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Open house at Domaine Filliatreau, Saumur Champigny, May 25th/26th
Domaine Filliatreau is having a ‘portes ouvertes’ on Saturday May 25th and Sunday May 26th. Pop in to taste good quality Saumur Champigny wines and I’m sure much more.
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What does an organic vineyard look like?
As we drive around the vineyards of Vouvray it’s easy to see who is respecting the environment and who is not.
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Frost strikes again in the Loire valley in 2019
Once again frost has struck the Loire valley. 2 nights ago growers lit the burners, turned on the aspersion and cranked up the hot air turbines.
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Recipes from Le Tasting Room’s kitchen – beetroot salad with preserved lemon
This is a really delicious beetroot salad that comes from Ottolenghi’s book Simple.
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Wine education – working the soil
Growers who choose not to use chemicals to control weeds underneath the vines ‘work’ the soil mechanically or occasionally use a horse.
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What’s been going on in the vineyards in March?
Growers are rushing to get pruning finished as buds are already bursting. Young vines were at the wooly bud stage about 10 days ago.
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What’s on the cheeseboard this month? Valençay
Valençay is one of the most famous cheeses from the Loire valley. A goat’s cheese shaped like a truncated pyramid the story goes that …
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Close to budburst here in Vouvray
Vines in the region are weeping as they come out of dormancy. Baby vines are already at the wooly bud stage but more established and older vines are not.
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Wine education – focus on the Vouvray appellation
It seems pertinent, having moved to a small village that falls within the geographical boundaries of the Vouvray appellation, to have a closer look.
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Salon des Vins de Loire – Jean-Francois Mérieau
It’s a while since we caught up with Jean-Francois Mérieau. We’re big fans of his wines and are really excited he’s now only half an hour away from us.
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Places to stay in and around Amboise
The Chateau de Nazelles is a wonderful 16th century manor set amongst beautiful tranquil gardens, perched on the limestone hillside in the countryside.
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Technical wine and vineyard vocabulary demystified – clos
You’ll often see the word ‘clos’ mentioned on a wine label. A clos is a walled vineyard or a vineyard that used to be enclosed by walls (not always still standing).