Blog

The Fiefs Vendéens? Is that part of the Loire? Where is it exactly? What kind of wines come from there?

14 months has passed. Yes, 14 months since we last had the pleasure of welcoming guests into our home, our tasting room.

I’ve never quite understood why so many people avoid demi-sec wines. ‘I only like dry wines’ they’ll say, or ‘oh no, I hate sweet wines’.

Nigel told me he’d bought me a treat yesterday and I was delighted to discover that he’d found some Coco de Paimpol.

As we approach the middle of August the countdown to the 2021 harvest begins. Growers were still out in the Vouvray vineyards yesterday treating for downy mildew.

We’re particularly fond of soft cheeses. The smellier the better for us. Soumaintrain certainly ticks all the boxes.

A delicious Lebanese recipe that combines creamy Greek yoghurt with golden turmeric and red lentils. Serve with a salad, rice or flatbreads.

The good news is – more and more growers are addressing the issue of biodiversity in the vineyard. Seed mixes planted between the rows, new hedges and plants that attract insects

There are two types of mildew that commonly affect vines – downy mildew and powdery mildew. Growers in France call downy mildew mildiou and powdery mildew oïdium.

The basil is going great guns in the garden so it’s time to drum up a few recipes that need a goodly amount of this fresh, fragrant herb that perks up any summer dish.

In recent years we’ve had a lot of sunny seasons with temperatures exceeding 40°C. What effect does that have on the vines, their fruit and the wine?

Put the date in your diaries. The next Zoom tasting in on Saturday 24th July at 8pm French time.