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For a real lift in the middle of a grey English winter, you could do worse than to sign up for this novel and delightful daily "picture of Provence". Julian Merrow-Smith is a British painter living in Provence where he has had a studio for 8 years.
"Postcard from Provence is an ongoing project involving painting and posting a small oil painting, mostly daily, in which I try to reflect the changing seasons and light of my adoptive home in Provence."
Personally I like the style and the subject matter feels authentically Provencal - I look forward to seeing a new one most days, and who knows I may even be tempted to purchase the odd one to brighten up the house.
You can subscribe to his daily "Postcard from Provence" at http://shiftinglight.com/maillist/?p=subscribe

Whilst on the subject of Provence the Independent has produced a guide to Provence which is full of useful info on this most exotic of regions.

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Late news - Pic Wines have a tasting in London on Wednesday 1 March 2006 6.30pm - 8.00pm when they will be showing 10 of their Languedoc wines - for details email Julie julie@picwines.com

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In a recent article I wrote about the pros and cons of setting up a wine business in the UK. But the clever ladies (Helen and Julie) at Pic Wines have a novel approach which gives them the best of both worlds - they live in the Languedoc!

Being in the heart of one of the most exciting French wine regions provides them with plenty of opportunities to track down some of the best wines, often from small vineyards, They can really get to know the wines and the people who make them, and they are clearly enthusiastic about their wines.

The Languedoc used to be the bulk wine capital of France, producing endless amounts of cheap, rough wines under a Government system which effectively guaranteed the farmers an income, regardless of the quality of their grapes or the resulting wine. The EU has been instrumental in getting rid of surplus production by paying farmers to uproot their vines, so that largely the remaining vignerons are the real enthusiasts who produce some really cracking wines which can rival the best of the New World.

As for Pic Wines, the clever part is that you pre-order your wines from their list, which are then delivered from France direct to your door at a delivery charge which would put some UK merchants to shame! Seeing as how increasingly mail order or the internet is the best way of finding good, interesting, small production wines, then it makes little difference if your chosen merchant is in London, Suffolk, Wales or the Languedoc. What does matter is that the wines are of great quality - and that is where being close to the vineyards has to be a huge advantage - and they still offer ocassional tastings in the UK.

Amongst their wines is an excellent Picpoul de Pinet from Domaine Font-Mars - made from the Picpoul grape this is an enticing dry white which is excellent for seafood without being as acidic as, say, a Muscadet - a regular favourite to be drunk with the local oysters and mussels from the Etang du Thau and the renowned seafood town of Bouzigues (34 Herault, Languedoc).
For the reds, I can recommend the Vin de Pays d'Oc from La Sauvageonne - this is no humble country wine, but a classy rich, silky smooth wine which adds another dimension to what is otherwise a standard Merlot-dominated Bordeaux blend - a prime example of how much more important it is to know the producer, rather than the classification.
Amongst their other wines are Banyuls, Faugeres, Pic St Loup, St Chinian - in fact most of the Languedoc. They offer a variety of mixed cases, and you can put together your own case if you wish.
For more information see www.picwines.co.uk

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Over the last few weeks we've had a number of enquiries from people who fancy the idea of trying to make a living from selling French wine in the UK. It sounds seductive, working with something that you enjoy, and it cannot be difficult to do something better than the supermarkets and most of the major off-licence chains manage, particularly in relation to French wines.
Perhaps we are not the best people to ask, as although our company ALLEZ VINS! gained a good reputation for importing some great lesser-known wines from France, ultimately we gave up - some health problems exacerbated by meagre profits and too much time and money spent on the less glamorous aspects of running a business - VAT, excise duty, warehousing, transport. licensing laws etc. But we cannot deny we thoroughly enjoyed both the buying side (plenty of excuses for visits to France and to trade tastings) - and on the selling side it was always good to meet and chat with enthusiasts for French wine and things French. We met some great people - both winemakers and customers who enriched our lives - we learned more than we would otherwise have done about the French and France - most of it good!
The key challenge is to source good, interesting and individual wines and then find ways of marketing them to customers who are looking for wines of character and style rather than the often bland brands which are generally and easily available. I personally also believe that the best way to survive in the UK market is to specialise - be knowledgeable about your wines, the winemaker and domaine - rather than try to be all things to all wine-drinkers. Making that connection between the winemaker and the drinker can be really important and rewarding.

I would wish anyone who wants to have a go "the best of luck", and will gladly offer advice from our experience of 18 years in the business. Just be wary though - how many wealthy (or healthy) wine merchants do you know? And beware of the trade joke "What does a wine merchant do if he wins the lottery? - he stays in business for a few more years!"

