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Coulommiers (77 Seine-et-Marne, Ile de France) celebrates its annual Cheese and Wine Festival 30 March - 2 April 2007.

Coulommiers cheese comes from the area South East of Paris where Brie, the better-known classic French cheese is also made. Like Brie, it is a soft uncooked, unpressed cows milk cheese which can be made with either pasteurised or unpasteurised (raw) milk - although there are moves afoot within France to ban the use of unpasteurised milk in cheeses. It is matured for between 4 and 8 weeks and is produced in smaller rounds than Brie. It has a rich and creamy body wiith a rather nuttier flavour and a thicker crust. As with all such soft cheeses it is vitally important to eat the cheese at optimum ripeness - too young and it can be rather tastless; leave it too long and the smell and taste of ammonia overwhelms the nose and palate. If in doubt leave the cheese out of the fridge (but in a cool corner) for a few days until the crust is bouncy. Better still buy from a proper cheesemonger who should be able to guide you.

The French do take their local cheeses very seriously - not only do they have a National Cheese Day (24 March in 2007) with events throughout France and elsewhere; but whilst the Brits have novelty Womens Institute calendars, the French produce one with 12 Fromage girls (see above)

LINKS
More info on Coulommiers and its Cheese Festival
More on French Cheeses
More on French National Cheese Day

RECOMMENDED READING:
French Cheese (Eyewitness Companions)
Northern France and Paris Region Green Guide (Michelin Green Guides)

http://www.fromages-de-terroirs.com

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On 10 June 2007 French Railways opens the latest link in their high speed train network with the TGV Est Europeén which will link Paris with Reims, Strasbourg and points east - i.e. Germany (Munich) and Austria (Vienna) - all by high speed train.
Importantly it brings the travel time between Paris and Reims to just 45 minutes (previously 95 minutes) - so although an east-west route does not appear to be immediately useful for visitors from the UK, these timings make a day trip from Paris to Reims (for its Cathedral and the Champagne houses) more than possible.Or vice versa - a day's excursion from Reims to Paris could enhance a long weekend in the capital of Champagne.
Similarly Strasbourg comes down from 4 hours to 2 hours 20 minutes from Paris, (and eventually to 1h 50m) providing faster access to the vineyards of Alsace.
Another example of an impressive approach to major infrastructure developments in France - made easier by the fact that France has so much more "elbow room" with twice the land area of the UK - and rather different planning laws.
LINKS:-
For more info see the LGV Est website with videos and information on the construction of the line
TGV Est website with information on train services, tickets, bookings, timetables

Recommended Reading:
Alsace Lorraine Champagne Green Guide (Michelin Green Guides)
World Encylopedia of Champagne & Sparkling Wine

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Should you be crossing the western channel in mid June, you could stumble across the "Tour de Normandie" an annual French vintage car rally which runs from Wednesday 13 - Sunday 17 June 2007. This promises a cavalcade of classic french cars from vintage to 1970s which will be so evocative of the France of old films - such as Jean-Luc Goddard's Weekend [1967] - wonderfully quirky old Renaults, Simcas, Citroens, Matras ......
The route starts at Epaignes (27 Eure, Normandie) north of Lisieux to Elbeuf (south of Rouen) via ont l'Eveque (home of Père Magloire Calvados); then south to Evreux, west to Orbec and finishing in l'Aigle (=the Eagle! 61,Orne, Normanide.
More than 100 vehicles are expected which should provide an interesting spectacle in the gently rolling countryside of Normandy, perhaps enhanced by a little of the local produce - cider, Calvados (apple brandy), cream, butter and cheese!
FOR MORE INFO:
Tour de Normanide (in French)
Normandy Tourism

RECOMMENDED READING:
The Rough Guide to Brittany and Normandy - Edition 9
Normandy Green Guide (Michelin Green Guides)

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One of our favourite French wine producers is Guy Cuisset at Chateau Grinou in Bergerac (24 Dordogne, Aquitaine), whose range of wines tick all the right boxes - well made, interesting top quality wines at competitive prices.So we were delighted to find another importer of his wines - Private Cellar in Ely in Cambridgeshire.

We worked with Guy Cuisset for more than 10 years and what impressed me was his continuing passion for producing wines of increasingly high quality - always looking to bring more intense fruit characteristics to the wine and looking for ways to better understand the factors which influence the development of the wine - whether it be the drainage in the vineyard. the way in which the grapes reach the winery or the fermentation and maturation process.

