Carrefour International Wine Fair

Date:  Oct 1, 2011

Carrefour International Wine Fair 2011 is on, from Sep 29 - Oct 12 @ In front of Carrefour at Suntec.

Better have a full stomach before tasting the wine.

The reason I go to Carrefour Wine Fair, is because I think

1.  Carrefour is a French Company.

2.  Being a French Company, I am guessing they will bring in some French wine producer people so that we can learn abit of how these wine maker make their wine, rate their wine, describe their wine, etc.

However, it was a big disappointment!  Last year, at least I got a chance to taste the French wine before I buy.  I bought almost 16 bottles last year.

But this year, there is almost none French wine tasting.  All the tasting are from Australia, Spain, Italy, etc.  That is very strange.  How am I going to buy the wines if I have not taste it?

Here is some important tips:

- vintage 2005 is one of the best of the last 25 years before 2005.  So, most of the wine from vintage 2005 should not be that bad.

- vintage 2000 and 2009 is said to be a good year too.

- However, don't forget, if during a bad year, the vine will need to do a lot more hard work, under a controlled situation, the vines sometimes can product very good wine too.  :)

So, here is a list of wine that I have purchased...

1.  Sancerre White 2010.  Last year, I bought half a dozen of Sancerre white, and I tasted it and I found it very fruity and very pleasant to drink.  So, this year, I have to buy 1 bottle for tasting first.  But it is not as nice as last year.  Still very fruity but there is a hint of oaky mouldy finishing which I don't like.  Luckily I did not take another half dozen of this.  So, I used it for cooking my mussles tonight.  :)

2.  From Alsace, a Muscat 2010 from Michel Leon.  Hope it is a good sweet wine.

3.  La Ferme Du Mont - Cotes Du Rhone - La Truffiere 2010.  A young white from Rhone.

5.  The only non-French wine that I bought.  A Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand.

6.  A 2005 vintage of Clementin du Chateau Pape Clement.  It is not an AOC, but is a boutique wine from 2005.  I am guessing it should be quite good.

7.  2009 is also a good year too.  This is a Grand Cru Classe - Chateau Marquis de Terme 2009.

8. This is a Chateaueuf-du-Pape from La Ferme Du Mont, Vintage 2009.  Also a good year.  Not too expensive, and a good grape.

9.  La Ferme Du Mont - Cotes Du Rhone - Premiere Cote 2010.  This should be a blended red from Rhone, I wanted to taste this as Malcolm, my wine class teacher described my character is similar to a Rhone Blended Red.

So, these are the wines that I have bought from the wine fair.  I still think it is very disappointing that the wine maker from French are not present there, and we did not get a chance to drink the wine.  Therefore, we don't know whether it taste nice or bad.  But at least this year, when I buy the wine, I have the necessary knowledge to decide which one may be a good wine and which may not be a good wine.

For example, the promoter said this following wine is very good, very old.  So, when you search the vintage, the vintage 1981 is not a good year, and lots of rain during the harvest.  So, it is a matured wine, and should drink within the next 3-6 weeks.  And it is quite cheap too.  So, I decieded to skipped this.

I also buy some of the wine based on the labels and extra info given.

Some, from the description, you clearly know you won't like the taste.

I still have next Monday, when I am in Singapore, that I can visit them again.  So, I am not in a hurry to buy more.  But the price some are really good bargain!