12 More Things To Do in the Loire Valley Around Saumur

Back in August I started a series of "12 Tips for Things to do in the Loire Valley" around Saumur. It's now December the days are shorter, darker and colder but in between we get some beautiful blue sky days which provide a great opportunity to explore the local area which is so rich and varied in it's history and culture. So here are some ideas for day trips from La Grande Maison along with some places to visit a little closer to home.

1. Fontevraud Abbey is a must see especially the tombs of the Plantagenêts, Aliénor of Aquitaine, Richard the Lionheart, Henri II and Isabelle d'Angoulême

2. The beautiful medieval city of Loches with it's imposing 11thC Dungeon built by Foulques Nerra. It's a long climb up and not for those with a fear of heights!

3. The 17thC (New Town) of Richelieu with it's stunning Baroque church and mathematical town planning. The chateau and gardens a worth a visit too.

4. The City of the Plantagents in Le Mans with it's glorious St Julien Cathedral

5. The light in the David d'Angers Sculpture Gallery in Angers is amazing and the Beaux Art gallery has a great permanent collection along with innovative exhibitions.

6. The old LU (Lieu Unique) biscuit factory in Nantes converted into a funky bar and has a great book store and theatre space.

7. It's worth getting up early enough to see the sunrise over the Loire

8. Take the Amarante boat along the river for a great view of Candes St Martin

9. See Joan of Arc ride her horse into Chinon or visit the house of Rabelais La Deviniere.

10. Brewing beer is becoming popular locally. Tastings can be arranged at Brasserie des Fontaines just across the vineyards from La Grande Maison.

11. Fine dining in the many of the local restaurants just ask us for a recommendation.

12. ...and certainly don't miss the wooden alterpiece (misericord) in the local church of Le Puy Notre Dame. The carved stall of the monk drinking out of the barrel has become the symbol for one of the latest wine appellations Saumur - Le Puy Notre Dame AOC !

Sante!

The Last Day of the 2009 Harvest at Chateau de Fosse Seche

6th November 2009 and a bright sunny morning for the final hand harvest of the botrytised Chenin Blanc grapes for Les Tris de la Chapelle Saumur Blanc A.O.C. with Guillaume Pire at Chateau de Fosse Seche.

Pourri plein (purple grapes) white chenin turned purple by botrytis produces only 10 hectolitres of wine per hectare for Les Tris de la Chapelle.

The last hand selection of botrytised grapes hits the trailer.

My final vendange bucket of the season on 6th November 2009

The noble rot grapes go straight to the winery where they are pressed and put in tank before filtration the following day.

The juice is then filtered using a Padovan filtration system and is then pumped back into a second tank for it's fermentation. Guillaume's Tri de la Chapelle is produced from grapes that have reached total noble rot (pourriture noble) and spends 12 months in oak. It is a wine to keep, rich, complex and very elegant.

Read more about Chateau de Fosse Seche on their website.

Read more about Botrytis with the Wine Doctor.

Review of 2009 Loire Wine Harvest around Saumur - Le Puy Notre Dame AOC

First of all a ton of apologies for not updating the blog for nearly a month! Thought it was time I had better get round to it but what with the harvest in full swing, running our Wine Tours, looking after guests at La Grande Maison and offering our Wine Sampling Suppers in the evenings we have not had a moment to ourselves. All this and now the additional marketing effort that is needed to keep the websites, the blog, our facebook fan page and twitter up to date! Who ever said running a Maison d’Hotes was for retired people?

Anyway as we start to wind down for the season it’s time to review the past year so I’ll start with the 2009 Harvest in this post. Which I might add is not over yet for the late harvest wines and we are waiting on a call any day now to go and help one of our local producers hand picking for the Coteaux de Saumur.

Golden Chenin Blanc Ripening in the Sun

We have had an incredibly dry summer with very little rain since the beginning of June so the vines have been free from mildews and disease. Because of the dry conditions there has been much less need for spraying chemical treatments and the bunches are very clean. With recent ‘little’ rain, morning mists followed by sun and warm temperatures the conditions have been ideal for the development of noble rot (botrytis cinerea) and consequently the production of sweet wines such as Coteaux du Layon.

Some of the bunches have dried out due to the lack of rain.

The dry conditions mean that the yields are likely to be lower as some of the Chenin Blanc dried out but the concentration has been very high and the juice full of fruit and very aromatic. Picking for the Cabernet Franc was held off for as long as possible to gain the benefit of an extra week of sunny ripening conditions before harvest.

The Cabernet Franc is looking extremely good and free from rot

The feedback we are getting from the local vignerons is that the 2009 is going to be as good as the 2003 / 2005 if not better so we will cross our fingers and wait on the ferments!

Fermenting whites be very careful one sniff with blow your head off at this stage!

We have been pretty active with the harvest this year both with running our Harvest Wine Tours which gives our an guests a opportunity to see and take part in the harvest and in helping some of the local wineries with their hand harvesting. Aymeric and Melanie have recently taken over some organic parcels of vines around Le Puy Notre Dame and we were pleased to help them out harvesting both the reds and the whites.

The Melaric crew hand harvesting the Chenin

We also got the chance to barrel taste their Chenin from 2008 and although not quite finished it is already tasting sublime! See the Melaric website here.

Aymeric giving us a barrel tasting of the Chenin Blanc from 2008

We also had a couple of rows of Chenin Blanc donated to us by a kindly neighbour vigneron this year. He is happy to let us run wild in the vines and do as we wish so that he can witness the results! So we have green harvested which meant removing excess bunches in July and leaf stripped in August and September in order to reduce shading of the bunches and improve airflow. Seems to have improved the quality of the grapes in those two rows which have produced approximately 50 litres of juice which is currently undergoing fermentation.