It is enthusiasm such as this which has helped to elevate the reputation of Bergerac wines above that of being a poor cousin of neighbouring Bordeaux. Personally I would always choose a decent Bergerac above an equivalent Bordeaux, as I suspect that a lot of Bordeaux is sold on the back of the reputation of the fine claret - and this can be a big mistake, especially when you consider the sheer volume of wine that is labelled as "Bordeaux". Bergerac by contrast has to fight for its reputation and has recognised that this can only be done by producing wines of consistent high quality.

The Private Cellar list includes Bergerac AC Chateau Grinou Reserve: "Selected from the best parcels of Merlot within Château Grinou, the Rouge Réserve is aged in barrels to give added depth and complexity. The 2004 is deep red in colour, with a fresh, sappy blackcurrant nose leading to a finely balanced palate of soft red berries, subtle oak and ripe tannins. Great finesse." (£7.95)

KEY LINKS:-
more on Chateau Grinou
Private Cellar

RECOMMENDED READING:-
Dordogne, Bordeaux and the Southwest Coast (Eyewitness Travel Guides)
Patricia Atkinson's The Ripening Sun: One Woman and the Creation of a Vineyard
Dordogne Berry Limousin Green Guide (Michelin Green Guides)

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It can be confusing trying to make sense of the medals which winemakers put on their bottles. Sometimes these medals are won in very small localised competitions, and hence mean rather less than those won in national or international competitions. However even with major competitions such as the International Wine Challenge or Decanter's World Wine Awards, it is difficult to draw any real conclusions - so much depends on what wines are submitted and the criteria for judging them. The local competitions may be a good indicator of wines which are most typical of the appellation, as they are likely to be judged by local wine experts.
However, within France the medals which carry real prestige tend to be those from the Paris and Macon Wine Fairs (Salons).
So it may be worth planning a trip to Macon (71 Saone et Loire, Bourgogne) for their wine fair 20-22 April 2007. For just €5.00 you get a free glass and the opportunity to taste some of the best wines from all over France on any of the 87 stands.
The competition, Concours des Grands Vins de France takes place on 21 April 2007.

Macon is ideally situated for visits to both Beaujolais and southern Burgundy.

LINKS:-
Macon Salon des Vins
Macon Tourist office

Recommended Reading:-
Greater Burgundy: Chablis, Chalonnais, Maconnais and Beaujolais v. 1 (Mitchell Beazley Classic Wine Library)
Wines of Burgundy (Mitchell Beazley Wine Guides)

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Jon Catt is an Englishman living in the Champagne region who offers guided tours in the region - and he offers some tips to get the best out of your wine tour of the region.

"In the big houses if you take the basic tour you get the basic tasting. It’s what one of my clients described as wedding champagne.

Don’t forget the Aube (the most southerly Champagne producing see map region - often overlooked). This department has some of the top small grower champagnes"
See more about Jon Catt's Champagne Tours

Recommended Reading
Alsace Lorraine Champagne Green Guide (Michelin Green Guides)
Christie's World Encyclopedia of Champagne and Sparkling Wine

Key Links:-
Official Champagne wines website
Aube en Champagne website

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Cahors from South West France claims to be the birthplace of the Malbec grape, known locally as Auxerrois or Cot, now more familiar to UK wine enthusiasts as a result of the growing popularity of South American Malbecs.
Jonathan Ray in the Telegraph (24 Mar 07) features Dominique Perrin's Chateau Lagrezette. Perrin was head of Cartier, the luxury goods company, hence his arrival in the provincial Lot departement was quite a complement.
Producing top end wines he brought modern packaging and marketing strategies to the project with great success.
But it appears he has fallen out with the other top prodcuers (such as Chateau le Cedre, Clos Truguedina) and has left the "Seigneurs de Cahors" (Lords of Cahors) group and is now "prefers to go it alone and promote Lagrézette as Lagrézette rather than as a Cahors.".
Now there is no doubt whatsoever that Chateau Lagrezette produces excellent wines - Robert Parker has awarded an impressive 95 points for Le Pigeonnier 2001. But therein may lie the problem. For one thing Parker tends to prefer a rich oaky style of wine in the tradtion of the best of Bordeaux. Secondly whilst it is clearly possible to create a great and very marketable wine in Cahors, does the result really reflect the essential character of Cahors wines??
This can be a real dilemma for distinctive appellations such as Cahors. I suspect that most tasters will be able to differentiate an Argentinean Malbec from an equivalent quality Cahors. The Cahors.will tend to be more complex with more evident tannins - but that then is the nature of Cahors and gives it distinctiveness.
Using modern techniques it is possible to refine and smooth the wine to produce something which has wider or more sophisticated appeal - but is it Cahors??
This is a real dilemma for traditional wine and food producers - if we are not careful we could homogenise the wonderful diversity and idiosyncracies of local produce into something which no-one can dislike.
However, do try Chateau Lagrezette, I am sure you will find an extraordinarily fine wine - but also try other Cahors wines such as those offered by Advintage Wines

