Various dates for your diary – Adegga Wine Market, Lamé Delisle Boucard, Vieux Cépages Trilla

Adegga Wine Market, Summer 2016, 

Saturday 2nd July, Hotel Florida, Central Lisbon 

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Domaine Lamé Delisle Boucard: Portes Ouvertes 

Saturday and Sunday 2nd and 3rd July 2016

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7th Fête des Vieux Cépages: Trilla 

Saturday 2nd July 2016 

Central Loire Vineyards: programme of forthcoming events (part 1)

La Tour du Pouilly, Pouilly-sur-Loire

Bourges : « Cathédrale à déguster »

Les mercerdis de juillet et août

L’Office de Tourisme et les Vins du Centre-Loire vous proposent une vision insolite de la majestueuse Cathédrale Saint-Étienne, classée au patrimoine

mondial de l’UNESCO. En compagnie d’un guide conférencier, vous découvrirez des passages de la Bible représentés dans les vitraux ou bien nichés

dans les sculptures, où vignes et vins sont à l’honneur, aux côtés de Noé, Naboth, St Martin, St Vincent…

Vous étancherez votre soif de connaissance dans le jardin de l’Office de Tourisme par une présentation des Vins du Centre-Loire.

Horaires : tous les mercredis de 18H00 à 20H00 (13,

20 et 27 juillet – 3, 10, 17, 24 et 31 août).

Contact :  Office de Tourisme

21, rue Victor Hugo

18000 BOURGES

Tel : 02 48 23 02 60 - Fax : 02 48 23 02 68

E-mail : accueil@bourges-tourisme.com -

www.bourges-tourisme.com 

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« Un après-midi dans les vignes » à La Tour du Pouilly-Fumé

Les jeudis de juillet et août

Visite du vignoble en compagnie d’un guide interprète et découverte des paysages viticoles, cépages et terroirs locaux. La balade se poursuit par

une visite de cave.

Horaires : Tous les jeudis après-midi de 14h30 à 17h en français. Tous les mercredis matin en anglais de 10h à 13h.

Contact :

La Tour du Pouilly Fumé - Tél. : 03 86 24 04 70 -

Fax : 03 86 24 04 74

www.pouillysurloire.fr 

Mail : contact@tourdupouillyfume.fr

« Rencontre vigneronne » à La Tour du Pouilly-Fumé

Les dimanches de juillet et août

A l’issue de la visite de l’espace scénographique et de la Cave aux arômes© des Pouilly-Fumé, une rencontre passionnante avec les vins et le vigneron qui les élabore est proposée.

Contact :

La Tour du Pouilly Fumé - Tél. : 03 86 24 04 70 -

Fax : 03 86 24 04 74

www.pouillysurloire.fr -

Mail : contact@tourdupouillyfume.fr

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Animations de la Villa Quincy ­ 
3 juillet, 16 septembre, 30 septembre

Visite du village de Quincy : à la découverte du  patrimoine et présentation de « l’arbre remarquable ».

Conférence : Le bois pour le vin « 200 ans de chênes

pour 80 ans d’appellation »

Concert d’Hélène Gerray pour l’inauguration de l’exposition de peinture d’Alain Coulon

Contact : Villa Quincy - Rue du Poinçon - 18120 Quincy

Tél. : 02 48 51 72 34 – Fax : 02 48 51 09 16

http://villaquincy.e-monsite.com

contact@villa-quincy.fr 

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Visite d’entreprise : Centre technique BIVC et SICAVAC  
Le 5 juillet et 2août

Dans le cadre des visites d’entreprises organisées par la CCI du Cher et l’Agence du Développement Touristique du Cher, le Centre Technique des AOC du Centre-Loire ouvre ses portes et présente les activités du Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins du Centre et de SICAVAC, laboratoire spécialisé en viticulture et œnologie. Un regard plus pointu qui éclaire d’un autre angle les métiers de la vigne et du vin.

