It is sometimes hard to convince my colleagues that trips to vineyards are not just an excuse for a couple of fun days out of the office, especially when their nearest equivalent is a visit to a fish processing factory in Grimsby! So you can imagine the looks I received yesterday after returning from my visit to Chablis and Sancerre, two of the worlds most prestigious wine growing regions.

Rather than waste breath telling them that I had to get up at 4.00am to catch a plane to Europe’s most despised Airport, Charles de Gaulle, I simply decided to exaggerate how wonderful the experience had been, adding several degree’s ˚C to the temperature and extra courses to the lavish meals experienced.

My search for suitable Chablis has been a long one but in Louis Moreau I have found the perfect partner for Aldi. The family has made wine in the region for generations and Louis builds on this tradition with his wine education in California and attention to detail in the winery and vineyard. The first bottling of our new Chablis, “Domaine de la Vigne Blanche”, took place last week and I visited to confirm that the bottling had reached the standards of the approved samples. It exceeded my expectations and will be even better once the wine has settled after bottling which usually takes 2 to 3 weeks. The Moreau family have an impressive range of Chablis from Petit Chablis to Chablis and the two premium levels Premier Cru and Grand Cru. Whilst it will be the Chablis that finds a place in the core range, the other wines are impressive and I hope to find a place for some of them in the 2009 specials programme.

From Chablis I drove the two hours to Sancerre where Sauvignon Blanc, rather than Chardonnay, is the exclusive white grape variety. My mission here was to secure supplies for 2009 as volumes have been tight in 2008 and not likely to improve next year. I also took the opportunity to taste 25 other blends of Sancerre and remain very pleased with the style we have. Unlike Chablis, Sancerre also has a red variant, rarely seen in the UK. Made from pinot noir it is light and fresh in style and makes an elegant rosé. The wines I tasted were impressive and have given me even more ideas foe 2009.

Now all I need to do is to convince the business to give me space for some of these terrific wines. I can feel another trip coming on!