Members
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Loire harvest 2021 – monitoring fermentations in the winery
Walk into any cellar in the Loire valley during harvest time and the chances are you’ll see wooden barrels with lots of chalk scribbles on the side.
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First day of harvest in the Vouvray appellation – 23 September 2021
All systems go here in the Vouvray appellation today as the 2021 harvest kicks off.
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To pick or not to pick? That is the question.
The ban de vendanges is set for Thursday 24th September here in the Vouvray appellation. That means; from the 24th, growers can pick grapes.
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Loire Harvest 2021
So, the Loire is off! They’ve started picking Chardonnay in Anjou, Saumur and Touraine. These grapes are destined for sparkling wine.
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Recipes from Le Tasting Room’s kitchen – plum & almond tart
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.
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Keeping in local – Mathieu Cosme’s sparkling Vouvray
We try to source our food and wine locally wherever possible and it can’t get much more local than this.
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Wine education – all about the Fiefs Vendéens
The Fiefs Vendéens? Is that part of the Loire? Where is it exactly? What kind of wines come from there?
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Back to work!
14 months has passed. Yes, 14 months since we last had the pleasure of welcoming guests into our home, our tasting room.
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Food & wine pairing – don’t diss the demi-secs!
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’.
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Seasonal French food – Coco de Paimpol
Nigel told me he’d bought me a treat yesterday and I was delighted to discover that he’d found some Coco de Paimpol.
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Countdown to the Loire harvest 2021
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.
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What’s on the cheeseboard this week? Soumaintrain
We’re particularly fond of soft cheeses. The smellier the better for us. Soumaintrain certainly ticks all the boxes.