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So, the Loire is off! They’ve started picking Chardonnay in Anjou, Saumur and Touraine. These grapes are destined for sparkling wine.

The French are very keen on frangipane (an almond cream) but I always think of it as the mixture that goes into English Bakewell tart.

We try to source our food and wine locally wherever possible and it can’t get much more local than this.

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.