Raising money to combat Parkinson's – Pauillac – La Livinière

Château Lafite (Pauillac): the planned start of our ride

Cru La Lavinière, Minervois 

 Fergus' and Trevor Gulliver's 
vines high in the hills of the Minervois  

It has been three years since Carole Macintyre and I did a charity bike ride, so clearly time to put that right! Back in 2013 Carole rode from John O'Groats to Kinnesswood, the home of her niece who died of a brain tumour aged just 18. Carole rode to raise money for Teenage Cancer Trust and I followed the next year riding the entire course of the Lore (over 1000 kilometres) from the source to the Atlantic Ocean. 

This time we will ride across Southern France from one cru – Pauillac in the Médoc – to another – La Lavinière, the top site in the Minervois to raise money for Parkinson's UK. We are very pleased that Max Poynter Hall of St John will be joining us for the stage to Fronton.

We are delighted that our friend Lynda will be supporting us throughout our journey from Pauillac to La Lavinière.

If anyone else fancies the ride from Pauillac to La Lavinière or part of it to raise money for Parkinson's please contact me on budmac@btinternet.com 

Please help us to fight Parkinson's by visiting our fund raising page here.   

Why Parkinson's? 

Fergus Henderson cooking  

at last year's Fête du Vin

 Fergus

Max Poynter Hall (St John)

will be joining us on one of the stages  

Fergus Henderson, co-owner and head chef at St John Restaurant, is the most immediate inspiration for our ride. Fergus has had Parkinson's for a number of years now. Last year Carole and I were invited to Fergus' and Trevor Gulliver's, his business partner's, annual fête du vins in La Lavinière (Minervois) where they have vineyards high up in the hills and a winery in the centre of the village. 

Fergus and Trevor's 2016 fête du vins was memorable, so we decided that we should make an effort to raise some money to help to combat Parkinson's, such a cruel disease. We will start from Pauillac on Monday 12th June and plan to arrive in La Lavinière on Friday 16th June, on the eve of the 2017 Fête.  

We will also be riding in memory of Ivor Morris, keen racing cyclist and founder of the London Fire Brigade Cycling Club. Ivor died in early January 2008 aged 80 having long suffered from Parkinson's.

It was Ivor, whose enthusiasm got us into time trialing in the late 1970's and early 1980s. We met Ivor when he was working as an assistant school keeper during the Fire Brigade strike of November 1977 - January 1978.

A few months before he died Ivor saw the 2007 Tour de France pass through Goudhurst, an early sign that cycling was become a major sport in the UK. Sadly he died before Mark Cavendish's first TDF stage victory and Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome's wins in the Tour. He would have been proud and delighted by this and the explosion of cycling in the London.   

Please help us to fight Parkinson's by visiting our fund raising page here.    

Boulevard Napoléon – Hail in the Minervois

 

Boulevard Napoleon's parcel of Cinsault 

surrounded by forest and garrique

Last Sunday morning we visited the Boulevard Napoleon's vineyard high in the Minervois hills. Previously Fergus Henderson and Trevor Gulliver had bought all their grapes from the Cave Co-operative in La Lavinière. Last year they decided to buy some vineyards. These are so remote – access by a steep, uneven and bumpy track – that even Trevor initially had some trouble finding them! 

Unfortunately their newly acquired parcel of vines was recently hit by hail – a rude reminder of the risks involved in growing grapes! Damage in the parcel of Cinsault looks to be patchy with some vines stripped of their potential fruit, while others look not to have been affected at all and still have a potential normal crop. On a quick look the damage appeared to be worst at the western edge of the vineyard. Flowering was underway when we visited. Once this is finished it will be easier to see how the crop has been affected by the hail.

 

 Trevor explaining the vineyard to the group

Clear signs of hail damage with the shoot in 

centre of pic stripped of most of its fruit

(above and below)

As usual hail damage was very localised – 

here a potential bunch in full flower  

Vigneron's hut by the top of the parcel of Cinsault 

 The interior 

(above and below)

 The wall of the hut with frying pan

Travels with Mr Gulliver and Mr Henderson (part 2): their fête des vins (2nd set)

The second set of photos from the Boulevard de Napoleon fête des vins in La Lavinière: 

 Harry – young chef just left St John to travel

Bob Granleese, food pages editor, The Guardian 

 Nicola Gulliver 

Trevor encore

Axelle Machard de Gramont

Nick from Australia

Bénédicte – Eloi Merle  

  Frédéric – Eloi Merle   

Fréderic et Bénédicte – Eloi Merle   

 Arne – chef at St Johns Bread & Wine 

(Restaurant is closed for refurbishment until end of June)

Travels with Mr Gulliver and Mr Henderson (part 2): their fête des vins

 Fergus and Trevor at their winery in La Lavinière

preparing the barbecue

Max with his Boulevard Napoleon shirt 

+ bottle of Boulevard Napoleon 

Plaque opposite the winery on the Rue des Mourgues 
that gives Fergus and Trevor's wine its name 

Yesterday was largely given over to Fergus Henderson and Trevor Gulliver's annual fête des vins in their winery in La Lavinière, the cru of the Minervois. Given the provenance of Fergus and Trevor you can imagine that we ate very well including delicious and very flavoursome brains on toast, brilliant barbecued quail and tripe in a rich broth.  

 

Apéro time 

A Cabernet Franc producer from the Minervois 

Peter Gorley author of 
The Wines & Winemakers of Languedoc-Roussillon

Kitty Cooper serving Boulevard Napoleon white 
made from Grenache Gris

Benji – the winemaker

Fergus@work on the barbecue
(above and below)

Trevor 

Fergus