The La Grande Maison Crew with the able help of Sue, Jo & Kris

In addition to this we were able to hand harvest the vineyards around La Grande Maison once the machine harvester had been through and we make a non-commercial production of white and red wine for our own use.

The once a year appearance of the machine harvester outside La Grande Maison tipping the grapes from the hoppers into the awaiting trailer.

Each machine harvested row yields about a bucket of grapes still left on the vine so with potentially 1,000 rows to play with we can be very selective and produce a very small quantity.

Sue harvesting the Cabernet France by the bucket load.

The red Cabernet Franc is currently macerating on the skins and the white Chenin Blanc is happily fermenting away. To add to this we have just hand bottled the 2008’s which will go down into the caves for storage ready for tasting next year.

Micaela bottling the 2008 with the old hand corking machine.

Bon fermentation. Come back soon as our next post will feature guest reviews from this year.

Up on the roof high above the Loire River.

There are over 100 steps to climb to reach the top of Treves Tower that is after you have climbed the steep hill to the entrance and then negociated another 20 steps to the front door. So thank goodness it is only open one weekend a year!

Every September in France we have a weekend of "Patrimoine" call it a Heritage Weekend if you like. This involves many of the private properties opening their doors to display the cultural wealth hidden within their walls and grounds. We had been itching to see inside the Treves Tower for many years so this was our lucky chance.

The Tour de Treves was built by Foulques Nerra III Count of Anjou on a site that has been occupied since the gallo-roman period. The village of Treves being situated between Saumur and Angers on the south bank of the Loire River made it an important defence point and the height of the tower afforded excellent look outs both up and down stream.

Inside the tower was in a lot better condition than I had been anticipating. Each floor is made up of a beautifully vaulted chamber which were a lot smaller and cosier than expected due to the walls of the tower being around 4 metres thick!

The lower ground floor housed the 'ice room' where the wild boar would have been kept chilled, next floor up the old kitchens, then the dining chamber, bedrooms and then out on the roof. Surprisingly small really for such a tall tower. Somewhere in the midst of it all is the arms room from which the canon could be shot from all directions giving the tower excellent protection.

Once out on the roof top though the views are superb along both directions of the Loire River and of the village of Treves with it's old tuffeau houses with slate roofs. During Foulques Nerra's time the tower served as the dungeon to a Chateau that once stood on the site and a barage was run across the river to act as peage so that Foulque could collect taxes from boats passing up and down stream with their goods.

Looking upstream along Loire River towards Saumur you can see how sandy the riverbed is after the very dry summer. There are two quays in Treves which were used for the transportation of tuffeau and it is said that Dutch Mariners owned many of the houses. You can still see evidence of this today with the properties that had greniers (attics) high above the river so that goods could be kept dry.

A quick peak into one of the beautiful private gardens in Treves.

If you would like to stay in the beautiful village of Treves click here to see details of our Riverside Cottage for which rental options are available.

Come back to read details and see pictures of our visit to St Mace' the 11c Gallo-Roman Chapel that sits on the hill above Treves and houses frescos from the roman period.

Loire Valley Wines in London

If you love the wines of the Loire Valley and find them hard to track down in the UK then go no further than a lunch out at RSJ's in Coin Street. We popped in there during a recent visit to London. We chose a glass of Domaine de Nerleux Cremant de Loire as an aperitif which was spectacularly delicious, lemon, acacia and almonds. Sadly the Didier Dagueneau that we fearlessly chose from the wine list to go with our main course (at £56 ish a bottle) was out of stock so we chose a Huet Vouvray 2007 that when tremendously well with the Pan Fried Scallops.

Majestic Wines are stocking a few Loire wines these days and you can't go wrong with a Saumur Champigny from our friend Edouard Pisani Ferry at Chateau de Targe'. In fact they have a special offer across many of their wines at the moment that offers great savings if you buy two bottles. Majestic have also recently reduced the quantity you have to buy from 12 bottles to 6 per visit making it an even better bargain. Needless to say we came home with many more than that from all over the world!

Whilst still on the theme of Loire Wines we took the chance to visit the Gay Icons Exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery sponsored by Rose d'Anjou Wines. The exhibition brings together ten selectors each of whom is a prominent gay figure in contemporary culture and society. Each selector named six persons that for them were inspirational or an icon for them The results are a fascinating insight into an iconic range of figures from the heroic, artistic, sporty, literary, political, famous and not so famous of our world.

We have been "drinking pink" this summer at La Grande Maison in celebration of the Gay Icons Exhibition, did I mention it was sponsored by Rosé d'Anjou? In honour of the event we still have cases of Rosé d'Anjou wine to give away to all our lucky guests. The first guests to arrive at La Grande Maison to produce their ticket stub from the exhibition will win a case of six bottles of this delicious pink packed with summer fruits. Subsequent guests will receive a free bottle of Rosé d'Anjou with every room booked (on production of their ticket stub or proof of visit on arrival).

Fête du Patrimoine et Vin Aubigné sur Layon

It never ceases to amaze me how rich in culture and 'patrimoine' the area of the Loire Valley around the River Layon is. On the surface it remains un-commercial, drive through endless Layon villages and you won't see a soul. Until today that is. Today was one of our favourite events of the summer season The 16th FÊTE DU PATRIMOINE À AUBIGNÉ-SUR-LAYON. A day to celebrate art, food, wine, music and today blue blue skies.

