Tagged with "wine tasting in the Loire"

One of the signs of spring that we look out for is the beautiful wisteria that grows all over the Loire valley. It’s generally out in time for my birthday!

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).

Inspired by a Rich Stein recipe Nigel cooked this for dinner last night but cut a few corners to make it more simple. It’s spicy and delicious.

So, we’re living between two houses at the moment. We signed for the new one last week and are ‘commuting’ between the two doing some decorating.

A beautiful bunch of Chenin Blanc still hanging on the vine at Chateau de Fesles in the heart of the Bonnezeaux appellation taken on Saturday. 

The Loire is the second biggest producer of sparkling wine in France after Champagne but here we call it Crémant de Loire.

Growers have been under time pressure to tie down the vines that were left upright in many appellations in an attempt to avoid frost. Normally this is done by mid April but no chances were taken this year.

Ok, so you’re staying in Angers in the Loire and you love wine and you think ‘right, it’s Sunday tomorrow, let’s go wine tasting’.

An article this morning that I reposted made me think that I would write a few words of my own about the growing number of ‘natural’ sparkling wines on the market today

2016 turned out to be a very tricky year for them with miniscule yeilds of around 6hl/ha.

Layers and layers of exotic aromas from macerated raisins and caramel to black tea, ginger and spice. A truly delightful wine. How anyone can say they don’t like sweet wine I don’t know.

Tomorrow starts a crazy few days of wine tasting here in the Loire valley.