilled items, game
- Château de Malleret – Haut Médoc Cru Bourgeois 2012 – red – spicy nose and ripe fruit – price: €11.90 / to be tasted in 2017-2020 / with red meat, grilled items, charcuterie
- Coteaux du Layon – Domaine des deux vallées “Les Justices” – 2014 – sweet white – price: €7.90 / my favorite sweet wine with a sweet scent of fruits / as an aperitif, with cheeses or desserts
- Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne – 2014 – red – price: €6.25 / my discovery appellation of this wine fair / to be tasted in 2017-2020 / notes of candied fruit and spices / with white or red meats
- Touraine Sauvignon – Domaine Vincent Ricard Le Bouc – white – 2014 – price: €5.50 / citrus and mineral notes / with cheeses, fish, and seafood.
- Sainte Croix du Mont – Château la Caussade – 2013 – sweet white – €8.30 / an appellation not far from Bordeaux of which I have an imperishable memory of a well-watered wine festival… / to be tasted in 2015-2025 / with desserts
- Cahors – Château la Reyne “Grande Réserve” – 2014 – red – €5.99 / a 100% Malbec with floral notes / to be tasted in 2017 / with red meat, grilled items, game
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