We try through our website to support good French wine merchants and winemakers by providing some information on their lists etc. - warch out for some new articles and names over the coming weeks.
Amongst our current favourites are:

Leon Stolarski Fine Wines (www.lsfinewines.co.uk)
Dorjes Wine Club (www.dorjes.co.uk)
Advintage Wines (www.advintage-wines.co.uk)
Nick Dobson Wines (www.nickdobsonwines.co.uk)
Devigne Wines (www.devignewines.co.uk)

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The French equivalent of our "Britain in Bloom" competition is the "Villes et Villages Fleuris" and you'll see the above sign on the approach to the winning towns and villages.
They are chosen after a rigourous selection process, based on the care they have taken with their floral decoration; the beauty of their parks and gardens; and the work they have done to improve the urban environment and provide visitors a friendly welcome.

Some of these districts are well-known cities, while others are little villages deep in the heart of the countryside - the Gold Medal winner being Le Plessis Robinson (92 Hauts de Seine, Ile de France) - really an outer suburb of Paris, about 15 miles Southwest of the city centre.

Before taking the name "Robinson", Le Plessis was known as Plessis-Raoul, and Plessis-Piquet, and it was only in 1905 that it became Plessis-Robinson, thanks to a restaurant owner who, in 1898, had the idea of setting up little restaurants with music and dancing among the trees, reproducing the home of Robinson-Crusoë. These were enormously successful at the turn of the century, and the thousands of Parisians who came out to it every Sunday made their reputation.
The town is distinguished by its abundant greenery, alongside elegant floral displays: 1,200 original hanging displays, flowery meadows …Le Plessis-Robinson has been a green town for a long time, with a great variety of parks, gardens, woods and squares. It distinguished itself in 1919 by launching a competition for concepts which, in 1929, gave birth to the Garden City, a major event in the history of town planning. Nowadays, Le Plessis is the highest town in Hauts-de-Seine (at 170m), as well as the greenest, with 50 m2 of open spaces per head of the population, or 100 hectares of parks and woodland!

For cheap cross-channel ferry crossings see Cheap4Ferries.com


Keywords;France,Gardens,Ville,Fleuri,plessis,robinson

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At one level, I have come across wines which have such dire labels that they discourage you from trying the wine - yet I know I really should not judge a wine from its packaging. But the visual aspect of wine is important - the deep rich colour of my favourite Madiran immediately gets the juices running.
As a healthy sceptic I have also been wary of wines which have such elaborate and expensive packaging that I am immediately suspicious at how much I am paying for the quirky bottle, engraving etc; and what are they trying to disguise?
But this has to be the ultimate - it is called L'INACCESSIBLE (no translation needed) from Chateau Cablanc in Entre-Deux-Mers, Bordeaux. With an equally overblown and annoying website, this wine is presented as "more than a work of art - a concept...." whatever that means. This ornate packaging made from glass encases the bottle - AND to get to the wine you are supposed to destroy the individually made "work of art". With a pomposity that only the French can achieve the website endeavours to communicate that you can destroy 2 works of art - the glass and the wine - and presumably achieve a higher plain of pretentiousness than your friends!

Who knows? - the wine may actually be rather good - a 2003 red Bordeaux, barrel-fermented and matured in new oak for 24 months, unfiltered - it is claimed to have achieved remarkable concentration - but if you want to find out for yourself you'll need to move fast as only 500 bottles individually numbered bottles are available - and the price? - a mere €870.00.

To me it is just the sort of thing that gives Bordeaux a bad name, especially at a time where their efforts should be going into re-inventing good decent claret at a reasonable price!

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Keywords:France,wine,bordeaux,claret,entre,mers

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This week sees another big wine trade bash at VINISUD, which is a held in Montpellier and focuses on Mediterranean wines, and not just French. Going by the number of invites I have received (and regretably had to decline) the show just keeps getting bigger, and that is a good sign that quality levels are continuing to rise.
One of the appellations represented is that of Limoux - well, really it is 4 appellations, just to confuse matters. Situated south of Carcassonne (11 Aude, Languedoc) in the heart of Cathar country, the town itself is not one of the prettiest. And some of the cellars also seem a little industrial. But on the many and varied slopes around the town, vines produce wines which are often little understood and less appreciated.

