Members
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Wine education – mildew in grape vines, what’s all the fuss this year?
Downy mildew is indigenous to north-eastern North America where it spread from wild vines into cultivated vineyards. It probably came over to Europe during the phylloxera crises when native American rootstock were being tested for their resistance to the disease that wiped out around two thirds of Europe’s vineyards.
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Recipes from Le Tasting Room’s kitchen – spicy cumin and turmeric roasted new potatoes
New potatoes roasted in the oven with cumin and turmeric. Delicious with a steak or any kind of bbq they are very moreish!
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La Grange aux Belles portes ouvertes
We tasted a very interesting range of wines today at La Grange aux Belles in Soulaine sur Aubance about half an hour from us here at le tasting room
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Le Printemps de Brézé 2018
Domaine Arnaud Lambert invites its professional buyers to a day of discovery and tasting every year at Arnaud’s beautiful home in St Cyr en Bourg. This year we went to take a look at the Clos du Midi.
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Summer drinking – rosé from the Loire
As the summer weather finally seems to be settling in and we are able to eat out in the garden, my thoughts turn to the rosés of the Loire.
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Personal News – my life in the Loire June 28th
The week of the Le Mans 24 hours race is always our busiest of the year and 2018 was no exception. We had 33 people through that week culminating with the Le Mans Gang.
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Recipes from Le Tasting Room’s kitchen – caramelised onion tart
The most requested recipe from our guests is my caramelised onion tart. The key to this tart is patience. It takes nearly an hour for the onions to sweat down and caramelise but it’s this that gives the tart its sweet flavour so take your time. This is my own recipe that I have adapted over time.
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Recipes from Le Tasting Room’s kitchen – sweet pastry
Sweet pastry that crumbles in your mouth like shortbread. This is the pastry I use to make all our sweet tarts here at Le Tasting Room and it freezes like a dream.
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Wine education – flowering in the vineyard (a little more detail)
Flowering is an important stage in the vineyard year. Vines further east have flowered and the fruit has set whereas here in Anjou, our vines are in full flower.
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Recipes from Le Tasting Room’s kitchen – warm smoked chicken salad with roasted summer vegetables
This is an unusual smoked chicken salad that can be adapted to use whatever vegetables are in season. Yesterday I used red peppers, sweet potato, aubergine, fennel, red onion and asparagus as they are all looking fantastic at the moment.
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Recipes from Le Tasting Room’s kitchen – confit of duck the easy way
Many of you will have enjoyed confit of duck here at le tasting room. The ultimate comfort food, tender duck with super crispy skin, served either on a bed of duck fat roasted potatoes and rosemary or with lentils and smoky bacon.
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Wine Education – crystals in my white wine
Sometimes, as you near the end of a bottle of white or rosé wine there appears to be what looks like crystals of glass or sugar in the bottom. What is it and should I be worried?