Quoi de neuf: French shopping in October 2018

The Russian art of drinking fine wine

Andrey Filatov, a Russian entrepreneur who has owned one of Bordeaux’s winemaking chateaux since 2014, hit the headlines this summer when he offered members of France’s World Cup winning football team a case of fine wine each, after the final in Moscow.

Visually, Art Russe’s St-Emilion Grand Cru wine – made at Château La Grâce Dieu Des Prieurs (built in 1885) – is also unusual and headline-grabbing, featuring as it does reproductions of prominent Russian art works owned by Mr Filatov. His Art Russe foundation is aimed at bringing Russian art to a wider audience. “It is a very personal project for me. It represents love of the lost Motherland,” he said of the former Soviet Union.

Each year 35,000 bottles of the wine are crafted by winemaker Louis Mitjavile from the domaine’s 60,000 vines, of which 90% are Merlot and the other 10% Cabernet Franc. Price from €180.

lagracedieudesprieurs.com/en

Raise a glass to 70 years

In 1948, Jacques Durand founded a company in Arques, Pas-de-Calais, to provide his customers around the world with the best win tableware at affordable prices. Today, the Luminarc brand still honours this founding principle by making simple, trendy and practical items for the kitchen and dinner table.

To mark the company’s 70th anniversary, it has launched this playful and colourful limited edition Theo Iconic range of glasses.

The four collectible 30cl tumblers, which measure 11.5cm high, are embossed with the anniversary dates, and cost just €1.75 each. Dishwasher safe, they are made from Purity Certified Glass, guaranteeing perfect transparency.

www.latabledarc.com

Time to belt up

French artisan belt making firm Belt 52 was created in 2013 by the people behind AutrePairedeManches.fr, a popular website which specialized in cufflinks.

The company’s vibrant and stylish braided belts are manufactured in Loir-et-Cher, by a workshop which works for the biggest French brands of leather goods.

The label “Made in France”, they say, makes it possible to obtain exceptional finishes and irreproachable quality. Model shown: Chambord – white, navy and red elastic waistband, one size fits all (95 cm/ size 36-46), width 35mm.

www.belt52.com

Making scents in Provence

Beauty products company Jeanne en Provence was established in Grasse in 1978 and draws inspiration from Provençal nature, its scented hills, flowered fields and orchards, to offer you authentic and natural products.

One key development in recent years has been a policy to ensure that every one of their products is formulated with 95% of ingredients of natural origin – with all manufacturing done in Grasse.

Beside the Jasmine Secret (above), Lavender and Verveine Agrumes ranges of soaps, body lotions, perfumes and shower gels, a highlight for autumn is its nourishing ‘Karité et miel’ (shea butter and honey) range (pictured left), made using honey from Provence which is said to have energising and antiseptic properties.

The shower oil from this range also contains Organic PDO Olive Oil from Haute Provence and costs €3.58 for 250cl. See website for more.

www.jeanne-en-provence.com