Firstly and foremost is the Blanquette de Limoux AC. This claims to be the first sparkling wine produced in the world in 1531 by the Benedictine monks at the Abbaye de Saintt-Hilaire. "Blanquette" comes from the Mauzac grape, which develops a white down on the vineleaves - hence "blanc" or white. Mauzac is also used in Gaillac. Up to 10% of Chenin Blanc (the Loire grape) and the ubiquitous Chardonnay may be added. Made using the "methode champenoise" and undergoes a secondary fermentation in bottle before final bottling at 9 months.The resulting wine is fresh and dry with a pleasant "yeasty" edge.
Next comes the Blanquette de Limoux Methode Ancestrale AC where the wine is bottled whilst it still containe yeast and unfermented sugars - so that as the sugar ferments the bubbles develop in the bottle. This tends to be a sweeter wine with relatively low alcohol.
Just to confuse matters there is a third sparkling wine - Cremant de Limoux AC where the blend is predominantly Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc, and the wine is matured on its lees for 12 months before final bottling - again made by the Champagne method.The Chardonnay and Chenin produce more familiar and rounded flavours with a good mousse.
Finally there are the still wines of Limoux AC - The White Limoux is made from Chardonnay, Mauzac (15% minimum) or Chenin Blancm whilst the Red Limoux are composed of at least 50% Merlot; at least 30% of Côt (Malbec), Syrah and Grenache and a maximum of 10% Carignan. They can already also have up to 20 % of Cabernet-Franc and Cabernet-Sauvignon.

It has to be said that with this mix of grapes allowed it is obviously possible to produce some good interesting wines, but I suspect it may be difficult to idenitfy a particular style, especially for the still, red Limoux. The best offering is to my mind the Blanquette de Limoux, which is usually interestingly different from the normal cheaprt fizz, which is likely to be a more consistent style given the requirement for including 90% Mauzac.

My personal favourite producer is Antech, and not just because a most memorable family lunch I enjoyed their many years ago. Although I liked their wines I was not brave enough to import such little-known wines - but Michael and Patricia Robertson at Devignewines and Confit Direct in Welshpool have! We'll be looking at their list of goodies again soon.

If you are in the region of Limoux we can recommend a good English-run B&B at Les Eaux Tranquilles at Quillan - very reasonable, very comfortable rooms and superb setting by the fast-running Aude river.

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Over at Spittoonextra.biz there are these great photos and article on this cheese from Jura close to the Swiss border.. It is a raw cows' milk cheese (ie. Vacherin from "vache" the French for "cow") and it is an Appellation Controllee cheese with quite strict rules - namely that the fresh milk must be got to the dairy every day; it may only be coagulated (thickened) with rennet; no artificial rapid heating;and the wrapping in a strap of spruce wood and the wooden box are a requirement (as well as a marketing ploy I suspect!). The wooden box is quite important as the cheese will continue to mature once it has left the dairy.
He should of course have looked to match it with a local wine such as Cotes de Jura, where a grape called the Savignin is used. No relation to Sauvignon, it is thought to come from Austria. It produces bone dry quite aromatic wines, which would cut well against the creaminess of the Vacherin. Savignin is also used for the famous Vin Jaune (Yellow Wine) of the Jura.

Click here to read Spittoonextra's posting

My main worry about the cheese though is that it looks as though an ordinary knife or cheese knife will not do - going by the picture you need more of an old chisel that's been languishing in the workshop - although it is a soft cheese - maybe the rind gets a bit tough!

Not far away is a good English run B&B in the village of Sens-sur-Seille (71 Saone-et-Loire, Burgundy) -see their website at www.bandb-burgundy.com

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Aer Arann has announced that in addition to its Luton to Lorient (56 Morbihan, Brittany) route it is adding a new route from Manchester to Angers (49 Maine-et-Loire. Loire Valley) from the Spring of 2006. It already offers a variety of French and UK destinations from Ireland.

Angers is really in the heart of the Loire, with good access to all the main western Loire vineyards - Muscadet, Anjou, Saumur, Chinon, Bourgeuil, Touraine and Cheverny/Cour-Cheverny. Peppered with Chateaux large and small it really is a rich and varied region to visit.
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Keywords:Lorient,Brittany,Morbiham,Angers, Anjou,Loire Valley

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9 April 2006 is the date for this year's classic one-day Paris-Roubaix cycle race. Although it is a slight misnomer as it actually starts in Compiegne (60 Oise, Picardie), some 50 miles north of Paris - it does finish in Roubaix (59 Nord, Nord-Pas-de-Calais) which is part of the Lille conurbation, close to the Belgian border.
Somehow you can forgive the 50 mile cheat in starting in Compiegne, as the race is 260km or so in length and includes several notorious "secteurs paves", cobblestone sections north of St Quentin (02 Aisne, Picardie), The problem is that this is essentially a fast road race, so the bikes they use are lightweight racing bikes, not the tough mountain bikes you would usually choose for such unforgivingly bumpy surfaces.