Lieu : Sancerre au Centre technique, rte de  Chavignol

Contact : AD2T du Cher

5, rue Séraucourt - 18000 BOURGES

Tel : 02 48 48 00 10 - www.berryprovince.com

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Atelier découverte de l’AOC Châteaumeillant

Le 20 juillet et 10 août

Les vignerons de Châteaumeillant animent des ateliers à la découverte de leur appellation.

Lieu : au Chapitre (près de la mairie) à  Châteaumeillant

Contact : Office de tourisme

69 rue de la Libération – 18370 Châteaumeillant

Tél. : 02 48 61 39 89

www.chateaumeillant-tourisme.fr 

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Foire aux Vins des Coteaux du Giennois

Le 31 juillet

Foire aux vins traditionnelle qui permet de découvrir les vins des Coteaux du Giennois.

Lieu : Bonny sur Loire (45)

Contact : Office de tourisme

29 Grande Rue - 45420 Bonny sur Loire

Tél. : 02 38 31 57 71

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Visite d’entreprise : viticulture en Centre-Loire

Le 5 août

Dans le cadre des visites d’Entreprises organisées par la CCI du Cher et le Comité Départemental du Tourisme, les vignerons de Menetou-Salon et les techniciens de SICAVAC (laboratoire spécialisé en viticulture et œnologie) invitent à la découverte du travail de la vigne. Du choix des porte-greffes au mode de conduite en passant par les différents modes de lutte contre les maladies, un regard pointu mais accessible sur le travail dans le vignoble.

Lieu : Menetou-Salon

Contact : AD2T du Cher

5, rue Séraucourt, 18000 BOURGES

Tel : 02 48 48 00 10 - www.berryprovince.com 

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Les Trois Glorieuses en Sancerrois

Le 31 juillet, Le 6 août, Le 15août

Les trois fêtes traditionnelles du Sancerrois vous donnent rendez-vous en juillet et en août.

Conviviales et festives, elles sont à l’image des hommes et des femmes de la région.

Première à ouvrir le bal « Les Grappes Nouvelles » à Verdigny (31 juillet), une fête traditionnelle de village. Spectacle, course de chèvres, dîner champêtre

et bal pour une journée sympathique en Sancerrois.

La Nuit des Sorciers (6 août) au pays des Birettes à Bué est l’occasion de croiser le Malin au Creux de Marloup. Animations folkloriques, Dîner et bal champêtre nocturne sur le thème des Diables et autres Lucifers.

La Sabotée Sancerroise, groupe traditionnel, donne rendez-vous à Sury en Vaux le 15 août pour une journée placée sous le signe des folklores du monde…et du Sancerre.

Contact : Grappes Nouvelles - Claudine Reverdy

Chaudoux - 18300 VERDIGNY

Tel : 02 48 79 33 08 – Fax : 02 48 79 37 93

Nuit des Sorciers - Mickaël Picard - 18300 BUE

Tel : 02 48 54 16 13 ou Francine Lemain au 02 48 54 11 09

La Fête au Village - Gilles Dubois

18300 CHAVIGNOL - Tel : 02 48 54 15 69

Loire photos: inc Nady Foucault, Didier Dagueneau, Arnaud Lambert & more

 Nady Foulcault in the cellars of Clos Rougeard June 2009

Encrusted wall in the Foucault's cellar

Continuing a trawl through past photos in an over-ambitious attempt to sort them out.  

 Didier Dagueneau, Saint Andelain, September 2007

 Louis-Benjamin Dagueneau – now in charge of the domaine 

 Anne and Paul Henry Pellé, Morogues – September 2007

 Arnaud Lambert, Domaine de Saint Just, Saumur, Saumur-Champigny 

June 2009

 Domaine de Saint Just 

The remarkable cellars of Domaine de Saint Just

Bourges – photos of centre from September 2007

 

The historic centre of Bourges is certainly well worth a visit as these photos from 2007 demonstrate. They are mainly of the Palais de Jacques Coeur.

