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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.

It seems pertinent, having moved to a small village that falls within the geographical boundaries of the Vouvray appellation, to have a closer look.

It’s a while since we caught up with Jean-Francois Mérieau. We’re big fans of his wines and are really excited he’s now only half an hour away from us.

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).

You’ll often see the word ‘clos’ mentioned on a wine label. A clos is a walled vineyard or a vineyard that used to be enclosed by walls (not always still standing).

Saucesse de Morteau (a delicious smoked sausage) is a protected product which means it must meet the strict regulations that surround its production.

We were delighted to taste with Mathieu Cosme at the Salon. He’s based in our village and his vineyards are just a short stroll from our house in Noizay.

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.

A super easy recipe for you that is really tasty and perfect for a mid-week supper. Light and low in calories, it’s healthy but there is heaps of flavour.

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.