Blog

Domaine Filliatreau is having a ‘portes ouvertes’ on Saturday May 25th and Sunday May 26th. Pop in to taste good quality Saumur Champigny wines and I’m sure much more.

Once again frost has struck the Loire valley. 2 nights ago growers lit the burners, turned on the aspersion and cranked up the hot air turbines.

Growers who choose not to use chemicals to control weeds underneath the vines ‘work’ the soil mechanically or occasionally use a horse.

Growers are rushing to get pruning finished as buds are already bursting. Young vines were at the wooly bud stage about 10 days ago.

It can be tricky to find good restaurants in areas that receive a lot of tourists. It pays to leave the main tourist drag and explore the local villages.

Vines in the region are weeping as they come out of dormancy. Baby vines are already at the wooly bud stage but more established and older vines are not.

The Chateau de Nazelles is a wonderful 16th century manor set amongst beautiful tranquil gardens, perched on the limestone hillside in the countryside.

Things are really taking shape here at le tasting room in the Loire valley. Our new home is semi-troglodytic (partially built into the rock face).

Unprecedented temperatures in the Loire valley this past two weeks have had growers pruning in their shorts and dreading an early budburst. The older generation can’t remember a February when the temperatures have been this high for so long.

Amboise is a delightful market town perched alongside the river Loire. Leonardo da Vinci spent the last 4 years of his life living at the Clos de Lucé.

I wanted to make Nigel a special cake for his 50th birthday this week but with 10 people to feed this weekend I decided to have one made by Cake Passion.