Most of us know that feeling when your inner voice is nagging you to take some exercise, but you are being lured by the bottle of white chilling in the fridge. And, anyway, it’s raining outside, and the old twinge in your Achilles is playing up. One way to overcome that need to choose one ahead of the other is to combine the two.

Marathon du Médoc

On 8 September, around 8,500 intrepid runners/wine lovers will take to the start line for the Marathon du Médoc which twins the pain of participating in a marathon with the joy of good food and great wine. Dubbed the longest marathon in the world, the event near Bordeaux aims to be a fun occasion, with participants observing a fancy dress theme – last year it was 33rpm records.

The top prize for the leading man and woman is their weight in wine and, despite the temptations along the route, the 2017 winners in the men’s and women’s categories managed times of 2 hours 27 minutes and 6 seconds, and 2 hours 55 minutes 57 seconds respectively. But the big attraction for those taking it less seriously is the choice of feeding stations scattered along the course. Compared with the normal marathon refreshments of water, energy gels and wet sponges, the chance to sample Chateau Lafite Rothschild with oysters from Arcachon is somewhat more alluring and explains the popularity of the event.

Entries for next year’s race open in March at marathondumedoc.com

Surrey Bacchus Marathon

The day after the field shuffles round the wine making areas of Bordeaux, on this side of the English Channel the Surrey Bacchus Marathon and Half Marathon take place at England’s biggest vineyard, Denbies.

Although partly on footpaths around the North Downs, most of the route is on the road and there is one steep climb. But the prospect of a little glass of something at one of the six feeding stations – double that number for the marathon which covers two laps of the same circuit – should act as motivation for the tiring runner. There is also a five-mile walk/run that includes one drinks station.

A maximum of 2,700 entries are accepted and there is no fear of being stuck in a queue at the wine stations, with a staggered start (insert your own joke here about the finish!) ensuring that groups of 850 leave every 30 minutes. However, it is a challenge and marathon runners must complete the first of their two laps in no more than 2 hours 20 minutes.   

The 2017 winner clocked a time of 2 hours 54 minutes and 49 seconds for the full marathon distance. If you feel brave/thirsty enough, registrations are over here.

German Wine Road Marathon

With a first prize of €1500 up for grabs, the German Wine Road Marathon attracts some serious athletes and the course record is a speedy 2 hours 20 minutes and 46 seconds. If you are not daunted by the prospect of seeing a few top runners disappearing into the distance, there is plenty of time to prepare for the next race which will take place in April 2020.

The route – there is also a half marathon – starts in the village of Bockenheim and passes the Leningerland vineyards. The mid-way point at Bad Durkheim is marked by a wine barrel. The return leg will be made easier by the wine served at drinks stations and by sponges soaked in Riesling wine that are handed out at two points around the course.

And if the undulations have taken their toll, what better way to cool down than by running through the fine spray in Herxheim am Berg which has a refreshing aroma of wine? Details about the last edition can be found juste here.

Other runs further afield:

Lanzarote Wine Run
Osoyos (British Columbia, Canada) 
Fueled by Fine Wine (Oregon, USA)

Alternative

So, if you’re tempted to take on the challenge, but not yet ready to look out the trainers, here are some wines that might help get you in the mood:

• Médoc (Chateau de Pez, Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux Left Bank, France 2011

• Sussex (Limney 'Horsmondsden' Dry White, Davenport Estate, East Sussex and Kent, England 2015)

• German Riesling (Riesling Mittleheimer Edelmann Trocken, Weingut Bernhard Mehrlein, Rheingau, Germany, 2017)

If you’re packing your shorts and heading for some European sunshine over the summer, there’s a good chance that a little spot of wine tasting will be on the agenda.

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With the global footie jamboree about to get underway in Russia, we should be in for some top entertainment. However, we are sure the question on everyone’s lips is not about who will be lifting the trophy in Moscow on 15 July, but ‘what wine should I drink while I’m watching the big games?’. Here is our selection, available with a 15% discount for all the duration of the tournament.

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After several days of glorious sunshine in the lead-up to the event, it was rather disappointing to see the rain start to fall on the morning of our Artisan Wine Fair at the Columcille Centre in Morningside. However, with some reflection, we all agreed it was actually not a bad thing…what better way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon than by sampling lots of delicious organic, biodynamic and natural wines?! Thankfully, it seemed that lots of others felt the same way, so we had a great turnout and it was a fantastic day.

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Scottish winemaker, Jamie McCulloch, confirmed to take part in our Artisan Wine Fair next week, where he'll be sharing his love of his adopted homeland, Switzerland, his vineyard and winemaking...and letting you try some the fruits of his labour!

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This week we continue our series of posts looking at our new discoveries by travelling to the French region of Bugey, midway between Lyon and Geneva.

From his 10 hectare estate in the foothills of the Alps, Yves Duport crafts artisan wines which are steadily putting this lesser known French region on the winemaking map.