Compiegne is perhaps best known as the location of the Wagon-Lits carriage where both Germany and France humiliated each other at the end of the First World War and 20 odd years later when Hitler accepted the French capitulation. A replica of the famous railway carriage can be seen in a museum (Musee de l'Armistice) in the middle of a clearing in the impressive Foret de Compiegne near Rethondes, about 6km east of the town. For fans of art deco there are two important landmarks to visit near the route - In Lille there is a famous (and expensive but exquisite) Fish restaurant (L'Huitrière), and in nearby Roubaix there is an art deco swimming pool which has been converted into a Museum of Arts and Industry

For cheap cross-channel ferry crossings see Cheap4Ferries.com

Keywords: France, Cycle,Compiegne,Paris,Roubaix,Lille,St Quentin,Nord, Picardie

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The town of Chatillon-sur-Seine (21 Cote d'Or, Burgundy) is the host to this year's "Printemps du Cremant" on 18th and 19th March 2006 - another chance for the locals to dress up in silly costumers, but more importantly it provides you with the opportunity to do some serious tasting of the bubbly Cremant de Bourgogne. Cremant is a term originally used for a Champagne bottled under a lower pressure (50-60%) of that for Champagne proper, but as it has largely passed into history in Champagne it is now the official term for 7 Cremant appellations - d'Alsace. de Bourgogne, de Loire, de Bordeaux, de Limoux, de Jura and de Die.

In Cremant de Bourgogne the grape varieties used are similar to those for Burgundy wines - Chardonnay, Aligote, Melon, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Gamay. Although technically the pressure can be lower than Champagne, they are often vinified to produce more bubbles and a better "mousse", and can be extraordinarily good. Just avoid the cheapies in the supermarket which can be a bit thin and dull. For more info on the Printemps du Cremant Festival see http://www.mairie-chatillon-sur-seine.fr/

A good producer we can recommend is the Cave de Lugny, and their Cremant is stocked by Haynes, Hanson and Clark (http://www.hhandc.co.uk/) who have branches in London and Stow-on-the-Wold as well as nationwide delivery.£8.45 per bottle by the case.

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Wine,Cremant, Bourgogne,Sparkling,Burgundy,Lugny,Stow,Wold,Cotswolds,Glos,France,French

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On 26 March the town of Bailleul (59 Nord, Nord-Pas-de-Calais) celebrates the "International" Potjevleesch festival, although you do somehow doubt if there will many entries from the UK. This is a local Flemish dish (often found in the country around Dunkerque and Lille) which literally means "meat casserole" BUT the peculiarities are that it usually contains 3 types of meat, traditionally chicken, rabbit and veal shin slowly cooked - AND it is served cold in its own jelly. So when I first asked what it was in the restaurant to be told it was a meat casserole, I expected something hearty and warming! It was certainly tasty, and is clearly popular with the locals.

For more info on the festival and the dish see http://www.montsdeflandre.fr/

As there is no locally grown wine in the region, you can accompany the dish with some of the local and Belgian beers which are widely available - France and Belgium do seem to merge in this region - it was really only the different roadsigns which draw your attention to having crossed an international frontier - that and the use of the pretty impenetrable Flemish language!

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An innovative project has been launched which links 2 attractive regions either side of the channel through their respective abundance of gardens to visit. French gardens are often interesting to visit, especially as some aim to create what they think of as a "jardin anglais" - usually with lawns and "cottage garden" deatures, whilst others, particularly in the grounds of stately homes and chateaux, can be very formal.

Normandy clearly has a wealth of gardens open to the public - "The parks and gardens of Normandy, whether botanical, landscape or historic have become important points of reference. Connoisseurs as well as novices will be enthralled by the wealth of different species as well as the beauty of the individual sites. You will find 40 sites, all members of the association, which have been selected not only for their beauty but also for their hospitality. Visitors can discover a wide range of surroundings and secret walks which change daily according to the weather, plant cycle and with a little help from man."

