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This weekend we enjoyed a selection of Chenin Blancs from Anjou, one from South Africa and just for good measure, an old Vin de Paille to round off the evening.

Looking for somewhere to stay in Angers? Here are three new spots that have opened with the past 2 months. Bed & breakfast, apartment and hotel, all brand new and ready to welcome you.

Tasting Loire valley wines with Lisa Buros-Hutchins of Your Paris Experience

2007 doesn’t have the reputation of some other red wine vintages here in the Loire but this Chinon was tasting absolutely delicious last night and the night before.

Perched high above the river and with one of the most spectacular views for miles is the Prieuré – a hotel owned by Grandes Etapes Françaises which closed down at the end of December last year.

Sometimes you find a small family run domaine that makes wines that tick all the boxes. Leduc Frouin falls into this category – the wines are great value for money, the welcome at the domaine is always warm, it’s run by a tight family unit of brother, sister and mum and the wines are always reliable, pure, well made.

Lovely to see the horses working in the vineyards of St Nicolas de Bourgueil yesterday afternoon. With all the rain we’ve had this year, there’s a lot of standing water around which makes it nigh impossible to pass through the vineyards with a tractor without seriously damaging the soil through compaction.

Tomorrow is judgement day for Olivier Cousin who has been taken to court for incorrectly labelling one of his wines ‘Anjou’.

La Route du Sel has one of the prettiest dining rooms around, has amazing views over the river Loire and a beautiful terrace and garden that will be open during the summer months. The restaurant inside has 36 covers but with the terrace and garden operating you can add another 80 or so to that. With the ancient church as a backdrop and the water in

This wine is (as it says on the label), L’alliance des générations – a wine made by 2 generations of the Merieau family. Jean-François, his sister Patricia and their father Jacky.

Normally in La Pointe it’s possible to walk down to the river and alongside it. You can sit on one of the benches and admire the tranquil water or potter along and find a more solitary spot to enjoy a glass of wine or a picnic.

For the past 6 weeks I’ve been running a market stall in Angers – a big city market stall on a Saturday morning.