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Tagged with "wineducation"

Understanding French wine labels. Part one – Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée.

French wine labels can be tricky to understand. The combination of unfamiliar vocabulary and a different language can make it difficult.

6 Apr, 2021

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Did you know that if vines are not pruned, they wi

Did you know that if vines are not pruned, they will potentially produce many many bunches of grapes.

I took this picture in a Vouvray vineyard a couple of weeks ago. The parcel has been abandoned so the vines haven't been pruned.

We counted around 100 potential bunches of grapes on one vine!

But 100 bunches of grapes on one vine is not what we're looking for when it comes to making quality wine.

Restricting yield is the key and it's controlled by appellation legislation in France.

Asking a vine to fully ripen 100 bunches of grapes is a tall order. Asking it to ripen 12 to 15 bunches is another story.

In the Vin de France category there are no yield restrictions so inexpensive wine is often made from vines with much higher yields and adjustments can be made in the cellar to compensate.

There are also expensive wines sold in the Vin de France category. These wines are respecting the low yields that are required to make quality wine but the growers want the flexibility to be more experimental with grape variety, training methods or canopy management.

#cheninblanc #wineeducation #loirevalleywines

Top day with Jacquelin & Ryan from Washington Stat

Top day with Jacquelin & Ryan from Washington State.

We popped to see @philippechigard_latablerouge’s 135 year old Chenin early in the day to avoid the heat. The vines are flowering- such a beautiful delicate scent.

La Table Rouge is a tiny vineyard hidden away in the centre of the Vouvray appellation although Philippe sells his wines in the Vin de France category.

A little haven of biodiversity where plums, medlars, apricots, roses, wild orchids and herbs live happily alongside his ancient Chenin vines. Everything here is done by hand or horse. If you’re lucky enough to find it, you can sit at the red table (La Table Rouge) and enjoy a quiet moment.

Next up was a tasting of wines from all over the Loire and a home cooked lunch followed by a trip back to see Philippe in his cool caves to taste together. Nothing like a cave when the weather’s this hot!

Thanks to Jacquelin and Ryan for being such good company. They were great fun and there was much laughter throughout the day.

#loirewinetours #loirevalley #thingstodoinamboise

News from the Loire May 2026 It's been a busy cou

News from the Loire May 2026

It's been a busy couple of months with trips to Scotland, Manchester & York, Jools Holland in Paris and a trip to Versailles.

The vineyards are racing away and it looks like we're in for another early harvest.
If elderflower cordial is you thing then take a look at my easy recipe. It's delicious and now's the time to make it.

For all our news click on the link in my bio.

Best wishes from the Loire!

One of Vouvray’s top growers, Vincent Careme creat

One of Vouvray’s top growers, Vincent Careme created his domaine in 1999. Organic since 2007 he remains one of the leaders of the appellation.

Elegant Chenin in all its forms - sparkling, dry, off-dry, sweet, dessert and even Vermouth. Each wine tells its own story and reflects him, the terroir and the vintage year.

Tucked away in Vernou-sur Brenne, his troglodyte cellars and tasting room are delightful.

A firm favourite of ours. His wines age beautifully too (if you can resist drinking them).

#loirevalley #vouvray #loirewinetours

On our table in April. A host of different grape

On our table in April.

A host of different grape varieties this month. Some fabulous wines from the Loire @domainehuet @domaine_des_pothiers and some lovely new discoveries too.

We’ve been particularly impressed by the wines of @berryalthoff We’ve tried two reds (both beautifully balanced and with great acidity) and their delightful méthode ancestrale Grenache Muscat was a wonderful change. A great discovery thanks to @cave_sd for that recommendation.

The Marsanne from @hugo_et_pauline_villa was perfect with Ramen noodles and the zippy Riesling a great partner to a fish pie.

Back to the Loire - two iconic estates. Older bottles pulled from our cellar. Perfect!

#loirevalleywines #loirewinetours #foodandwine

A few foodie moments from March starting with the

A few foodie moments from March starting with the little village restaurant in Vernou sur Brenne and finishing with the lovely Sparrows in Manchester with visits to Düsseldorf and Edinburgh in between.

All in all a rather foodie month (and probably a kilo or too heavier as a result 🙄).

#foodie #march #lovetoeat

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