LINKS:-
See the Telegraph article
Website for Chateau Lagrezette
UK stockists include Four Walls WIne Co, East Sussex
Other Cahors wines from stockists such as Advintage Wines

Recommended reading:-
Andrew Jefford's The New France: A Complete Guide to Contemporary French Wine (Mitchell Beazley Wine Guides)
South West France - The Wines & Winemakers by Paul Strang

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There is another Michelin Guide to France which may be more suited to the holiday tourer - Michelin's Charming Places to Stay in France 2007 - "Carefully selected for their warm welcome, pleasant location and reasonable rates, there is something for everyone from chalet to château, mill-house to monastery - Each entry includes:
A photo and descriptive text.
Practical information (how to get there, prices, facilities, what to see and do in the area).
A location map.."

But don't dismiss the Michelin Red Guide which is still an indispensible reference book for travelling in France by car.
Charming Places to Stay France 2007 (Michelin Charming Guides)

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Spectacular views of the Pyrenees in Languedoc-Roussillon are on offer from the Train Jaune de la Cerdagne which runs from Villefrance-de-Conflent to Latour-de-Carol (66 Pyrénées Orientales, Languedoc-Roussillon see map) - from west of Perpignan right up to the peaks. This is not just for train-spotters - when you are in the middle of dramatic scenery few things can beat the train - not having to concentrate on the road, and often the track takes you through areas and offers vistas which are all but impossible from the road.The full trip takes about 3 hours, plus a connection from Perpignan - Anthony Lambert in the Independent has written a good article about this journey.
For more info on the Train Jaune see www.trainstouristiques-ter.com

The Rough Guide to the Pyrenees - 5th Edition
Walks and Climbs in the Pyrenees (Cicerone Mountain Walking)

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Duck rillons, Roast duck breast with cider butter sauce, Duck with dried cherries, Duck liver and caramelised onion bruschetta and Duck noodle soup are featured in an interesting article by Xanthe Clay in the Telegraph (17 March 07)She focusses on ethical production methods for free-range Freedom Food ducks in the UK. Given the increased demand and greater availability, this becomes more and more important, especially as ducks tend to have a rather better image than chickens. "Decent duck may cost a bit more, but use every scrap and it's a bargain. With two birds, it's possible to make two main courses, a hearty soup and nibbles for four. Ask the butcher to take the breasts and legs off and give you the carcass and giblets, too."
I admit to being a serious duck fan, especially the fattened ducks and magret de canard from France.
Rilllons are "the duck equivalent of pork scratchings, and delicious with drinks before dinner or scattered over a frisee salad and served as a starter." Made from the leftover skin and fat from the cooked duck carcass, they can be really tasty - and at least by cooking them yourselves you know that nothing unmentionable has been added. "Rillettes" are similar but have more meat and fat, and are more of a moist paté.
Recommended reading:
Cooking and Travelling in South-West France

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Channel4 TV is showing a new drama set in Arles (13, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence) in the late 19th Century when Van Gogh and Gauguin shared The Yellow House." Approaching middle age and still flat broke, both men abandon respectability, family and friends to commit themselves utterly to painting, united by an unshakable belief in the importance of art.

In this brief period of penniless, fraught obscurity they produce between them over 40 acknowledged masterpieces, with a combined current value of almost a billion pounds. The relationship finally ends in an iconic and bloody climax, when Van Gogh cuts off his own ear. Eighteen months after leaving The Yellow House, Van Gogh shot himself, bleeding to death over several days. Years later, Gauguin died, a syphilitic, in self-imposed exile in Tahiti."

It is quite a dramatic story of these 2 strong-minded creative geniuses, and will doubtless provide good opportunities for lots of sumptuous Provencal scenery.

The programme is screened on Thursday 22 March 2007 at 9pm on Channel 4 - for more info see www.channel4.com

There is also a book by Martin Gayford :The Yellow House: Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Nine Turbulent Weeks in Arles " which was serialised on BBC Radio 4 last year.

