New For Members
Cognac bottling, Trilogie Vol.3, exclusively for IWFS members
For lovers or Cognac this is a great opportunity. Trilogie Vol. 3 is a Cognac bottled exclusively for members of the IWFS and produced in collaboration with an online retailer in France, Cognac Expert. As the name suggests, this is the third edition of an annual bottling initiated by the Americas' members and now made available to all members. Details have already been emailed but to find out more, or place an order, click here.
For this year, a single eau-de-vie Cognac from the 2000 vintage was selected, produced by Domaine Grateaud in a distinctive manner – it spent fifteen years in new French oak before being transferred to a used barrel. And it comes from the smallest, most exclusive cru of the six in Cognac, Borderies.
The Trilogie project was started in 2022 by members of the Hollywood, California, branch of the Society, building on their relationship with Cognac Expert. The first edition partnered with legendary Cognac producer the House of Prunier; the second bottling was developed with Vallein Tercinier. Both Trilogie and Trilogie Vol. 2 were well-received in the Americas.
The Grateaud estate is today run by David Grateaud; it owns 41 hectares of vines on the prime Borderies plateau, and has recently rented 16 additional hectares of vines in the nearby commune of Chérac. The Grateaud family has a long history of agricultural excellence. In 1932, David’s great grandfather Alphonse received the Chevalier du Mérite Agricole - an award, created in 1893, that was at the time second only to the French Legion of Honor.
As a guide, Trilogie Vol. 3 is priced at $140/£102 for a single bottle. Click here to see the pricing in your country and to submit your order. Orders will be billed in the appropriate currency, and VAT will be added where applicable. Detailed pricing and shipping information is shown on the ordering link.
Production is limited and will only be available through this offering. There will not be a second bottling. Cognac Expert will distribute the Cognac; deadline for orders is 31 August 2024. Delivery is expected by mid-November so as well as for yourself it might make a nice gift for your Cognac-loving friends!
Finding Cognac from Borderies with the age and pedigree of Trilogie Vol. 3 is a rare accomplishment, all the more given the attractive offering price. For Cognac drinkers, this is a great opportunity and we hope you feel able to take advantage of it.
And now a TRILOGY OF TEA:
MONOGRAPH
Read all about it - ‘The World of Tea' has now been published and will be with you, via your region magazine or your branch contact, in the coming months. This monograph is a 'blend' of all the key elements about tea and gives readers the perfect platform to learn all about this fascinating topic. Read about the well known and lesser known tea producing countries as well as the variety of ways people drink tea around the world. There are also many parallels with fine wine. We hope you enjoy the read.
‘TIME FOR TEA’ GIFT
Taste it - Along with the monograph you will also receive a pouch of tea, with our compliments. Will Battle, the author and also a tea importer, has sourced for us a special English Afternoon Tea which is a classic blend of the fine Assam and Darjeeling teas which replicates the gold standard prepared for London hotels and also used for the garden party season. The preparation details are on the pouch itself, if needed. It is loose leaf so you will need a strainer in or out of the teapot!
TEA TASTING VIDEO
Run a tea tasting – as a complement to this year’s tea monograph a video of a tasting of teas is currently in production and will be available later in the year. The video will assist branches to arrange their own local event so they can taste and learn about tea along with Will Battle, monograph author, who leads the tasting. He takes members through six different styles of tea plus a sparkling tea (a delicious choice when looking for a non-alcoholic reception drink). A ‘shopping list’ of the teas you will need to purchase along with a ‘checklist’ of the things that you will need to run a successful event will be made available. You might like to take a look at Chapter 7 of the monograph which lists top tea merchants within your region. The recording is just going through the final cut but will be available on the ‘presentations – audio & video’ page of the website.
If you take the plunge and run a tea tasting please do email us with photos from your event via sec@iwfs.org and we will publish them.
MEMBER APP
Over 1000 New Wine and Food Pairings
Now, more than ever IWFS members are downloading our IWFS Member App to their smart phones. If you have not done so, download it today. Just click here. The App has nine easy to use buttons: Wine & Food Pairing, Vintage Guide, Publications, Virtual Wine Tastings, International Festivals, IWFS Merchandise, Branch Directory, IWFS Website and Join the IWFS. The Wine & Food Pairing button is one of the most popular buttons on the App. This is the result of adding over 1000 new entries. You can match complementary flavours of wine and food to elevate your dining experience by using the ‘Pair by Wine’ or ‘Pair by Food’ buttons. If you are hosting a dinner or visiting your favourite restaurant and you need a memory jogger to select the perfect wine with food, then a simple click of the Wine & Food Pairing button and the dilemma is solved.
VINTAGE APP
Watch out for Rioja and Ribera del Duero releases - Here is a note sent from our Spanish wine consultant, Harold Heckle: "I keep on thinking Rioja 2011 is outperforming 2010, so if any of those vintages comes up for sale, buy them quick, but if there's a choice to be had, opt for 2011. Also, it's time to start stocking up on the Rioja 2019 vintage, it's coming up for sale and at Reserva level and selling like hot cakes. Don't miss out. My feeling is that the Ribera del Duero vintage 2021 will sell out quickly when it comes up for sale, so, eyes peeled."
IN THE NEWS ON SID’S BLOG
Question: What is Criolla?
Answer: Criolla native grape varieties are found in South America and especially prominent in Argentina under various names like Criolla Grande, Criolla Chica, and the most well known one of Torrontés Riojano. Generally Criolla produces a light approachable style of wine that is popular in white, red, and rose. Widely planted. Different from another heritage one in Chile called Pais. Check out the Criolla family tree here South American Wine Guide (see below discount details for this title) and also find out more about the 100 Criolla varieties that have been identified.
MEMBER BENEFITS
Click here to go to the web page
DOUBLE DISCOUNT ON BOOKS
South America Wine Guide - this guide is recognised as THE authority on wines of South America and is also authored by our wine consultant for the region, Amanda Barnes. Not only does it provide the most comprehensive and indepth look into this topic it is also beautiful too. Amanda is kindly continuing to offer members a 10% discount on her book using code: Amigo IWFS.
Académie du Vin Library (incorporating Classic Wine Library), the world’s most comprehensive wine publisher, are offering members a 25% discount for a number of their titles*. With over 50 titles from the finest wine writers, they cover wine regions on all five continents, on every subject from terroir to terraces and all points in between. For anyone, anywhere with a passion for wine.
To find out more about the titles available visit https://academieduvinlibrary.com/ and use coupon code: IWFS25 when you checkout. You will see titles in the Classic Wine Library collection from a number of our wines consultants https://academieduvinlibrary.com/pages/classic-wine-library including The Wines of Piemonte by new consultant David Way who is introduced below. A note for members joining IWFS trip along the Rhine in August – you will receive a copy of Anne Krebiehl’s book The Wines of Germany so no need to buy a copy!
* Exclusions apply. This offer is not valid on sale items, eBooks, The South America Wine Guide, Steven Spurrier’s Wine Course, Slow Wine Guide USA, Jumbo Shrimp Guide books, Moniker Art and The Australian Ark.
WINE ARTICLE
The Growth of Vineyards in Northern Europe by professional writer Ann Samuelsen.
Wine grapes were typically grown between the 30th and 50th parallels in the northern hemisphere, but change is afoot, and they are now being successfully grown further north. For this article we are looking at the growth of vineyards in Northern Europe which not long ago would have been considered as inhospitable for successful grape growing for wine. Click here to read the article.