The inaugaration ceremony commences at 11:00m with the pouring and serving of the previous years Coteaux du Layon wine from the Fountain of Aubigné. A beautiful copper font designed by Italian Claudio Parmiggiani serves this purpose. In previous years the wine was served by 'wine thief' from a stone trough but these days Jean-Paul prefers a more elegant approach.

Jean-Paul Cochard from Domaine de Mihoudy serving the Coteaux du Layon

Jean-Paul is a member of the 'confréries' so wears the traditional costume of his wine brotherhood. The confréries of Anjou-Saumur-Touraine are responsible for promoting the various Loire appellations and they are part of the Loire’s regional folklore having a role to play in its wine-related events and festivities, adding a colourful touch particularly with their initiation ceremonies.

Jean-Paul in traditional confréries dress red hat, robe and 'taste vin'.

These bacchant brotherhoods all have their own ceremonial costumes and symbols. The groups are organized hierarchically, and each member has a title or rank, bestowed upon him after the initiation ritual conducted by the Grand Master. In spite of the solemn nature of the ceremonies and costumes, the festive aspect predominates and it certainly does in Aubigné.

The day is really centred around the celebaration of the Coteaux du Layon but here are some of the other great events that go on throughout the day.

Many of the beautiful houses in the village open up their gardens and there is a band in each playing jazz, blues, swing, funk, or classical music. Choose the musical style you prefer and in each garden you will find stalls selling anything from grilled Loire fish, to oysters, duck, grillades or savoury items along with plenty of Anjou Blanc or Rosé.

We choose Jazz & Oysters in the gardens of a beautiful 17c seigneurie.

Followed by a choral group from Corsica in the Chapel of Aubigne.

Sculpture was very much the theme for the art exhibits this year with this superb bronze of Ghandi. The rest of the village is closed off to cars and artists line the streets in every direction.

Ghandi by Martine Vaugel

Watercolourist at work.

Let's not forget we are in a wine growing region so vines are also for sale.

Along with plants....

...and a shot of my new apron. Sorry could'nt resist it!

Although I did rather fancy the black chef's top of the guy doing the cookery demo!

...and the amazing sculptures by Jacque Tempereau!

On reflection it was another superb event. The sun shone even though Jean-Paul is praying from another 30mm of rain before maturation. The music and wine was fab and we hope you will take the opportunity to come and join us again this time next year until then à bientôt......

Harvest Wine Tours in the Loire Valley Vineyards

HARVEST WINE TOUR IN THE LOIRE VALLEY

1 DAY PACKAGE (additional days on request)

From mid-September to mid-November 2009 we are offering the opportunity to come and see the grape harvest in the Loire Valley. Throughout the 2 month period we have a series of special 1 Day Harvest Wine Tour Packages to offer which include the opportunity to see the harvest in action and even get to harvest a few bunches yourselves!

Some of the highlights of the harvest season allow us to :

See the hand harvest picking into crates
See the machine harvesters in action
Taste the bernache - white grape juice from the harvest
Taste wine directly from the barrel
Measure the baume (sugar level) in the grapes using the refractometer
Taste the previous years wines
See the harvest being brought into the Caves des Vignerons
Enjoy a delicious harvest picnic in the vineyards

To see what is included in the package click here : Harvest Wine Tour Package

Or click here to see the : Harvest in Action Photos from previous years.

To check availability or book today email Micaela and/or Sue at resv@lagrandemaison.net

Pyramids Are not Easy to Clean

We have a pyramid in our house....

....unusual I know but a necessary precaution to stop small children and dogs disappearing through a large hole and into the kitchen sink!

The story goes that before the staircase in the hall was constructed (from the wood of an ancient winepress) the previous owner of La Grande Maison used to descend into the kitchen on a rope!

This pyramid was inspired by the Louvre pyramid, however, it does not contain 666 panes of glass, holds no satanic significance and has not featured in a Dan Brown novel.

Nowadays the pyramid is a good source of light into the kitchen and also a good spot to watch our sous chef ‘Sue’ at work, but don’t let her know I told you that.

So yesterday was my day to clean the pyramid and in doing so I got to wondering about the symbolism of the pyramid and it’s ancient powers. Here is what I found.

Pyramids are handy for :

Preserving food
Sharpening razor blades or knives
Improving heath
Functioning as a thought-form incubator
Triggering sexual urges
Relieving stress
Improving quality of drinking water
Restoring the lustre to tarnished jewellery or coins

Now here is the really interesting one :

Improving the taste of coffee, wine and fruit juices:

Apparently pyramid energy alters the hydrogen bond in water. A general effect is an increase in the "smoothness" of a drink. It takes the sharp "edge" off drinks like coffee and works well with wine too.

So here is the experiment : a comparative tasting between wine decanted and placed under the pyramid and the same wine decanted and placed elsewhere. Chosen wine? Domaine de Grand Maison from Langlois Chateau of course. Can we decrease the acidity of this marvellous Muscadet using the power of the pyramid?

Come back in a couple of weeks to discover the results! In the meantime we will be relaxed, shining jewels, having loads of ideas and well....I’ll leave the rest to your imagination ;-)

12 More Things To Do in the Loire Valley Around Saumur

A couple of weeks ago I promised I would find you "12 More Tips for Things to do in the Loire Valley" around Saumur from La Grande Maison. So here they are! Enjoy...

