En route to London with a stopover in Sancerre.
I thought the UK had the reputation of having all forms of weather in one day, but after my drive through France today , the “Hexagone” runs it a close second.
I left the Languedoc at lunchtime under clear skies but with a rapier-like Tramontane blowing at over 100km an hour (the sort of wind that makes people go mad). At Montauban the rain started, lightly at first, then pretty heavy. Between Cahors and Brive the temperature dropped below freezing (at 3.30 in the afternoon) and it started to snow. It remained like this all the way to Chateauroux where the mercury finally struggled to reach a rather timid 2 degrees. The milder temperature, though, gave way to thick fog and the last 100km to Sancerre took an “eye-challenging” 2hours. Luckily the last hour was spent on the taillights of a local who had rashly pulled out in front of me but actually enabled me to reach the village of Saint Satur, outside Sancerre, a good 30 minutes earlier than I would have done tout seul.
Found a great little hotel by the Loire (apparently, as haven’t seen it yet) and an even greater bistro type restaurant 2 minutes walk away. The sort of establishment that rekindles your faith in authentic French cuisine.
2 courses of delicious food (hot Crottin de Chavignol salad) followed by a succulent Bavette au poivre all for an incredible 13.50€.
The real eye-opener though was the wine selection. Over 20 Sancerre wines on sale by the bottle at no more than 24€ for the most expensive. Even better was that all were offered by the glass at 3€ a pop ! Fantastic. My knowledge of Sancerre producers being a little rusty, I asked the owner to recommend a selection of his best wines and he didn’t disappoint. A Sauvignon Blanc and a Pinot Noir from Vincent Pinard and another Pinot from Domaine Paul Cherrier were inspiring – notes to follow in a future post.
I came away feeling enthused, not only about the food but the high quality wines that I had tasted but also without the feeling of being fleeced and bankrupted.
I wish more On Trade experiences were the same…….

Driving home from work the other day I could see smoke in the distance. When only 10 minutes away it was clear that this was a major fire and that it was not far from our house. By the time I arrived in our village , fire engines were screaming down the narrow lanes and the road past our house was closed off.

The Cave Cooperative at the end of our road became the nerve centre of operations as the full force of the emergency services swung into operation. After persuading a fire officer that I only lived a short distance away, he let me past. The children were out, so I took a stroll down the drive to see what was happening.I did not have to go far as by now a huge pall of smoke dominated the skyline and the fire was increasing in intensity at an alarming rate. Fortunately the wind was blowing the fire away from our direction into an area with no dwellings just pine forest, garrigue and vines.

There then followed a massive concerted effort on behalf of the fire service to bring the fire under control. 240 firemen, over 100 appliances and 10 Canadair were deployed to tackle the blaze. Four years of drought, tinder-dry forest, blazing sunshine and a steady nor’wester soon fanned the flames over a considerable area. Around midnight the wine changed direction and the smoke spread over our house. My wife and I decided we had better pack a few essentials in case we were asked to evacuate as the fire was by now less than 2kms away. She packed our wedding album, the kids’ favourite toys and passports. I packed my record collection and saxophone.

It took 2 days for the fire to be extinguished. A stray spark from a vigneron’s tractor had been enough to ignite the biggest fire in France this year. Over 900 hectares went up in smoke, it was all over the papers and even made the national news.The response from the emergency services had been nothing short of fantastic. All through July and August fire engines are based in villages around the Languedoc to enable a rapid response in the event of a fire. Most days for the firemen are filled with endless rounds of poker and petanque waiting for the call. When it did happen, they were on the scene within minutes.

Despite the extensive area affected, no houses were damaged or people injured. The vines also played their part, acting as firebreaks and preventing it spreading even further. They stand like an oasis of green surrounded by an ashen lunar landscape. Unbowed, although a little singed, this majestic plant shows again what a great asset to the “paysage” it is. Perhaps the authorities should take this into account when deciding when and where to grub up vineyards.

The vines have survived, the fruit is now being harvested and the quality is looking very good. I may, finally, be able to use “a hint of an autumn bonfire” in my tasting notes for the 2008 Corbières this year.

I jumped in the car when I realized my TVA (VAT) return was due and sped off to the Tax office in Narbonne. What I’d forgotten was that it was the day the Tour de France was in town and the whole local population was heading in the same direction.

An hour later after what should have been a journey of 20 mins I decided it was best to dump the car and walk. A good move as it turned out, as all the roads in the City Centre were blocked off and much impatience and general intolerance was in the air.

I arrived at the Tax office 10 mins before closing for lunch and the place was deserted – unheard of on deadline day for Tax payments. The guy at the “accueil”, normally man of few words and even less sense of humour was positively chirpy. He checked the form, corrected a mistake without treating me like a moron, and offered to take it to the correct dept. I wish I’d taken a photo as it probably won’t happen like that on the next visit.

By the time I left, Narbonne was at a standstill. I joined the throng, weather was fabulous, the team coaches arrived and the riders emerged. After each one had been individually introduced to the waiting crowds it was down to the start-line in front of Les Halles, the indoor market. I watched the départ and then waited a full 20 minutes whilst all the support vehicles, team buses, police, medics and a huge caravan of Press and TV went past. 

A normal round trip of 60 mins had taken approx 5 hours, yet it’s not often that a rather routine chore combines with one of the world’s greatest sporting events. Paying tax has never been so much fun and the cerise on the gateau was that the stage was won in Nimes 4 hours later by the Brit – Mark Cavendish. 

