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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?
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Recipes from Le Tasting Room’s kitchen – smoked trout with creamed avocado & dill
A really delicious starter (appetizer) or light lunch that looks as pretty as a picture on the plate. Sound like a lot of work? No, it’s not.
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Loire harvest 2021 – monitoring fermentations in the winery
Walk into any cellar in the Loire valley during harvest time and the chances are you’ll see wooden barrels with lots of chalk scribbles on the side.
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First day of harvest in the Vouvray appellation – 23 September 2021
All systems go here in the Vouvray appellation today as the 2021 harvest kicks off.
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To pick or not to pick? That is the question.
The ban de vendanges is set for Thursday 24th September here in the Vouvray appellation. That means; from the 24th, growers can pick grapes.
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Loire Harvest 2021
So, the Loire is off! They’ve started picking Chardonnay in Anjou, Saumur and Touraine. These grapes are destined for sparkling wine.
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Recipes from Le Tasting Room’s kitchen – plum & almond tart
The French are very keen on frangipane (an almond cream) but I always think of it as the mixture that goes into English Bakewell tart.
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Keeping in local – Mathieu Cosme’s sparkling Vouvray
We try to source our food and wine locally wherever possible and it can’t get much more local than this.
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Wine education – all about the Fiefs Vendéens
The Fiefs Vendéens? Is that part of the Loire? Where is it exactly? What kind of wines come from there?
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Wine education – planting new vines
Vincent & Tania Carême have planted a new parcel called Les Granges in the village of Noizay this past week.
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Life in the Loire 22 May 2021 – still pivoting!
That’s what they call it isn’t it? Pivoting. Swinging around as if on a pivot. Trying different things.