Tagged with "Loire valley"

Happy Thanksgiving to all our friends that celebrate this important day in the calendar.

Well, we’ve had rain. Quite a lot yesterday. Not so much of a shower, more of a deluge. Growers are speeding up gathering their grapes.

Things have certainly changed since we did our last update a couple of weeks ago. The rain in the past week has been welcome.

When you think of the Loire you probably think about Sauvignon, Chenin & Cabernet Franc. Did you know that there’s Pinot Gris too?

This week has seen high temperatures again here in the Loire valley (and all over Europe).

We were warned. It was going to be HOT yesterday. And, it was. 41°C to be precise. The hottest day recorded in June since records began.

After a busy day helping out at Vincent Carême’s open day on Saturday, a group of us stayed on for dinner in the troglodyte tasting room.

The Vin de France category of wine production in France is the least regulated. Most wines in this category are every day wines, simple wines.

We both love Vermouth. It’s bitterness backed up by notes of herbs, spices, flowers and fruits. Perfect on ice on its own as an apero.

I first learnt about sparkling wine in the 1980’s. Vintage fizz was from a single year and non-vintage was from several years.

It seems pertinent (as we countdown to Beaujolais Nouveau) to talk a bit about Gamay. It’s famous in Beaujolais but also grown in the Loire.

A short localised hail storm can wipe out a year’s harvest in 15 minutes. As the hailstones batter the vines, the foliage is stripped off.