They range includes the famous Monet gardens at Giverny (27 Eure, Haut-Normandie) near the Seine, the magnificently named Jardins de Bellevue at Beaumont le Hareng (the herring?) (76 Seine-Maritime, Normandie) which houses 2 national collections and Agapanthe ("a contemporary garden, burgeoning with plants, takes the form of a series of sharply contrasting intimate spaces ; a botanical walk which also pays tribute to man-made structures, artistically blending the mineral and vegetable kingdoms.") at Grigneuseville (76 Seine-Maritime, Normandie); and as far west as the Jardin des Plantes at Coutances (50 Manche, Normandie). There are also the gardens at Chateau Champ de Bataille (Castle Battlefield?) at Le Neubourg (27 Eure, Normandie)
Just check for opening times, especially out of season.
You'll find a useful website which has details of all the Sussex and Normandy gardens in the scheme at www.gardensnormandysussex.com/
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Keywords: Gardens, Jardins, Normandy,Normandie,France

A selection of Normandy gardens
Jardin d'Argences at Saussey (50 Manche, Normandie)
Parc Floral et Colline des Oiseaux, Caen (14 Calvados, Normandie)
Jardins des Pays d'Auge at Cambremer (14 Calvados, Normandie) on the Normandy Cider Route!
Jardin du Prieure St Michel at Crouttes (61 Orne, Bas-Normandie)
Roseraie et Parc du Chateau Mesnil-Geoffroy at Ermenouville (76 Seine-Maritime. Normandie)
Jardins Agapanthe at Grigneuseville (76 Seine-Maritime. Normandie)
Parc et Jardins du Chateau de Miromesnil at Tourville-sur-Arques (76 Seine-Maritime. Normandie)
Parc et Jardins du Chateau de Canon at Mezidon Canon (14 Calvados, Normandie)
Jardins du Chateau Vendeuvre at Vendeuvre (14 Calvados, Normandie)
Jardin Botanique du Chateau de Vauville (50 Manche, Normandie)
Parc du Chateau de Nacqeville at Urville Nacqueville (50 Manche, Normandie)
Jardins d'Elle and nursery at Villiers Fossard (50 Manche, Normandie)
Abbaye St Georges de Boscherville (76 Seine-Maritime, Normandie)

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4-12 March 2006 sees the 4th Annual Marseille Boat Show at the port of La Ciotat (13 Bouches-du-Rhone, Provence) 20km east of Marseille. The coast east of Marseille is very dramatic with high calanques (the highest cliffs in Europe!) offering some great views of the coastliine and the city of Marseille, Going west towards the port of Cassis you follow the "Route des Cretes" the "road of the crests" which is dramatic with spectacular views - just make sure the driver keeps his/her eyes on the road.
La Coitat has another claim to fame, which is that it was the setting for the first motion picture by the Lumiere Brothers in 1895 " A Train arriving at the station of La Ciotat" - doesn't sound exactly gripping does it? The station is still there, albeit not looking quite so charming as it probably did in 1895.

It is easy to get confused about the local wine "Cassis", named after the nearby port. This is not cassis in the way of blackcurrant or "Creme de Cassis" which tends to come from Burgundy - Cassis wines are mainly white with characteristic floral aromas, made from Clairette, Marsanne, Ugni Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Boutboulenc - ideal with the local fish.

To the east you'll find Bandol, which is home to some big meaty reds made predominantly from the tannic Mourvedre grape. They used to be pretty impenetrable heavyweights, and whilst still definitely in the "big wine" category, the modern style is more balanced with more evident fruit. We can recommend the Bandol wines from BUNAN (Moulin des Costes) at Cadiere d'Azur (83 Var, Provence) - and besides its worth the journey up the dirt track to the winery, from where the views are stunning - try the former dentist at Yapp Brothers for stocks.

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Sarah Gilbert over on Slashfood! has a really good recipe for Cassoulet - the bean and meat casserole from South West France. She provides really useful cooking instructions - you just need to make allowances for her being an American, so look out for broiling (grilling) and the use of bison meat.

"It's just casserole. But such casserole, full of the flavor of hours of cooking and several kinds of meat. Totally worth the effort."

You'd need a really rich red such as a Madiran, Cahors or Corbieres to go with this dish.

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The Independent reports that an American has purchased a very rare 1787 bottle of Chateau d'Yquem for a mere £55,000 or US$90,000, Now is it sheer rarity, sheer historical value or the sumptuousness of the nectar that prompts such a purchase?

