Joseph Drouhin

Drouhin are one of the best known names in Burgundy. They are both Propriétaires and Négociants, growing and bottling estate wines, as well as vinifying wines from grapes bought from other producers. Widely available in UK shops, the wines of Drouhin span the price range from a few pounds for their basic bottlings, to considerably more for their Grands Crus. They also make wines under the Domaine Drouhin label in Oregon, USA. Theirs is an exemplary web site, with excellent information and plenty of it.


SPECIAL FEATURES


Drouhin Company sounds innocuous, but in fact contains a wealth of information. It contains a complete company history, details of their vineyard holdings, comprehensive introductions to their winemaking philosophy and technical data.

Drouhin Wines is a lovely section of the site. You can Search for your favourite wine, or use the appellation lists to browse their portfolio. For each appellation there is a very nice contour map showing their vineyards, and a list of all wine produced. Click on any one to see a label image, a complete technical rundown on the wine, tasting notes and food-matching suggestions.



Wine and Viticulture deals with viticultural news (including very detailed harvest reports), items on the famous Hospices de Beaune wine auction, and an extremely good section on understanding Burgundy wine labels. There are also good pieces on corks, bottles and glassware.

Vintages covers 1995 to present, with thorough reports on each of their Burgundy appellations and their holdings in Oregon.


OTHER FEATURES


Gathered under the Generalities heading there is a small Quiz to see if you have been paying attention, a very good diary of Cultural Events in Burgundy, and even a very nice listing of Michelin-starred restaurants in the Burgundy region that stock Drouhin's wines — and that's all of them!