I must leave it to the last minute next time……..

Just ran my first tutored tasting under the appropriate theme of South of France. A tasting of 8 wines from around the Languedoc-Roussillon backed up with plenty of visuals of the vineyards, locations and profiles of the people behind the wines.

I am often asked how I choose wines for the tastings and my response is always the same. Firstly they have to be good wines, not necessarily super expensive, just made with care and with a desire to express and encapsulate the spirit of their location. Secondly, all the wines are from producers I have visited. Essential to understand the location, method of working and general philosophy. Finally, all the wines are from people I like and respect. Every good wine has a great story behind it and the tastings are much more meaningful when you can communicate the personal and historical context.

For the record the wines tasted were as follows :

Blanquette de Limoux 2006 Rives-Blanques. Always good to start a tasting with some fizz and this wine from Jan and Caryl Panman sets the perfect tone.

Picpoul de Pinet Beauvignac 2007. A 4€ wine from the Cave Cooperative in Pomerols. Crisp, clean, refreshing from the vineyards bordering the Etang de Thau. Cried out for a plate of oysters !

Le Ciste Blanc 2006 Cotes du Roussillon, Domaine Laguerre. Rolle 30%, Marsanne 20%, Roussanne 20%, Grenache Blanc 20%, Maccabeo 10%. One of the most expensive wines of the tasting and the one which divided people the most. Half the assembled tasters loved the layers of flavour, depth and clear, balanced structure of the wine. The other half found the oak too obtrusive.

L’Archet Rose 2007 Vdp , Domaine Gayda. A well balanced, vibrant rose from the host domaine. Not too heavy on the colour or the extraction, very few bothered to reach for the spittoons on this one.

“Paysage” Coteaux du Languedoc 2006, Mas Plan de l’Om. 85% Carignan from the schist based soils of the Terrasses de Larzac. Made by former pharmacist and round the world yachtsman, Joel Foucou. Perfumed with immaculate balance, it demonstrates how you can make wines with real class without reaching for the sledgehammer.

Minervois GSM 2006 Chateau la Bouscade. A mathematically symmetrical blend of 1/3 each of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre from my favourite Languedoc “garagiste” David Cowderoy. A dense, silky style with emphasis on ripeness, accessibility and a real desire to please.

“Les Bartelles” La Clape 2006, Mas du Soleilla. The biggest red of the tasting both in concentration and alcohol (14.5%). More Newfoundland than Rottweiler, a wine of undoubted power and pedigree but with masterful restraint and subtlety.

Banyuls Parcé Frères 2006, La Rectorie. Many people’s favourite wine of the tasting and one that didn’t disappoint. Mostly Grenache Noir with a liberal inclusion of Grenache Gris and Grenache Blanc. So difficult to harvest the 3 different varieties separately that they just throw them all in together ! These VDN (Vins Doux Naturels) wines are always popular when tasted – just need to work out how to translate this to commercial success.

A lively session throughout with plenty of comments, observations and discussion. At the end of the tasting everyone agreed that they had discovered something new and most importantly left with a good impression of the region’s wines. Un bon départ.

Four weeks since setting up the company and after countless meetings with Accountants, the Chamber of Commerce and other bureaucratic organisations, we’re off !

It feels great to actually to get started and finally bring a long held dream to fruition. My first event at Vinécole was a tasting at a dinner for over 60 delegates staying at the domaine for a conference on the ‘Heart in Business”. A rather appropriate title as this is what my new venture is all about.

I presented 4 wines which encapsulate for me the richness and diversity of the Languedoc/Roussillon and show, particularly to those who had never visited this wonderful place, what the region can offer. All were from the 2006 vintage :

Blanquette de Limoux – Rives-Blanques. 90% Mauzac. Lively, fruity, elegant, with real finesse. You can see why Dom Perignon took the secret back to Champagne.

Mas Champart Blanc St Chinian. Less than 1% of this region’s wines is made as AOC blanc, but it’s really worth seeking them out. It’s the constant ability to surprise that really excites me about the Languedoc/Roussillon and this wine certainly does that. A blend of Grenache blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne and Bourboulenc. Who could fail to be intrigued with a line-up like that ?

Domaine de la Rectorie – Coté Montagne AOC Collioure. The red wine of the evening, sumptuous but with a vibrant streak of stone-filled minerality . A blend of 5 different varieties, trumping even the white. For those interested – 30% Grenache, 30% Counoise (surely one of the few outposts of this rare cépage outside Chateauneuf), 27% Carignan, 12% Syrah, 11% Mourvèdre. A triumph of man over topography from some of the steepest and most breathtaking vineyards to be found anywhere.

Late Harvest Chateau La Bouscade Vin de Pays d’Oc. 60% Maccabeo and 40% Vermentino from almost 100% Botrytis berries, harvested one month later than normal. Made by owner and winemaker David Cowderoy – a garagiste in the literal sense (his garage is his winery !) Unctuous, concentrated with 198g/l residual sugar supported by a backbone of rapier-like acidity, this wine was considered the best value of the whole evening. When asked the price, many considered it to be 30€+. To find out it’s staggeringly good value at 10€ will find many beating a path to the door of this emerging Minervois domaine.

A really fun evening and a great way to start the new business. With wines like this to work with, it should be a ball !