The interesting thing is that no-one has tasted it, but a number of interesting things come to light. Any wine will slowly evaporate in the bottle, and hence over the years the levels will have been "topped up" - like taking your car into the garage, Bordeaux chateaux will "service" your bottles of fine wine - re-corking, topping-up and often supplying a new label with a certificate of authentication. If you have old or rare bottles of wine it will be important to have some evidence of its provenance (where it came from) and how it has been stored. (It is hard to believe that during this "topping-up" someone was not tempted to try a little sip - for quality control purposes of course! )

Sauternes is of course famous for the longevity of its wines. It is however bizarre that this hallowed wine is made from what are otherwise "rotten" grapes. The noble rot, or "pourriture noble" is a feature of the Atlantic veineyards and also applies to nearby Monbazillac and Saussignac. In the damp late Autumn the Semillon grape can grow a surface mildew, which crucially does not puncture the skin. As the late harvested grapes shrink, aided by this botrytis, the juices attain a tremendous concentration which makes for such rich, sweet dessert wines, usually vinified and matured in new oak to produce a nutty caramelised character which is so distinctive, In some years the climatic conditions may not be right for this botrytis to grow and so there will be no harvest.

Other sweet wines such as those from Jurancon, Alsace and the Loire Valley do not get this noble rot, but will often be harvested even later in the Autumn to ensure that the sugars are really concentrated.

I would like to think that the buyer does actually drink the wine, despite the ridiculous equivalent price of a glass of the golden liquid. Of course, there is always the danger that it turns out to be the most expensive bottle of vinegar (well, old vinegar)!

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A week-long mini-version of the Tour de France cycle race takes place between 5th and 12th March 2006 with the Paris-Nice race.This is a good early season test which may help to identify the potential successors to Lance Armstrong for the July Tour de France.
This year the tour has stages pass through the Beaujolais vineyards of Julienas and Regnie-Durette (69 Rhone, Rhone-Alpes) and the Cotes du Rhone Villages of Rasteau (84 Vaucluse, Provence) - other stages visiting SAINT-AMAND-MONTROND (18 Cher, Centre), ST-ETIENNE (42 Loire, Rhone-Alpes), AVIGNON (84 Vaucluse, Provence), DIGNE-LES-BAINS (04 Alpes de Haute-Provence, Provence).CANNES and of course NICE (06 Alpes-Maritimes, Provence)
You really do not have to be a cycling fan to enjoy the spectacle of a French race - the locals are very enthusiastic and tolerate the associated road closures, noise and chaos willingly, Watching the Tour de France has got us to parts of France we would never have seen or have stopped in - there is always a bit of a carnival atmosphere, and the locals are usually friendly. We tend to head for the smaller, quieter villages where the arrival of "le Tour" is a major event - so out will come the flags, the mayor and maybe a small band. The waiting around for the cyclists and their entourage to arrive gives you a chance to explore "la France profonde" which you might not otherwise do - and to have a picnic or even the odd glass of local wine - it's all very French!

Meanwhile the details of the 2007 Tour de France start in London have been announced for 6-8 July 2007. Friday 6th July will see the celebratory launch; Saturday 7th July will be the "Prologue" which is a short 8km individual time trial from Whitehall to Buckingham Palace via the Houses of Parliament, St James' Park and Hyde Park.Whilst Sunday will mark the first stage proper departing central London and heading east past the Tower of London out to Canterbury via Maidstone, Tonbridge Wells and Ashford. - Should be a great weekend!

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Just days after having written in glowing terms about the improving quality of Loire Valley wines the Independent publishes an article which makes my heart sink - instead of focussing on quality some of the producers are resorting to cheap gimmickery - "Loire wines rebranded as fashion item to appeal to women drinkers ". One of the producers cited is Lacheteau, a Loire valley negociant responsible for the bottles in the picture above. (A negociant sometimes markets the wines of individual chateau, or sometimes blends and brands wines under their own label.) Here marketing speak (especially when translated from French) comes to the fore - "B4 going out at Julie’s place, a trendy aperitif : a white wine. She knows what you MUST wear, and what you MUST drink. She chooses clear and differentiated messages." - that's for the white wine "Vague de Blanc - thirst-quenching wine" - although no other details such as classification, grapes or even TASTE etc are to be found. For the Pink ("Soupcon de Fruit" - a hint of fruit? "Perfume from the Loire") we are offered "At Ingrid and Raphaël’s place, one has a sense of French-style refinement. When the fine weather arrives, she lunches outdoors with her best friends..." for what I assume to be a Cabernet Franc rose!

