Particularly common in Bordeaux, the practice of pre-ordering wines at an agreed price through a subscription long before they are bottled or tasted. Such wines are often only available two or more years later after the maturation is completed. The French term "Arrivage" means "arrival" (or "entry") and refers more specifically to the delivery of this pre-ordered wine to the end customer.
In a broader sense, it refers to the period during which the wineries and wine trading houses carry out the deliveries of such wines. There are also "Arrivage tastings," where the subscription wines scheduled for delivery are tasted by members of an "Arrivage circle." The commonality of such circles (groups) arises from the simultaneous ordering of a specific wine, which is delivered by a specific winery or trading house. See also under wine evaluation and wine address.
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Markus J. Eser
Weinakademiker und Herausgeber „Der Weinkalender“