Half of Yves’ production consists of Bugey Blanc, including a key focus on the indigenous grape variety of Altesse, known elsewhere in France as Roussette. This cuvée displays subtle mineral and fresh floral aromas, which develop through ageing to notes of honey and bees wax.

Along with Altesse, Yves also cultivates the local grape variety of Mondeuse, which along with Pinot Noir, forms the base of his red wines.

A grape which contributes deep colour and high levels of acidity, Mondeuse is one of the key components in Yves’ spectacularly elegant sparkling wine. A blend which also contains Chardonnay, Aligoté and Pinot Noir, the ‘Origin’L’ Brut is produced using the Traditional Method and displays graceful floral notes, rendering it a perfect aperitif wine. It is simply one of the best French regional sparkling wines that we have encountered in a very long time, underlining the value for money on offer if you are patient enough to trawl meticulously through some of world’s lesser known wine regions.

We are delighted to be able to introduce Yves and his wines to you all. We hope that you enjoy them as much as we do!

 

Bugey Origin’L Reserve Brut Sparkling 2013 - £15.10

Bugey ‘En Chinvre’ Blanc, Altesse de Montagnieu 2014 - £13.50

Bugey ‘Sous le Chateau’, Terre Brune Mondeuse 2014 - £14.65

Bugey ‘Sous le Chateau’, Terre Rouge Pinot Noir 2014 - £14.65

 

This week we kick off our series introducing our new exciting selection of producers with Vriesenhof – a range of wines from South Africa that we are delighted to have been able to bring to Scotland.

Winemaker Jan Boland Coetzee is revered in South Africa for his success in two very different careers. He is a rugby legend, having played for the Springboks against the British Lions in 1974 among many other highlights in a sparkling career.

However simultaneously, Jan was building a reputation on the South African wine scene. Having graduated in oenology and viticulture from the University of Stellenbosch, he learned his trade under the tutelage of various winemakers before acquiring the Vriesenhof estate in 1980.

Since that point, his reputation for producing complex, well-structured wines that speak for their unique terroirs has grown exponentially. From his hilltop vineyards that sit above False Bay, Jan cultivates rugged Pinotage bush vines, along with Merlot, Cabernet and Pinot Noir – a varietal which he fell in love with during time spent in Burgundy.

Alongside the strides he has made in the wine world, Jan is also respected for his contribution to the social situation of his vineyard staff. He has developed various projects with his team that now include new housing schemes close to his vineyards along with the construction of local sports facilities.

We are delighted to be working with Jan and we hope you have the opportunity to try his wines soon!

 

Spring is always an exciting time for us at l’Art du Vin and this year is no exception. Our recent lack of blog activity is due to the fact that we have spent the last few months sourcing a diverse range of new and exciting wines to add to our existing portfolio. This year, we have discovered a number of organic, boutique wines that we are sure you will all enjoy, as well as wines from some of the most dynamic winemakers from across the globe.

While scouring the globe for new wines to bring you all, we have also been investing time in the preparations for the launch of our new-look website. We hope that this fresh, user-friendly site will allow customers to fully explore our wines and learn more about the artisan producers that we work with!

We look forward to bringing you exclusive information about our new wines in the coming weeks!

Santé

The l’Art du Vin team

2016 has started with a bang here at l’Art du Vin.

We use the first few months of the year to compile our portfolio for the year ahead. In recent weeks we have been visiting our key producers all over Europe, all the while keeping an eye out for any hidden gems that we think you may all enjoy.

Last week, Richard attended Les Salons des Vins de Loire, tasting over 400 wines from his local region. Les Salons de Vins de Loire is the only trade fair in Europe that focuses on one particular region – perfect for us as we like focus on each area of our portfolio in as much depth as possible.

As well as hoping to find new wines to share with you all, these events are a chance for us to catch up with our existing producers. In the Loire, Richard spent some time with Vincent Leclair, our key producer in the Touraine appellation.

Vincent is a winemaker who we simply love working with. As well as producing amazing wines at his own estate which he recently purchased from his father, he devotes his time as a member of a group of local winemakers intent on driving up the levels of quality in the Touraine appellation.

To reach this objective, he has taken it upon himself, along with those who share his vision, to create a new appellation – AOC Chenonceaux, which was legally instated in 2011.

Vincent’s Sauvignon de Touraine has been among our best-selling wines since we opened l’Art du Vin, a fact that has come as little surprise to us as we believe it offers exceptional value for money.

And the quality of his wine was evident at the Les Salons event, where we are delighted to report that Vincent was awarded the award for best Sauvignon Blanc from the Touraine appellation.

We hope that over the next few months we are able to source wines made with passion and integrity like those of Vincent for all of you to enjoy!

Click on the links below to learn more about Vincent's wines

Sauvignon Touraine 'Fleur de Printemps' Domaine de la Rochette - £10.05

Gamay/Pinot Noir de Touraine, Domaine de la Rochette - £10.05

Sauvignon Blanc 'Touraine Chenonceaux', Domaine de la Rochette - £14