So, I'm obviously a "grumpy old former wine merchant" - but I do worry that this sort of "branding" and what I assume to be somewhat bland inoffensive wines from large negociants will overwhelm the efforts of inspired winemakers who are re-building the quality image of Loire wines with flavour, distinctiveness and passion. Look what happened to Beaujolais when Beaujolais Nouveau completely ruined the perception of Beaujolais as a good wine - or German wine's reputation following the onslaught of Liebfraumilch.

Sure the gimmicks will sell some more bottles in the short term, but only at cheap prices, and those customers will find little incentive or information to try other Loire Valley wines - they are likely to be fickle and buy the next sexy bottle shape with meaningless silken words that comes along. See the article in the Independent here

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Posted by frenchduck at 10:05 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Pity the French who must find it very difficult to understand the English language when it comes to food - we have mincemeat pies for Christmas which do not contain any minced meat - whereas in Pezenas (34 Herault, Languedoc) they do have small pies which contain a mincemeat of sweetened lamb rolled up in pastry - "Les Petits pâtés de Pézenas". These sweet/salty concoctions in the form of a bobin are a speciality of the region, supposedly introduced by our Clive of India who stopped over in the town and his Indian cooks invented the pies from the available local ingredients. They are small pies usually served as a starter with a glass of wine.
Inevitably there is a "Confrérie du Petit Pâté de Pézenas" who have a ceremony every Ascension Day which gives them the excuse to dress up in extravagant gowns - but meantime you can always find a pie in any of the numerous Patisseries in this charming medieval town.

The town is in the middle of Languedoc wine country with some excellent Vins de Pays d'Oc and Coteaux du Languedoc, Picpoul de Pinet, and Muscat wines.
Nearby is a great villa for rental in the middle of the vines at Roujan - Clos Montels

- book hotels, flights, rail travel and car hire for your trip.
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Those folks on the French Riveria really know how to make us northern Europeans envious of their benign climate - February witnesses a whole series of festivals (Menton Lemons, Nice Flowers & Carnival, Mimosas) - and they hold them outside, whereas we dare not venture outside without hat, gloves, overcoat, scarf and thermal undergarments!

At Villefrance-sur-Mer (06 Alpes-Maritimes, Provence) they celebrate with a Battle of the Flowers on water - in the Port de la Sante (which literally translates as Health Port) on 27 February 2006.
Traditional fishing boats ("pointus") decorated with local flowers (carnations, mimosas) arranged in different motifs are in the harbour and a flower battle ensues between the boats whilst there are various other attractions on the quayside.

Villefranche is a pretty little coastal port with a natural deep harbour - the town feels more real than some of its bigger and more glitzy Riviera neighbours.

The local tourist office website is not one of the best I have seen and clearly someone has translated from the French into English using a dictionary word for word - hence "Moreover, you can savour its greedy treasures resulting from the sea in the restaurants in edge of sea." - perhaps beware of paddling in case you get eaten?
If you must, see www.villefranche-sur-mer.org

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Now that does sound fascinating - started in 2003 and for the next 20 years, thirty five craftsmen and women will be building a medieval castle before your very eyes!.
They will do so following 13th century techniques. The site in the middle of the forest will provide them with all the building material they will require : wood, water, stone, earth, sand and iron.
The Chateau de Guedelon (near St Fargeau (89 Yonne, Burgundy) will have a keep, dungeons, moat and drawbridge and is being built to authentic plans. Open from March to November this sounds like a site to visit and re-visit - see.www.guedelon.com

In Saint Fargeau itself is a complete medieval chateau (from the 10th Century) which may be worth visiting - it also boast a steam locomotive collection and in the summer a magnificent "Son et Lumiere" spectacle! There is also the medieval Farm which apart from the normal touristy visit to see the buildings, animals, farm tools etc also offers the opportunity for your family/group to experience rural medieval life for real!! - see www.chateau-de-saint-fargeau.com - reopens 22 March 2006

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20-27 May 2006 sees the 20th "Jazz sous les Pommiers" Festival at Coutances (50 Manche, Normandy) - the capiral of the Cotentin Peninsula, which is the peninsula which juts north with Cherbourg at its head. This promises to be an ideal way of enjoying mellow jazz in late Spring in the heart of Normandy with apple blossom and warm evenings. Whilst the big concerts are held in the Theatre Municipal, there are jazz events throughout the town - some in the open air, some free. Enjoy the Normandy cuisine - cider, pork, cream and butter are the regions gastronomic jewels.
For more info see www.jazzsouslespommiers.com
Situated on an outcrop, the town has a fine 11th/13th Century Cathedral and a "Jardin des Plantes".