 Figures and houses in Bourges' old streets 

Brightness amid the gloom.....

Discreet remains the watchword

Tonight's post is an antidote to the gloom surrounding us following the result of Thursday's referendum. This is the latest in my collection of New Orleans Jazz shirts very kindly given to me by CRM.

Brexit ..... now gloomy Saturday

24 hours on from Leave's victory I remain numbed and shocked that the UK Referendum (23rd June 2016) opted to pull out of the EU after 43 years of membership, albeit often rather lukewarm. 

It feels like a nightmare, except that it remains fully in place when you wake up. There is never the comforting thought that it was all a dream. Furthermore 24 hours on the implications of the vote continue to sink in.

The UK is now deeply divided with much of the country outside of London and wealthy parts of the south east, Manchester, Liverpool, Scotland and Northern Ireland voting to leave. During the day it became clear that Nicola Sturgeon and her Scottish government will be pushing for a second independence referendum as Scotland voted decisively to stay in the EU. If there is a second referendum Scotland may well vote for independence in order to try to stay in the EU. Whether the EU will allow Scotland to join as a separate state is quite another matter. There have also been calls for a United Ireland referendum as a majority of the Northern Ireland population wanted to stay.      

Bizarrely Boris Johnson claimed after the result and Cameron's resignation that "This does not mean the United Kingdom will be any less united." (24th June 2016). Clearly Johnson and I are not on the same planet or this was a massive dose of wishful thinking, especially as he had been roundly booed and insulted by a crowd of Remainers on leaving his house that morning.  

Amazingly Johnson is now saying there is no rush to file for EU divorce. If he really thought Independence from the EU was such a good idea you would think he would want the UK to 'take control' as soon as possible. It has been suggested that Johnson saw Leave as another jolly jape and is only now waking up to the dire consequences. 

During the campaign I was advised by a fellow #winelover 'to get a life' and that the result would make little difference. I'm not sure whether he was thinking very long term but, if it is the short term, events  on Friday show this was clearly a piece of Candide insouciance. 

Further to Cameron resigning, Jeremy Corbyn now faces further challenges to his leadership of the Labour Party. Sterling has fallen considerably against the dollar – down from close on 1.50 to 1.36 and the Euro from just over 1.30 to 1.23 and our credit rating has been cut by Moodys to negative. We will see next week what the currency markets and the stock exchange do after a weekend to reflect on the implications of Thursday's vote.

Cameron is right to resign. He lost the referendum that he had no need to call and should never have been held. It was called to calm internal Conservative Party tensions as well as trying to head off the threat of UKIP.  Gambling with the UK's prosperity. Then having called the referendum Cameron and the Remain campaign failed to promote a vision and really positive case for the UK to stay in the EU. Instead they relied on the fearful consequences that won't resonate if you are poor and already fearful of your job prospects.

Leading Leave Tory politicians did try to get Cameron to stay so that he could lead the delicate UK negotiations. Ian Duncan Smith stressed that Cameron's good relations with other EU leaders would be a great positive! Not surprisingly Cameron decided that he wasn't going to be the patsy and that Leavers would have to sort out the crap for themselves.   

It is difficult to know how far those who voted to leave were convinced by Leave's dubious claims and lies. Johnson has a history of lying and making up stories as he himself has admitted. The ideal CV for the next likely Prime Minister! Farage has already distanced himself from the claim that if Leave won there would be money available from the '£350 million we send to the EU every week' to fund the NHS.

Equally Leave are also 'clarifying' that they weren't claiming to reduce immigration but only control it – whatever that might mean.....  

The sound of chickens coming home to roost.....        

Welcome to Black Friday .......

Despite our EU divorce Jim's Loire 

will continue to spend plenty of time in the Loire

A deeply depressing result – the UK seeks divorce from European Union after 43 years.