Arles is a small town on the edge of the Rhône delta with impressive Roman remains - and a centre for bull-fighting (Toros from the Camarge). It can claim to be the gateway to the Camargue. Its strong connections with Van Gogh in particular have led to the siting of the Van Gogh Foundation in the town, and there are several Van Gogh themed walking routes where you can see the original inspiration for some of his most famous works e.g Place du Forum for the "Evening Café", the Rhone River quay for the "Starry Night", the Place Lamartine for the "Yellow House", itself.
You can download a brochure online which describes the Van Gogh walk in Arles at www.tourisme.ville-arles.fr/us/

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One of the many joys of France is the "charcuterie" - effectively a delicatessen which you'll find in most towns and villages. "Charcuterie" is one of those words which does not really have an English equivalent - at its most precise it refers to "cold meats", but of course most charcuterie shops will offer much much more; and restaurant menus will often include "une assiette de charcuterie".

Traditionally it does tend to focus on pork products, with the French being particularly adept at producing something edible (depending on your tastes) from most parts of the pig. But you'll also find other delicacies - patés, terrines, quiches and often prepared dishes which you can cook/reheat back in the kitchen.
Most charcuteries are also "artisan" business, often curing and preparing the meat and dishes themselves and/or sourcing quality products from local specialists. Hence each is different, offering a unique range of items, some of which will be totally new to you. For us, the visit to the Charcuterie is always a highlight of the morning - choosing what to have for the lunchtime picnic - and as a rule we always try at least one unfamiliar item.
Similarly trying the "assiette de charcuterie" on the restaurant menu is always something of adventure - the best will be a wondrous selection of salami, air-cured ham, raw vegetables with a jar of gherkins - but you can never be sure what to expect.
If you want to have a go at recreating some of the dishes at home, then have a look at Jane Grigson's book Charcuterie and French Pork Cookery - it will either inspire you or prompt you to leave it to the experts.

"Every town in France has at least one charcutier, whose windows are dressed with astonishing displays of good food; pates, terrines, galantines, jambon, saucissions sec and boudins. The charcutier will also sell olives, anchovies, condiments as well as various salads of his own creation, making a visit the perfect stop to assemble picnics and impromptu meals. But the real skill of the charcutier lies in his transformation of the pig into an array of delicacies; a trade which goes back at least as far as classical Rome, when Gaul was famed for its hams. First published in 1969 but unavailable for many years, Jane Grigson's "Charcuterie and French Pork Cookery" is a guidebook and a recipe book. She describes every type of charcuterie available for purchase and how to make them yourself. She describes how to braise, roast, pot-roast and stew all the cuts of pork, how to make terrines, how to cure your own ham and make your own sausages."

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Another piece of the increasingly versatile French autoroute system is now in place - a section of the A85 between Langeais and Bourgeuil (37 Indre-et-Loire, Val de Loire) to the southwest of Tours. The A85 will link the Atlantic with the Rhone without having to go via Paris - so on the west links to the A11 at Angers (for points west to Nantes and Brittany), intersects with the A10 to Bordeaux at Tours, and then on the east at Vierzon with the A71 south to Clermont-Ferrand, Lyon and the Languedoc.
There remains a longish section east of Tours towards St Aignan which remains to be completed but this latest link finally links Angers and Tours by autoroute and links the A10 and A11 autoroutes.
As yet the autoroute has no name (e.g." l'Aquitaine" for the A10 to Bordeaux, or "du Soleil" for the the A6 to Lyon and the south) but it ought to be the "Autoroute des Vins" as it moves from the vineyards of Anjou in the west to Chinon, Bourgeuil and Touraine in the centre, and Cheverny, Cour-Cheverny, Quincy, Reuilly and Menetou-Salon in the east.

For up-to-date info on autoroute traffic and routes across France - see www.autoroutes.fr
Many SatNav systems include French and European maps - and they really can help you to avoid getting lost - and they'll speak to you in English and give you the correct instructions at roundabouts - i.e. what may be the first exit in the UK can be the 3rd exit in France!
See our suggested SatNav systems for France e.g. TomTom ONE Europe
Or for more traditional map see MOT Atlas France (Michelin Tourist & Motoring Atlases)

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Burgundy is obviously one of the premier wine regions in the world, but it is quite unlike other regions such as the Loire or Bordeaux. The vineyards are small and the geography complex, prices can be high and yet just 2 grape varieties dominate - Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. So it really is a region to study to get the best from it, or glean your understanding from someone who knows their stuff.
One such is Pascal Watkins of the Wine Cave who has penned a charming piece on his discovery of, and passion for Burgundy (see below)
They stock Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeot 1er Cru 2002 from Ballot-Millot.