1. Take a ride on Le Grand Elephant at Les Machines des Isles in Nantes

2. See the hand harvest at the Chateau of Saumur around the end of September

3. Visit a riverside 'Guinguette' like this one on the island of Béhuard
for traditional Friture de Loire

4. Go to the beautiful Chateau at Montreuil-Bellay for a walk around the magnificent gardens

5. Interested in art then the Contemporary Art Gallery at Bouvet Ladubay is for you

6. Enough of wine tasting then how about a liquer at the Combier Distillery?

7. Angel or Demon everyone likes to visit the tomb of Leonardo da Vinci at the Chateau in Amboise

8. Chinon is not far either for all things Rabelais & this amazing statue of Joan of Arc


9. The fairytale castle of Rigny Ussé will bring out the sleeping beauty in you

10. Get clean at the most amazing homemade soap shop at Domaine de Mestré


11. A little dressage at the Equitation Centre in Saumur

12. ...and home for a wine tasting in the pigeon tower at La Grande Maison with one of our local winemakers

Phew! So much to do and so little time. Don't underestimate just how much there is to see and do here. It is worth taking a little more time out than you think to explore this area. It's a rich tapestry of history, food, wine & vines, culture & traditions. If any of these ideas appeal to you then make sure you ask for more details during your stay here at La Grande Maison ... a biéntot as there will be more to come over the next few weeks so don't forget to check back.

12 Things To Do in the Loire Valley Around Saumur

"La Grande Maison Top Twelve Tips" for what to do in the Loire Valley Region around Saumur.

1. A visit to the Chateau of Saumur is a must for great views of the river.

2. Fine dining at many of the local restaurants

3. Visit one of the local festivals or fetes held in the villages during the summer months

4. Opportunities for some pretty serious wine tasting

5. Canoe a section of the Loire River.

6. Visit some of the pretty Loire side villages such as Chenhutte -Treves-Cunault

7. Visit the markets such as the Sunday Marche' in Cunault or the Saturday Market in Saumur

8. Riverside Brocantes & Antique Markets

9. Wine Cellars and Caves to visit

10. Take a Hot Air Ballon ride

11. Explore the Caves, Tunnels and Underground Pigeonniere at La Grande Maison

12. A cycle ride in the vineyards around La Grande Maison

Twelve ideas to get you started and I've only scratched the surface. Come back in a couple of weeks for more ideas of what to do in the Loire Valley Region. www.lagrandemaison.net

Strawhouse Players Summer Production 2009

Huge applause goes this year to Frank, Ned, Luc, Beth and of course Steve (scriptwriter extraordinaire) for their traditional summer production. This year "King Arthur & His Trusty Knights on the Quest of the Holy Grail" Maybe a tad pythonesque me thinks?

Posters are painted, costumes are made, tickets are designed, props are propped and the scene is set on the lawns of Plantagent Plantes in Argentay.

The Knights of the Round Table

King Arthur's Knights in search of clues to the Holy Grail

Knights of Camelot: [singing] We're knights of the Round Table, we dance whene'er we're able. We do routines and chorus scenes with footwork impec-cable, We dine well here in Camelot, we eat ham and jam and Spam a lot. / We're knights of the Round Table, our shows are for-mi-dable. But many times we're given rhymes that are quite un-sing-able, We're opera mad in Camelot, we sing from the diaphragm a lot. / In war we're tough and able, Quite in-de-fa-ti-gable. Between our quests we sequin vests and impersonate Clark Gable / It's a busy life in Camelot
[solo]
Knights of Camelot: I have to push the pram a lot.

A snack during the interval? Escargot au Chocolate - hmm delicious.

Tickets are in high demand!

Bravo the Strawhouse Players
il était for-mid-able!

Retro Grand Prix Grande Maison Drive Past

The cars have now arrived in Le Puy Notre Dame for the Retro Grand Prix tomorrow and there is a buzz of excitement in the air. The arrival heralds the start of a weekend of festivities and first off comes the drive through the vines and past La Grande Maison.

So every year we rush outside the gates and wave everyone on their way. There are always a few that take the wrong turning so we are there to put them right back on track. Or even push them up the hill if necessary!


Here they come arriving at the bottom of Rue de la Cerisaie....

....they pass the house.

....and then continue on up the hill and through the vines behind La Grande Maison.

.....the last in line being safely followed by the 'depannage' truck in case of breakdown.

The Le Puy Notre Dame Retro Grand Prix is always held on the last weekend in July so book early for next year's weekend of fun and frivolity Arrive on Friday evening for a delicious La Grande Maison Wine Sampling Supper, take Wine Tour through the vines on Saturday and finish off at the Retro Grand Prix on Sunday for a BBQ and glass of local Le Puy wine. No better way to spend a sunny July weekend. Hope to see you in 2010!

Le Puy Notre Dame Retro Grand Prix

26th July sees the Retro Grand Prix in our local village of Le Puy Notre Dame. This normally quiet corner of France comes alive to the sounds of convertible Morgans, Bugattis, Amilcars and the odd vintage Rolls Royce. Here are a few photos from last years event to whet your appetite.

Cordoned off by bales of hay, the entire village becomes a race track for the day. The local vignerons sell their wines by the glass and the BBQ's spring into action.

More to follow soon......opps mid-blog and got a phone call to say that our dog Willow had escaped and had made his way down to the local nursery. Quick diversion whilst I jump in the car and go to collect him!

Now back to the grand prix....


Vintage motorbikes are allowed compete too. This includes a side-car race and the opportunity to wear old leather helmets with ear flaps - very alluring. Here Olivier from Le Puy au Vin checks out a problem on his old vintage some thing or other.