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Although it is a trade only event, next week (6-8 February 2006) sees the 20th Anniversary of the Loire Valley Wine Fair at Angers (59 Maine-et-Loire, Val de Loire). This is quite significant as it draws attention to the massive improvement in the regions wines in that time - they tended to be rather lacklustre reds, thin acidic Muscadets or horrendous sweet roses.

Now there is a wide range of interesting quality wines available, and even unfashionable Muscadet is now definitely worth another look as younger growers aim for quality rather than quantity. Great Sauvignon Blancs are now available from the Touraine and previously unknown appellations of Quincy, Reuilly and Menetou-Salon - offering better value for money than the often disappointing Sancerre. The Cabernet Franc reds (Anjou, Chinon, Bourgeuil etc) are to my mind still a little austere, but at their best they overflow with rich raspberry fruit which can be a delight. Sparkling wines from Saumur and Vouvray are often excellent, whilst dessert wines from the Coteaux du Layon can be extraordinarily rich and complex.

The Loire is the longest river in France, the last wild river in Europe, and has been designated a World Heritage area by UNESCO. For much of its 630 miles - from the mountains of central France to the coast of Brittany - the Loire is vineyard country, and total wine production makes up the third largest AOC (appellation d'origine contrôlée) viticultural area in France. It is the largest white wine region in France, and the second largest for sparkling wine.

Our recommendations would include:-
Anjou, Coteaux du Layon - Domaine Leduc Frouin

Cheverny, Cour-Cheverny from Domaine des Huards

Touraine Sauvignon from Domaine Octavie

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The French are seldom modest when it comes to promoting their products (often with good reason), but the website for the "Poulet de Bresse" does not hold back -

The Queen of Poultry, the Poultry of Kings "
There are champagnes ... and Dom-Pérignon !
There are cars ... and Rolls Royces !
There is caviar ... and Beluga caviar !
In the same way, there are chickens, and there are "Bresse
Chickens" ...
Bresse Poultry is unique ..

In southern Burgundy, around the town of Bourg-en-Bresse (01 Ain, Rhone-Alpes) they rear a specific pure breed of chicken with all white feathers and fine blue feet. Bresse chicken is young poultry that have not yet reached adult age. During the first part of its life, the young Bresse chicken is raised in the open on the farmlands of the Bresse region, where it is free to roam. Thanks to this daily exercising, its flesh becomes more firm.
In order to make the flesh more tender, Bresse poultry farmers confine the animals in a coop. The chicken is placed in semi-darkness, and is then fed exclusively flour mixed with cereals and dairy products. It always carries a "seal" of authenticity as it is an Appellation Controllee product, providing a guarantee of its origin and conformity to the agreed standard.

It is widely acknowledged to be chicken at its best - moist, tender, succulent and tasty - especially when cooked in a cream sauce with morel mushrooms, or roast.

We know of a good English-run bed and breakfast in the region (see www.bandb-burgundy.com). which is an ideal base for visiting the vineyards of the Cote d'Or and Burgundy,the Cotes Challonais and Maconnais (predominantly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay) and a little further south to Beaujolais (Gamay). In the other direction the vineyards of the Jura are within reach and are worth exploring.

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It is always frustrating to be tempted by a hearty French cassoulet in the middle of the Midi summer, which is when most of us get to visit the southern half of France. It must surely be appreciated best on days such as these mid-winter grey cold days, And, just in case you harbour the illusion that the Midi is always sunny and mild, beware it can get pretty cold and miserable over there too - Toulouse airport and numerous main autoroutes were closed last week due to heavy snow!

But back to Cassoulet - it is essentially a bean and meat casserole, the contents of which vary from town to town. Traditionally regarded as originating from the town of CASTELNAUDRY (11 Aude, Languedoc) between Toulouse and Carcassonne, it usually features goose or duck meat, sometines the confit of goose or duck. The constant ingredient is the white haricot bean together with onion, tomato, garlic etc - the variability is in the meat content - in Castelnaudry it tends to be predominantly pork; in Toulouse lamb and Toulouse sausage are often added; and in Carcassonne they even add partridge (perdrix)! it is a meal in itself, and one which can be very filling and very tasty.

We've just come across a new supplier of quality Cassoulet and other goodies in the UK from JULIEN DE PROVENCEwho imports from both Provence and the Lot - so Cassoulet, Confit, Foie Gras and Terrines from the South West; Tapenade, Anchoiade, Rouille and "Vegetable Caviars" from Provence - delights you will seldom find down the local supermarket.

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