A Pilgrimage to Burgundy by Pascal Watkins, the Wine Cave

I’m going back to Burgundy the week before Easter, to my spirit filled place of dreams. Ever since my Dad died, it’s been a spiritual, soul colluding affair. You see his passion was infectious, his love of wine, his hunger for the vine, and the yearning had lead him home, home to Burgundy.
Sitting there, surrounded by beautiful wisteria, over looking the tranquil, carefully laid out, rows of vines, the gentle sloping aspect, the Norman church spire, a look of glee, a twinkle in his eye.

I hadn’t been working in Calais long, then working for Oddbins, when we took our first trip to Burgundy together. Thirty years of troubled tears, un-said things, muddled fears, you know how it can be between a Father and son; Yet something changed that year, a new understanding, a passion shared and for the first time ever a new friendship between father and only boy. “Look Dad! They’ve named all these villages after bottles of wine!”, the old man shakes his head with a grin. It had taken us all this time to find some common ground and who’d have believed that the ground would be some sodden earth between two rows of vines, with a wall around the field, and a gate and something called ‘Montrachet’ on the lintel. “Look Son! This is some of the most expensive real estate in the world, no forty storey tower blocks, just the soil, the elements and vitis vinifera!”

It was funny really, I’d grown up with wine on the peripheral but had never taken the time to discover. We were a catering family, father was a bit of a pub food pioneer, and I needed to find something to be passionate about. I’m easily bored and had a tendency to loose interest in the sort of jobs that I’d pursued without much success, and wine was the obvious solution. Specialising in Burgundy seemed the shrewdest of options given the wealth of knowledge available to me, and I decided to get my hands dirty one year, picking the grapes. I can remember my old man rolling around with laughter as I hobbled back to the cottage every day, with a bent back, in agony “That’s the only honest work you’ve ever done in your life Son!”, I think yes, maybe he was right, it was certainly the hardest.

I think the passion is closely linked to the soil. Every wine produced by a farmer in Burgundy is a twofold expression, an expression of the wine maker, an expression of the soil. Every year the elements fight to change that expression, with hail, mist, rain and drought; every year the wine maker fights the elements to produce the wine that is the truest expression of that piece of land, the ‘terroir’. I think this is where the spirituality comes in for me, there’s just that little thing that you can’t put your hand on, that extra something special. Maybe it’s the fact that to unsuspecting travellers a sleepy village with a leaf swept square and a hotel called The Montrachet could almost pale into insignificance were it not for the fact that countless similar sleepy archetypal rural French villages, throughout the Cote D’Or, have produced some of the greatest compliments to some of the finest banquets in Royal courts throughout history.

Going back fills me with a sense of joy, I can almost feel Dad’s spirit flying, freely over the vines, whispering comforts through the leaves, that spirit of Dionysus, that time loved, almost birth place, of my Father Denis.

Pascal Watkins - The Wine Cave

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The Beef Festival (Carnaval du Boeuf Villé) at Montlucon (03 Allier, Auvergne) takes place 21-25 March 2007 - another example of the way in which the French celebrate and revere their food and agriculture. It is interesting to note that all the candidates for the forthcoming French Presidential elections have been consipicuously shmoozing the farmers at the Annual Agricultural Show (SIAL = Salon International de l'Agroalimentaire) in Paris - even Jacques Chirac posing with a goat!!
When did we see Hereford Town Centre closed for a weekend for celebrations of the Hereford cow; or Cheshire mounting a festival for the Cheshire Cheese, or Pontefract saluting its cakes?
This is yet another corner of France that can easily be missed - in the Auvergne, on the Canal du Berry (the narrowest canal in France, where most of the canal boats are not "narrowboats" as we know them), and just off the A71 autoroute north of Clermont-Ferrand.This is literally the heart of France geographically (see map)
Unfortunately you missed another gastronomic highlight - the competition for the best Paté au Pommes de Terre - a sort of potato cake with creme fraiche and herbs and sometime salt pork - a local speciality in the "Berry" region of central France. There is an annual competition - this years was on 3 March 2007.
For more on the Auvergne see the Auvergne Tourism site; for more on the Allier département and a recipe for te Paté de Pommes de Terre see www.allier-tourisme.com

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11 March 2007 is the departure date for the Paris-Nice cycle race, an annual harbinger of Spring and Summer. It is the first of the major European cycle races, the teams having spent the winter racing in friendlier climes such as Australia and California, and for me it conjurs up images of hot summer days with roadside picnics somewhere in deepest rural France. That may still be a little optimistic for mid-March even in Provence, unless you get lucky with the sun and no Mistral wind.