Along with a few more photos of noisy engines....


.....and shiny badges of desirability.



...see how they shine!


...and to make our day there is even a convertible rainbow Amilcar.

From Potager to Loire Valley Vineyard

A pretty hectic couple of weeks has left little time for blogging other than 'micro-blogging' on Twitter where you can now find us at Twitter.com/frenchwinetours if you wish to join in with the tweets. Otherwise we have been pretty much out and about running Wine Tours and serving our delicious Wine Sampling Suppers here at La Grande Maison.

So what has been happening in the vineyard and the potager during this time? Well less than a month ago the bunches on the vines looked like this. Flowering went well in the end and we managed to avoid any heavy rain that might have knocked off the tiny delicate flowers.

Within 3-4 weeks the bunches are looking good and with the cooler evenings it has been the ideal time to go out and work on the few rows of Chenin Blanc that we have in the vineyard. When the vines were pruned during the winter eight buds were left on last years canes so each vine produced about eight vertical shoots. Each shoot usually produces two bunches so there are a total of around sixteen bunches per vine. This is too many for us as we wish to produce quality rather than quantity hence the job in hand. The extra bunches that didn't fit the bill were cut off leaving 8-10 bunches per vine.

It is hard to think that the grapes will be wasted but it will improve the quality and space available for what is left on the vine.

Back in the potager, secateurs still in hand and we have good crops of yellow and green courgettes, potatoes, garlic, shallots, peas and beans. All our produce is grown organically and our meals are based around what is available each evening.

Even the hens are coming up trumps and Vita produced her first double yolker bless her, she always was a hen of many fancies!

Dogs as per usual do their best to help. With the odd bit of baguette snaffling.

Humble Pie H.R.H

They don't look at all guilty do they?

Willow (aka Wills or Mr Beans)

Gay Icons & Dykons at National Portrait Gallery Sponsored by Rose d'Anjou

We will be "drinking pink" this summer at La Grande Maison in celebration of the Gay Icons Exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in London, sponsored by Rosé d'Anjou. In honour of the event we have cases of Rosé d'Anjou wine to give away to all our lucky guests. The first guests to arrive at La Grande Maison to produce their ticket stub from the exhibition will win a case of six bottles of this delicious pink packed with summer fruits. Subsequent guests will receive a free bottle of Rosé d'Anjou with every room booked (on production of their ticket stub or proof of visit on arrival).

Rosé d'Anjou - making a meal of it.
Local Charentais Melon with Bayonne Ham & Rosé Shots

A few facts about Rosé d'Anjou:


Annual production: 155,000 hl Basic yield: 60 hl/haGrape varieties: Grolleau (the most frequently grown variety in this AOC area), Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pineau d’Aunis, Gamay and Côt Dominant growing practices: Density of 4,000 to 5,000 plants/ha. Single or double Guyot pruning. Residual sugar content: at least 7g/l (generally less than 20 g/l).

Tasting - Sensory characteristics: Bright, crystal clear robe of raspberry red or with glints of salmon pink. Notes of small red fruits (strawberry, redcurrant), rose, English candy, with a freshness, finale of mint and white pepper. The perfect wine for gourmands, tender rosés are round and mellow on the palate with a liveliness that compensates for the sweet sensation and refreshes the finish.

Serving temperature: Serve chilled to 6°C

Ageing potential: Should be drunk in its early years, although certain generous vintages can hold surprises in store for several decades.

A hint of Rosé - La Grande Maison tables decorated with local roses from our garden close to
Doue La Fontaine, Rose Capital of France.

Olivier Lecomte, President of the Rosé d’Anjou wine-growers syndicate, says: ‘Portraiture is an art which is easy to relate to, cutting across racial, social, sexual, educational and economic barriers whilst enhancing cultural appreciation and awareness. Viticulture shares many of the same values - it blends grape varieties, personalities and culture to create wines which are designed to be enjoyed in a diverse number of ways.’

Missing a very Vine Dog?

Just about to sit down for my lunch today when this little fellow pitched up at the gate. We often rescue dogs from the vineyards and if they have no identification we take them off to the vet and they read the chip so that we can then deliver them to their rightful owners.

I put this friendly pup on a lead and took him off to our vets in Doue La Fontaine. By this time I was growing very fond of him and a bond was beginning to grow. He seemed so timid and thin I don't think he had eaten for a while and was certainly ready for a drink.

Sadly he had no chip, tattoo or collar. So the vet told me I must go directly to the Dog Refuge; as if I must not stop off and do anything else en-route but deliver this dog to it's fate. I bundled him back into the car. The refuge was really the last place I wanted him to go and I felt sad about his future. At the 'accueil' I was met by Madame who asked me where I had found him. No we cannot take this dog, we do not have space and anyway you did not find him in this commune, she explained pointing to the list of communes from which they do take dogs, if only they had the space. Alors you must go to your Maire (the Mayor) and declare that you have found a dog.

Once again Chips (he now has a name) and I got back into the car, direction Les Verchers Sur Layon. I hoped the 'Maire' would be open as I had just seen Madame the Mayoress only hours earlier with a carpenter being measured up for new windows! Luckily Catherine her secretary was there and to the rescue. Within seconds she drew up an 'Annonce' to mail out to all the other communes and vets with a description of Chips. A quick phone call later and a chap called Carl turned up with a bag of croquettes and took Chips off to a little kennel (apparently all the best Maires have them!). Ah he is for the 'chasse' he declared (a highly prized hunting dog) . I have a glimmer of hope that if he is not claimed someone locally will take him in. Otherwise he will stay 8 days at the Hotel de le Maire before being sent off to the refuge in Angers. I have a feeling we might just be going to see him before the week is out.