Predictable results:

Cameron resigns as Prime Minister 

Sterling falls against most currencies – at one point was over 10% down on dollar – but has recovered during the morning as has the Euro. Stock market also falling before recovering a little. 

 £ against the US dollar

 £ against the €

Likely results:

Scotland will push for another independence referendum after Scotland voted 62% to 38% in favour of remaining in the EU. Chances must be high that the Scots will opt for independence so that they can stay in the EU.

Tasting Sancerre while UK votes

The cross above Chavignol looking 

towards the town of Sancerre

Off to Decanter's offices today to taste white Sancerre, while the UK votes on whether to stay on the EU or gamble on life being better outside led by Farage, Gove and Johnson.  

I've voted to Remain in the European Union. 

Do vote – in a referendum every vote counts.

Avoidance tactics leads to a stay in Montreuil-sur-Mer

Needing to be back in London for appointments on Tuesday 21st June we decided break our journey back from the Loire with an overnight stay in Montreuil-sur-Mer. Normally we drive from the Loire back to London in a day but as Monday was the day after this year's Le Mans 24 we were keen to avoid any heavy traffic as petrolheads made their supercharged way back to the UK.

On the recommendations of several friends, we chose to stay in the Hotel Hermitage in the centre of the town. Booking on-line secured us a double room for 79€ a night plus 10€ for secure parking – certainly a serious consideration carrying a couple of decent mountain bikes. Curiously had we booked direct over the phone the room would have been substantially more. 

For 79€ we could have no complaints – our room was spacious, the bed comfortable and the bathroom – large. 

We had a very enjoyable meal at Le Bistronome – a short walk from the Hermitage.  The choice of dishes is quite limited as is the wine list but this wasn't a problem. I failed to take photos of most of our meal but did manage the soft, juicy and powerful 2014 Plaisir d'Eulalie, AC Minervois – 30% Syrah, 40 Carignan and 30% Grenache Noir. I also managed to capture CRM's well made quenelle de chocolate – rich without being over sweet. 

Quenelle de chocolate

 

On A16 early Tuesday morning – pas terrible!

Unfortunately the drive from Montreuil towards Calais was just as foul as the drive up from the Loire the previous day had been – the summer solstice! It did, however, improve as we approached Calais.  

2016 Saumur: Les Grandes Tablées (3rd-4th August) + Festivini (3rd-11th September)

2016 Les Grandes Tablées, Saumur-Champigny 

Grandes Tablées du Saumur-Champigny Bretonne les 3 et 4 août 2016
Pour sa 17ème édition, après la Grande Bretagne, les vignerons du Saumur Champigny vont faire flotter le drapeau Breton place de la république à Saumur les les 3 et 4 août prochains. Non, les traditionnelle Grandes Tablées du Saumur Champigny ne ressembleront pas aux banquets des BD d'Astérix qui ponctuent chaque épisode. Ici, les poissons ne voleront pas entre les convives et les bardes auront été sélectionnés avec le plus grand soin. Même si finalement dans l'esprit, on n'en sera pas très loin.

Depuis 17 ans, 6 000 repas en cœur de ville 
6 000 repas, 3 000 convives à chacune des deux soirées et 2 000 flâneurs ! La recette est efficace. Chaque été, Saumur se transforme en grand restaurant à ciel ouvert où la bonne humeur et la fête sont de rigueur. Une immense tablée est dressée au coeur de la ville, autour des produits du terroir et du Saumur Champigny, en compagnie des vignerons de l’appellation. Cette année encore, ce sont plus de 2km de tables qui seront installées devant l’hôtel de ville. 

Un joyeux bazar
Les convives viennent de loin pour participer aux Grandes Tablées du Saumur Champigny . Ils sont parfois surpris du joyeux bazar dans les files d'attentes. Il n'y a pas de services à tables et celles-ci ne sont pas réservées. Tout le monde est à la même enseigne et c'est parfois par l'entraide que se nouent les amitiés d'un soir d'été.

