Monday 7th July 2003
THE THINKING PERSON'S BOOZE CRUISE
Few holidaymakers heading for France this summer will return without at least some bargain bottles of wine. But while most will buy from the supermarket or wine warehouse before boarding the ferry home, there is way to get a even better bargain, while buying something just that bit special.
By visiting the vineyard, you can easily save the equivalent of your ferry fare while stocking up for the rest of the summer. A recent cost comparison by wine and travel website, winedrive.com, found online mail order wine prices in the UK were up to five times the amount charged by the vineyards.
Ten cases of Vin de Pays direct from the vineyard can save more than £500, with similar savings for Cotes du Rhone, Bergerac and Anjou-Villages, while a Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru or Chateauneuf du Pape can leave you £300 better off.
Winedrive.com was born from personal experience. It was launched last year by former freelance newsmen Dave Spokes of Poole, Dorset, and Maurice Carroll, who now lives permanently in France. Said David: "We had lost touch for few years when Maurice called inviting us to stay.
"We decided to spend a day 'doing the vineyards', but even with the best reference books, it was a nightmare. We drove for miles and were never sure we were finding the best wines or if we were going to be ripped off. We both thought there must be a better way."
Three years later the pair had a website with 1,360 pages of routes, tourist and travel information plus 100 family owned vineyards, some dating back to Roman times, others with a family history as winegrowers going back many centuries. "We tried to find wines that were not only highly regarded or award winners, but which also came with history and an interesting story. We wanted to create an experience to be remembered, the 'thinking person's booze cruise', which gives the wine lover something special to talk about when they serve their choice of wine to their friends."
According to David Spokes, winedrive also gives a much wider choice. "Your local supermarket will probably stock less than 100 French wines, while we list more than 730. But the problem for most tourists has been identifying the 'right' vineyard and then finding it deep in the French countryside."
Winedrive solves both problems. For a subscription of £24 a year, users can choose from a list of 100 vineyards across all the main French wine regions and instantly identify those accepting credit cards or where the owners speak English. Prices cover all tastes and budgets from £1.75 to £110 per bottle.
The website also gives map references and precise driving instructions to find the vineyard. "Anyone can buy a book listing vineyards, but how do they choose from the thousands of listings? Also, the French have their own way of defining an address which can make finding it an adventure most holidaymakers can do without, especially if they have the family on board."
Using winedrive.com, you can plan your holiday in advance, make appointments with the vineyard owners, taste the wines before you buy and be sure of a warm welcome.
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