Now about this cat we just found on the roof of the Bakehouse......

The Visitation of the Miraculous Rainbow Ceiling

It appeared as if from no where. There it was this most amazing rainbow on the ceiling of our living room.

So I checked it out on Wikipedia- A rainbow is phenomenon that causes a spectrum of light to appear when the Sun shines onto droplets of moisture They take the form of a multicoloured arc, with red on the outer part of the arch and violet on the inner section of the arch.

A rainbow spans a continuous spectrum of colours. Traditionally, however, the sequence is quantised. The most commonly cited and remembered sequence, in English, is Newton's sevenfold red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. "Roy G. Biv" and "Richard Of York Gave/Gained Battle In Vain" are popular mnemonics. Another one is "Read Out Your Green Book In Verse".

Rainbows can be caused by other forms of water than rain, including mist, spray, and dew.

This one lasted only two minutes and then vanished as quickly as it came. There were no droplets of moisture, rain, mist or spray in the room. So how on earth did it get there? My search led me to a CD lying discarded from it's case on the table. Clare Teal - "Get Happy". Our true rainbow girl!

Thanks for the photos Jay. They are beautiful!

Hi Micaela & Sue!

We got back to Chicago yesterday without any fuss; very simple.

I wanted to thank you again -- it was a lovely experience staying
there with you both, and your hospitality and generosity were amazing.

I took some photos of your garden while there -- and have attached a few
low-resolution jpgs.

Jay

PS -- I'm still thinking about those wines! The Chinon and the cabernet franc!

P.P.S : I'll visit our wine merchant this week and confound them with your wines (!) and see what they have to say. "A white Chinon?" they'll gasp. Just like the red Sancerre.

amitié
Jay

A Busy Weekend in the Loire Valley

Wow - what a busy weekend that was. Full of variety. Wine, good food, a little culture, dancing and laughter. First up came our visit to the private chateau of ................... So private I can't even mention the name or the owner suffice to say we were invited for apero's as a thank you for the work we had done in protecting the local countryside with the group Plaine Campagne. The 'grande dame ' of the house gave us a tour of the chateau and vast grounds through which the River Layon runs.

Our group Plaine Campagne outside the Chateau

We were all then invited into the salon for chilled sparkling rosé and canapes. Such a beautiful evening with the sun shining and clear blue skies it could not have been better.

Saturday was devoted to the Music Festival in Rablay Sur Layon. Joel Menard of Domaine des Sablonettes was supposed to be giving a commented wine tasting of his Anjou blancs but it was rather drummed out by Acousmik! Who were amazing!

No-one seemed to mind though and it set the evening off in fine party mood with everyone finally getting up and dancing.

The festival runs into Sunday and there is plenty of good fresh food, wine and beer to sample and the Village des Artistes to visit for paintings, pottery and gifts. If you are interested in coming next year it usually runs the last weekend in May. An event not to be missed.

Sunday saw the Portes Ouvertes at Domaine des Noades in Argentay a short walk across the vineyards from La Grande Maison. Jacky Ripoche, the winemaker, gave our group a tasting of his 2008 Saumur AOC Whites, Reds, Rose, Moelleux and Petillant Wines. Jacky took over the vineyard 8 years ago and year on year has made noticable improvements to the vines and the wines.

As with most Portes Ouvertes these days a little food is on offer to soak up the wines. We had the traditional fouaces from the bread oven. Delicious served with rillettes or goats cheese.

Even our dog visitor "Riot Winston" seemed pretty happy?

English Cottage Garden in the Loire Valley

A few more iris's have now come into bloom in the gardens of La Grande Maison and most of the roses are now in full bloom too. The sun is shining, the springers are basking in the sun and all is well in our little corner of the Loire Valley Vineyards.

The White and Purple One
The Yellow Ones

Rose - Etoile de Hollande

Stunningly pink poppies.

This one is called Patty's Plum.

Chives growing in the Potager

A Field of Pink and Red Poppies

News from the Chinon Wine Press

So little time to write these days as we are busy running our Wine Tours and preparing fabulous Wine Sampling Supper for our guests here at La Grande Maison. Thought I would quickly share with you some of the photos from the Salon des Vins in Chinon last weekend.

60 of Chinon's finest winemakers came into the town and offered tastings of their wines from stalls dotted around the village. Each little wine outpost came with music and food to sample. A superb way to discover the town and it's wines.

Bernard Baudry 2008 and 2007

We were excited to be able to taste many of the newly bottled 2008 Chinon's from the likes of some of our personal favourites, Bernard Baudry, Olga Raffault, Charles Pain and Laure Dozon.

Laure Dozon also produces a Chinon Blanc

Olga Raffault Chinon 2006

Tasting notes will no doubt follow for those of you who are interested. Just need to sharpen my pencil first!

Storm Damage on the Meridian Line

The heavy winds of Friday night caused some pretty substantial tree damage in Parnay @ Meridien 0 - 15/05/09.

This large spruce came down blocking the entrance to Chateau du Marconnay and taking out two of the tuffeau walls in the process and only narrowly missing the neighbour's roof!

Sad to see such old old trees fall too!

