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What’s on the cheeseboard this week? Sablé de Wissant
France Fromages in the covered market in Les Halles, Tours has over 300 different cheeses.
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Recipes from Le Tasting Room’s kitchen – pan fried chicken breast with roasted butternut & a black olive purée
A recipe that will appeal to you if you love black olives and dark earthy flavours. Everything can be prepped in advance.
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About Georges Duboeuf – the ‘king’ of Beaujolais
This week in France it’s all about Beaujolais Nouveau (new Beaujolais). The official date was yesterday and I popped out to buy a bottle.
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Little gems in the Vin de France category
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.
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For the love of Vermouth
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.
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Vintage or non-vintage fizz. Which is better?
I first learnt about sparkling wine in the 1980’s. Vintage fizz was from a single year and non-vintage was from several years.
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Talking about chestnuts!
If I’m honest, I’m not the biggest fan of chestnuts. Not because I don’t like them but because they are such a pain to prepare.
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Wine education – Folle Blanche
When we talk all things Muscadet and the region close to the sea at Nantes, there’s only one grape variety that springs to mind.
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Wine education – all about Gamay
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.
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Recipes from Le Tasting Room’s kitchen – smoked haddock with spicy potatoes & a poached egg
If you like smoked haddock then you’ll love this easy recipe that can be whipped up in a jiffy. The spicing is gentle and comforting.
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Wine education – pruning after hail damage
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.
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Wine education. Keeping things sweet – chaptalisation
As the grapes for the 2021 harvest come in, thoughts turn to the subject of chaptalisation. Have you any idea what it is?