De la gastronomie bretonne avec produits d'ici et là...
Chaque année, les vignerons de l'AOC Saumur-Champigny convie un hôte Après les Belges pour l'édition 2014, les citoyens d'Elisabeth II en 2015, place aux voisins de Bretagne grands amateurs de Saumur Champigny. Au menu, ce ne sera pas « galette saucisse » mais un menu inspiré et interprété de l'histoire Bretonne. Les recettes traditionnelles Bretonnes seront revisitées avec les produits locaux, d'ici et de la bas. Comme chaque année, les cuisiniers attendent avec impatience le verdict.

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Festivini: 3rd to 11th September 

7ème FESTIVINI Festival de la Culture du Vin et de la Gastronomie

7th WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL - SAUMUR LOIRE VALLEY

à Saumur, Fontevraud, Montreuil-Bellay et dans tout le Saumurois

For the full programme of Festivini events, tastings etc. click here.  

CONTACT:

FESTIVINI - Comité d'Organisation des Evènements Viticoles du Saumurois (COEVS)

49, rue du Maréchal Leclerc - 49400 SAUMUR - 02.41.51.16.40 - contact@festivini.com

EU Referendum – why I am voting for Europe

On Tuesday we will be back in London after three weeks in the Loire. Back in time to vote in the UK's EU Referendum on Thursday, which is the most important vote in my lifetime. Having always been Pro-Europe I will certainly be voting to Remain. I hold a British passport but I consider myself to be European, so it makes no sense to me to turn our back on Europe – its culture, the UK's major trading partner and the European Union. 

 

Take back control!

Britexiters claim that leaving the EU will give us our country back. It will do no such thing. The UK has already negotiated exceptions, such as to stay out of the Euro and the Schengen Agreement. There are claims that we will thrive outside the EU perhaps with a free trade agreement with the Commonwealth countries.  

This is surely fantasy! Far better to be together with our major market with a voice rather to run away and hope for the best. A free trade agreement with the Commonwealth harks back to the time of the British Empire at the end of the 19th Century. The Asia Pacific region, for instance, is the closest and most enticing market for Australia and New Zealand not the UK.     

Curiously and sadly a number of the English regions that are predicted to vote leave are the very same that have benefited from European Union aid to depressed areas.    

Voting to leave the EU on Thursday will hand control of the UK to people like Boris Johnson, Michael Gove and Nigel Farage. Johnson famously could have gone either way on Europe and is widely seen as only campaigning for exit because he sees this as his chance to become Prime Minister. Furthermore he has cheerfully admitted that when based in Brussels as a reporter he invented new stories about European legislation – shapes of bananas etc.  

  

“People in this country have had enough of experts,” according to Michael Gove. Fair enough, perhaps, from a member of the public but a truly extraordinary statement from the current Minister of State for Justice. How does UK case law function if it isn't the distillation of legal decisions by legal experts – judges – over many years? Furthermore Gove was previously Minister of Education, somewhat of a worry if the education of our children is in the hands of someone who mistrusts expertise!

UKIP and Nigel Farage playing the race card – poster launched 

the day that MP Jo Cox was brutally murdered 

Echoes of Nazi propaganda

And the vile Farage – head of UKIP ? Ever ready to play the race card as the UKIP poster shows. Farage launched this poster that shows migrants moving into Slovenia playing on the fears of uncontrolled immigration into the UK just hours before the MP Jo Cox was murdered. The man charged with her murder gave his name in court as "My name is death to traitors, freedom for Britain." 

Clearly Farage didn't order the killing of the MP but he and his party created the mood music – you reap what you sow!

Rather belatedly Gove admitted on Sunday that he 'shuddered' when he saw the UKIP poster.   

After a surge by the leave campaign, the latest opinion polls show a move back to Remain. Let's hope Remain carries the day on Thursday. It will be tight!