The United Colour of Irises at La Grande Maison

May is a fabulous time of the year to come and visit France. Everything springs into life and one of the early flowers to appear all over the Loire Valley is the Iris. Of course everyone flocks to Giverny (North west of Paris) to see Monet's house and wander around the beautiful gardens of full of irises and poppies. This year I wanted to share with you some pictures of the irises that are on display at the moment at La Grande Maison.

Pale Pink and Orange

White Iris

Pale Blue

Dark Purple

Yellow and Orange

Purple and White

The bank of irises outside La Grande Maison

If anyone knows the full name of each of these varieties then I would be delighted if you could let me know and in the meantime I'll do a little research!

The Grass is Greener...in the Saumur Vineyards

We don’t usually let the grass grow under our feet and right now we are really happy with the way the grass is growing in the vineyards around La Grande Maison. Six years ago when we arrived the vineyards surrounding us had bare earth and an erosion problem. Now they are grassed between rows and the improvements are numerous. Despite our two Springers running through the vines daily the vineyards are still home to all the usual hares, partridges and pheasants. This year we’ve spotted more Montagu’s Harriers, Stone Curlews and Swallow Tail butterflies than ever before. The vineyards are more alive now than when we first arrived.

Chateau de Fosse Seche LPO Bird Refuge

Vineyards, like their subsequent wines, have a range of characteristics, much like their producers. There are still a few vineyards around Le Puy Notre Dame with bare and compacted earth but we have noticed, thankfully, that these are becoming fewer.

Chateau Tour Grise Biodynamic Vineyards

Chateau Tour Grise is biodynamic and boasts the most vibrant vineyards around, teeming with activity above the soil, plenty of humming and buzzing in the air, you just have to imagine what is going on underground.

Sadly their neighbour has a bare, dead, compacted vineyard. It is difficult to spot anything living.

At Tour Grise the “weeds” immediately beneath the vines are cut by machine and the soil is turned to minimise competitive weed growth and maximise rain absorption. Phillipe cycles to his vineyard, sometimes on his home-made tandem, with his wife Francoise facing backwards enjoying the view. He has vision and individuality and so do his wines. Their sparkling wines for example are made with re-cycled CO2! (You’ll have to visit them to find out how). Light and fruity summer time drinking, fun wines at fun prices like the Zero Pointe Rosé, a Vins de Pays.

Tour Grise mechanical method of weed control

Serious wines at serious prices are produced at the Saumur vineyards of Chateau de Fosse Seche. Currently in conversion to organic status they don’t have the problem of being bordered by a vigneron with an opposing philosophy i.e. soil mis-management. They are in the enviable situation of owning 45 hectares immediately surrounding their property with 17 hectares under vine. The vines are not on tuffeau here in this little pocket of Brossay but have a unique terroir for the Saumur region, flint (jurassic silex). The vineyards are worked mechanically to reduce weed competition so there is no use of chemical weed sprays.

Jurassic flint at Fosse Seche

The wines are all outstanding but you wouldn’t expect less from Guillaume Pire the young talented wine maker. Chateau de Fosse Seche is the only Saumur Rouge served in Michelin starred restaurants (as far as we are aware) and they definitely warrant that status.

Organic vineyards of Fosse Seche in front of the 16thC Pigeonnier

Vin et Vinyasa August 2009 - Yoga and Wine Retreat at La Grande Maison

Aubrey practising Yoga on the beach in Thailand

Our Yoga and Wine Retreat Holidays enable you to find your balance in life and enjoy a glass of wine in the process too. Stay at the beautiful La Grande Maison in the middle of the Loire Valley Vineyards. Each morning after a healthy breakfast Aubrey will lead you in a Vinyasa Yoga Session. Three of the sessions will be followed by a picnic in the vineyards before being taken on an Organic/Biodynamic Wine Tour that afternoon by a qualified Wine Guide.

Cycle the Vineyards from La Grande Maison

After two of the morning Vinyasa Yoga Sessions you will have the opportunity to explore the local area yourself. Bikes are made available for you to follow the cycles routes through the vineyards to the local village of Le Puy Notre Dame.

Aubrey running a Yoga Session in Thailand

Aubrey will then be on hand to take 5 evening Meditation Sessions before you head out to an evening meal at one of the local restaurants. Aubrey practices and teaches a heat-building, flowing Vinyasa (breath-focused) style yoga combined with offering healthy alignment instruction intertwined with yoga philosophy and meditation. She studies with internationally renowned yoga teacher, Mitchel Bleier, his partner, Tracy Bleier, and Donna Jackson of Saraswati's Yoga Joint in Connecticut where she did her teacher's training course.

Aubrey believes the key to a happy and healthy lifestyle comes from finding your personal balance, which yoga can help everyone access. Aubrey is currently traveling the world teaching yoga, guiding scuba diving and publishing travel articles. She has most recently lead yoga holidays in Thailand, the Swiss Alps and Gozo.

We are very fortunate to be able to welcome Aubrey to our vineyard retreat in the Loire Valley France in August this year. Email resv@lagrandemaison.net for further details.

Bio Plants for the Potager at La Grande Maison

Last Friday saw the Portes Ouvert for the Crois Rouge Francaise at L'ESAT in Doue la Fontaine. There was an extraordianry choice of 'plants issus de l'Agriculture Biologique pour votre potager" (organic vegetable plants) for sale. We came away with Green Zebra and Striped German Tomatoes which we will be serving this summer along with lemon, purple and green basil, aubergines, cauliflowers and peppers. All looking extremely fresh and well cared for by some of the 40 mentally handicapped staff than run the nursery.

