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Loire valley vineyard update – Domaine de la Cotelleraie St Nicolas de Bourgueil
Grapes are looking superbly healthy and there are plenty of them at Domaine de la Cotelleraie in the St Nicolas de Bourgueil appellation here in the Loire valley.
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Wine education – picking grapes by hand
Why would you bother picking grapes by hand when you can use a machine? Small growers often choose to pick by hand. Why do they do that?
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The Loire harvest 2018
The Loire harvest 2018 has begun and vintage is now in full swing. First to be given the go ahead were the Chardonnays destined for sparkling wine, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir.
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Recipes from Le Tasting Room’s kitchen – squidgy chocolate raspberry dessert
I’m calling this a squidgy chocolate raspberry dessert rather than a cake because there is no flour and it’s something you would serve as dessert rather than with a coffee in the morning or cup of tea in the afternoon (not that you couldn’t of course because it’s delicious!).
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What’s going on in the Loire valley vineyards in August?
Harvest has officially started here in the Loire with the first grapes being picked on Monday, the 27th August. Chardonnay destined for Crémant is first in.
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Recipes from Le Tasting Room’s kitchen – tomatoes!
I’m sure we are not the only ones to have tomatoes coming from every direction. They never taste better than when picked fresh from the garden. Here are a couple of ideas that are easy and tasty.
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What’s on the cheeseboard this month? Trèfle du Perche
Trèfle du Perche is a relatively ‘new’ cheese from the Loire valley. Created by 7 cheese making goat farmers, it has the shape of a four leaf clover.
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Recipes from Le Tasting Room’s kitchen – super easy chicken marinade
For a really easy dinner try this really simple marinade. It works well on chicken thighs or breasts and is healthy and quick to prepare.
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Recipes from Le Tasting Room’s kitchen – easy hummus
I always thought that hummus had loads of oil added to make the smooth emulsion-like texture in the same way that you make mayonnaise.
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What’s going on in the Loire Valley vineyards in July?
After incredible amounts of rain in June, the hot weather finally settled in the Loire and has continued for most of the month.
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Recipes from Le Tasting Room’s kitchen – simple summer salads
2 super quick simple summer salads for you. Cucumber, creme fraiche and garlic salad and kidney bean, cumin and coriander salad. Healthy, low fat, quick and tasty.
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La Grange aux Belles – natural wines from Anjou
Marc Houtin created La Grange aux Belles in 2004. Former geologist, his passion for wine led him to change career and retrain in viticulture and oenology.