800 miles in 8 days across France and the Alps the race is known as the "Course au soleil"(the race to the sun!) and is really just a "warm up" for the athletes, but for me the joy is in discovering hidden corners of France. Forget the autoroutes, the race mainly uses by-roads, and whilst the autoroutes and major N routes are undoubtedly faster, cross-country driving on Michelin yellow roads is always more interesting. It is easy to forget just how big France is, and non matter how many times you have been there will always be more to discover. That is why even if you are not a cycling fan, it can be fun tracing the route of the major races - so this year's Paris-Nice will get you to places like Mende (48 Lozere, Languedoc-Roussillon) and Manosque (04 Alpes de Haut-Provence, Provence) - not often on the a more direct itinerary.

The lure of a trip from Paris to Nice is huge, as you really get to experience the diversity of France, from the classy metropolitan allure of Paris through to the exotic Mediterranean warmth of Nice, close to the Italian border - and everything in between. Think of Hemingway or Scott Fitzgerald embarking on a real adventure in the 1920s/30s - before autoroutes or the TGV - and forget route planning on the SatNav - take your Michelin red guide, determine not to rush, stay in small hotels (or better still in Chambres d'Hote), picnic on local food and wines, maybe get a little lost or follow a whim - and experience the real France.

For more on the Paris-Nice cycle race and route see www.letour.fr

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If you are in SouthWest France towards the end of March, you'd do well to get down to deepest Gascony for the open doors weekend of the Plaimont Co-operative for the St Mont festival(32 Gers, Midi-Pyrenees - see map) from 23-25 March 2007. Here you can taste and buy Madiran (red), Pacherenc du Vic Billh (dessert white). Cotes de St Mont VDQS (red, white and rose), Vin de Pays des Cotes de Gascogne. You'll get to meet and talk to the winemakers and get a good deal on any purchases - e.g 6 bottles for the price of 4.
Now this is really deepest France - overwhelmingly rural and agricultural - gently rolling hills, no major towns or main roads - quiet, peaceful. few people, sleepy villages - and yet for some reason the Gers departement manages to host some mainstream events, such as the annual summer Jazz Festival in Marciac (August), a funky salsa festival of music and dance in Tempo Latino at Vic Fezensac in July (where there is also a Whitsun Bull-running festival (Feria)) and numerous celebrations around wine throughout the year. The Gersois are intensely proud of their tradtions, ably demonstrated by the Plaimont co-op where quality and tradtion come together so well.
For more info on Plaimont see www.plaimont.com
For dates of the other events see www.frenchduck.com/webcal

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It is always good to come across an old friend, and on this ocassion for me it was the wines of the Plaimont Co-opérative in Gascony that greeted me in the sleepy little town of Shipston-on-Stour in Warwickshire.
Edward Sheldon is a very traditional country wine merchant - in the middle of good farming and hunting countryside southeast of Stratford-upon-Avon. Their premises are redolent of their long history, and you'd be forgiven for expecting something a bit "stuffy". But amongst the fine clarets, revered Burgundies and Hunting Port you will find an exciting range of well-chosen wines from the New World and Old.
We have known the Plaimont Co-operative for many years, originally importing their light refreshing Colombard, a delightful Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne before venturing into the delights of their Côtes de St Mont, Madiran and Pacherenc-du-Vic Bilh. Despite being a co-op it rises far above the normal level of cooperative cellars - and consistently produces top quality wines at keen prices. Quality control and innovation are their trademarks, and I was always delighted that even as a small importer we were always welcomed effusively - and the same goes for casual visitors to St Mont who may only be buying a few bottles.
A particular favourite of ours was the Côtes de St Mont VDQS Vignes Retrouvées white - a crisp dry wine with great depth of flavour made from the local Arrufiac, Petit Courbu and Gros Manseng grapes.
A newcomer to me was the Rive Haute (high bank) Sauvignon, which is a Vin de Pays du Gers, which Jane McQuitty reviewed in the Times "..squeaky clean stainless-steel fermented Sauvignon made from grapes picked in the cool of the early morning to ensure the zingiest results. Oozing smashing ripe, grassy, gooseberry and whitecurrant fruit" - I think she liked it. Just £6.49 at Edward Sheldon.

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