We also discovered that the same team produce wine at L'Arche de la Rebellerie a vineyard in Neuil Sur Layon producing organic reds, whites, coteaux de layon and cremant. This talented crew also produce delicious 'confitures' and offer apricot, cassis, strawberry, raspberry and blackcurrant jams which of course we couldn't resist either. The jus de raisin was not bad either so guess what we'll be having on our breakfast table!

Appreciating Cabernet Franc

Opened a bottle of Les Varennes du Grand Clos 2004 from Charles Joguet (Chinon) with dinner the other evening and how well worth the 5 year wait it was! Dark rich black cherry robe, you can almost smell the cherries. An oppulent mouthfull of red fruit with soft tannins and surprise bursts of caramel going on in the background. This in my humble opinion is how a real single varietal French wine should taste. C'est magnifique!

It was at this moment and in tasting this delicious wine that I realised the difficulties the 'general consumer' has in fully appreciating Cabernet Franc. Now 2004 is young for a good Chinon. In fact it is recommended to drink 2012 but it's now 2009 and folks you just don't want to wait. In general the up to the counter wine tasting public are given 2007 / 08 wines to taste and to be honest without food this is a tricky task. The assertive tannins can sometimes mask the rich plummy fruit that this rich stand-alone varietal has to offer. As wine professionals our job is to educate the consumer to be patient.


It is not necessary to worship at the shrine of the £4.99$ supermarket plonk that has been mass produced, filled with fruit flavourings and tankered from the otherside of the world. Take a little time out to think about what you are drinking, how it has been produced and who has produced it. Here's an idea. Buy a good case whilst you are in the Loire Valley on your Wine Tour- taste one when you get home with a menu to match - lay the other bottles down and repeat the same exercise each year for the next five years. Invite friends and compare notes you will see the results for yourselves. Good luck and hopefully you will start to understand a little about good French wine.

Sunset over the vines at La Grande Maison

Vines at the End of the Rainbow with a Little Food and Wine Matching too.

Just had to share this dramatic photo with you. Kindly sent in by Susan and Aileen recent return guests from Dublin. The picture was taken from the orchard at the rear of La Grande Maison. A beautiful rainbow arc over the poplar tree and into the vines.

Susan also wrote a little about her Wine Tour, " We really enjoyed learning a bit about the wine. So far we have enjoyed the Quid Novi - Anjou Blanc ( with grilled hake and a salsa verde with basil, coriander and capers) and the Royal Rouge - Red Sparkling (as an appetiser and with chocolate). It is really nice to be able to make choices that match the food)."

We love it when folk take wine back with them to sample with their own dishes and it is a lovely to way to extend that holiday feeling.

April is an exciting time in the gardens of La Grande Maison too. We really pruned the wisteria (by The Gate House) back hard last year and happily it has really recovered and is showing a beautiful display this year.

.....as is the clematis that climbs over The Old Bergerie.

....and the lilac by The Vine Lodge

The apple tree in the orchard is in full bloom too. This is a lovely to spot to picnic overlooking the vines with a glass of rosé.

A Portes Ouvert for Easter at Domaine de Bablut in Brissac

11th, 12th and 13th April Easter Weekend sees the Portes Ouvert at Domaine de Bablut in Brissac We are especially excited to be able to try Christophe's latest release Petit Princé 2007 a Chenin Blanc that will not be released until the end of the year but will be available to buy this weekend only! This proved to be dry Chenin Blanc with floral aromas of tilleul, aubepiné and quince, delicate and elegant. I expect it will go well with fish, fruit de mer and wine meats in sauce.

Releasing the aromas from the barrel!

We also discovered Christophe Daviau's - Topette A Lundi, a light easy drinking red Cabernet Franc in a screwcap that you can save 'til Mardi - as if?

The lauch of a new cuvee for Daviau - Petit Princé 2007

A Selection of Loire Restaurants from Saumur to Amboise

Speaking to Madame Laroche owner of the Auberge Bienvenue in Doue La Fontaine the other evening she gave me her update of the new TVA (VAT) ruling for restaurants in France. She tells me that the 5.5% TVA is sure but will not come into effect until 2010 and then it will only apply to the food element of the meal and not the wine. So we will have to wait a while longer.

Never mind though as the food there was superb as usual. The menu Selections du Terrior is already very good value at 24 euros for 3 deliciously presented and prepared courses along with the surprise "amusee bouche" that appears. We chose a local wine from our friend David Lecomte at Chateau Du Passavant, an organically produced Cabernet Franc - Les Neprons 2004 which went superbly with the Entrecote Francaise Au Tanin D'Anjou et Fruit Rouges.


Another longstanding favourite of ours if you are heading to Saumur is Le Pot de Lapin. "Bistro à vins avec cuisine traditionnelle du marché" Olivier Thibault offers a superb selection of local Loire wines many of which you can sample by the glass for only 3 euros. The menu is all chalked up on a large slate board and you can choose from a simple selection of tapas to a more hearty full three or four course meal prepared from fresh local ingredients. There is also a great selection of wines from the south of France including an Domaine Olivier Pithon from Rousillon La Coulee 2006 (Jo Pithon's brother - another superb Anjou producer) a delicious blend of Grenache noir, Carignan and Syrah. Yum!

A little further along the Loire River and a great stop for a day trip is Amboise home to Clos Lucé the last home of Leonardo Da Vinci. We stopped in at the newly opened La Reserve and had the Italian influenced menu de jour for under 12 euros, a french slant on mozzarella and tomatoes, lasagne and panacotta washed down with a small pichet of local Touraine sauvignon blanc. Extremely good value and a tasty lunch break.