Latest updates on France, French Wine, Food, Travel, Holidays and Events
FrenchDuck UK - Latest
Vicki Archer’s “My French Life” is just the thing to brighten up cold, dark winter days with evocative images of life in France (mainly Provence and Paris).
In 1999 Vicki Archer, with her husband and three children, made a lifelong dream a reality (don’t we all have this dream?) when she bought a seventeenth-century property in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. She spent three years lovingly restoring the farmhouse, bringing back to life the abandoned apple and pear orchards and planting an olive grove of more than 2000 trees. In MY FRENCH LIFE, Vicki shares an insider’s view of life in France, telling her personal tale of taking risks, facing challenges and falling in love with all things French.
With gorgeous 4-color photography by Carla Coulson, it is the perfect holiday gift for armchair travelers and Francophiles alike.
For details and to enter the prize draw (closing date 14 December 2007) go to www.frenchduck.co.uk
Buy your own copy from Amazon.co.uk
In deepest Southwest France you could be somewhat startled to discover a cricket match rather than a game of boules being played during the summer. In the sleepy village of Catus (46 Lot, Midi-Pyrenees) a few miles north west of Cahors, the local cricket club (Catus CC) has acquired a new cricket ground with the help of the local Mayor (Maire) who has helped the club get a loan to purchase some municipal land, and who will also open the new pitch.
We are in a tourist area and our little town relies on this summer trade to boost the local economy. The mayor is pro British and for integration so it becomes a win win situation for everyone if he can boast a cricket pitch in the town. I’m sure other communes in France could adopt the same route for the same reasons, which could help the sport to develop.
The Mayor will open our pitch officially next Sunday with a fundraising meal and match. So all in all I’m hopeful we will be going from strength to strength!
In many ways Cricket and Boules (or Petanque) are not so dissimilar - they are very sociable games which benefit from being played on hot, lazy afternoons at a gentle pace.
For more info on French cricket - see www.cricketeurope.net
Now this could be taken to indicate how much the Brits have infiltrated parts of the southwest - but also how well they have integrated. Certainly the Sunday markets at nearby Cazals and at Montcuq are very popular with the English tourists and expats - there’s even stall selling English second-hand books! Certainly the incomers have tended to push up property prices, but equally they do support the local economy - few young French people want to stay in the countryside - few jobs and few opportunities.
The other factor which is impressive is the existence in most French villages of municipal tennis courts, football pitches etc, which are recognised as an important community asset. The village hall, often next to the Mairie, is heavily used for local functions - for although the French enjoy the privacy of their own homes, they do come together for local events and celebrations, sometimes for no obvious reason!
Catus has a number of nearby attractions - the Lac Vert (Green Lake) is an oasis of quiet tranquility (except in mid-summer, when it is a popular day out for the children); at St Medard Catus is one my favourite restaurants - Le Gindreau - a little extravagance, but we enjoyed several memorable and lengthy lunches on the terrace in the middle of the countryside. Le Gindreau was converted into a restaurant from a former school, which was also the case at Les Arques 
few miles further north) where the La Récréation Restaurant was created.
This was the subject of the book by Michael Sanders From Here, You Can’t See Paris
The restaurant has a good reputation - but somehow I was expecting something less grand - with tables in the courtyard in summer they can seat 130 people! However, we cannot report on the food - due I suspect to the 35 hour week, the restaurant is closed for 2 whole days midweek even in summer!!
Michael Sanders’ two books (the other about winemaker families in Cahors) do offer a great insight into life in the rural southwest - and whilst they may not be racy reading, they are well-written and describe the locals and their way of life with great affection.
Wine competitions come and go, and generally provide little interest except for the producers and those few top wines which get all the glory, justified or not. However, for the lover of French wines there is an indispensible and comprehensive guide published annually which can be really helpful when planning a visit to any of the French wine regions (unfortunately only available in French). The Le Guide Hachette des Vins
Guy’s Bergerac Blanc Sec AC, Cuvée Tradition 2006 is the wine in question, and what is especially pleasing is that this is his “basic” dry white - a lovely blend of crisp Sauvignon Blanc and fruity Semillon - which we used to retail at under £5.00 a bottle (effectively our house wine) - so this is not a “special” cuvee or a “prestige” small quantity production at an inflated price - just really good quality wine for drinking!! As the citation reads “Quelle persistance! Quelle élégance!”
I think that is a justified tribute to a winemaker who has striven to produce really good wines, which concentrate the fruit characteristics of the grape, and I am really delighted to see this wine celebrated in the guide!
Regrettably since the demise of Allez Vins! in 2005 this wine is no longer stocked in the UK as far as we know - although Corney & Barrow stock a similar cuvée “La Combe de Grinou” and Private Cellar stock some of Grinou’s red wines.
In France you can visit the domaine at Monestier (24 Dordogne, Aquitaine) - see details
The Guide Hachette may only be in French, but even if you do not speak the language, it contains plenty of information on addresses, opening times etc.
The beautiful and elegant Viaduc de Millau designed by Norman Foster is a breathtaking sight in the middle of an otherwise little-known region of France. The stunning photograph above comes from the Independent and Mercedes magazine Poise - available with the Independent (22 Sep 07) and available as an online ezine.
Michelin has also published a new Green guide (only in French at the moment) on the A75 Autoroute (la Meridienne) which runs down from Clermont Ferrand (63 Puy-de-Dome, Auvergne) to Pezenas (34 Herault, Languedoc) across the Tarn Gorge at Millau (12 Aveyron, Midi-Pyrenees).The whole area is ripe for exploring. So the guide has 12 suggested itineraries including one which focusses on the vineyards of the Languedoc and Auvergne - other attractions include the vulcanic landscapes of the Auverge, thermal spas, Templar castles…….
New Michelin Green Guide - France (in English)
Our love-hate relationship with France often ensures that we Brits enjoy the distress of the French when things do not go well. Admit it - a significant element of the national elation at winning the Olympics for 2012 was that we beat Paris to it!! Our trouble is that in many ways we are so alike - in others so different - vive la difference!!
So a brief trip to France, where the late summer skies were blue, and the sun was shining warmly was particularly welcome after an otherwise disappointing summer on both sides of the Channel. Except of course that as it was after 31 August, the French were all back at work (la rentrée) and winter opening hours of restaurants, chateaux and other attractions were operative.
The week started badly for the French, when they lost the opening match of the Rugby World Cup at the Stade de France in Paris - to a previously underrated Argentinian team. The incredulity of this disaster was summed up by one local who maintained: “That was not supposed to happen!” This could now lead to the French, proudly hosting the world cup, having to play a semi-final in Cardiff!!
The following day spirits appeared to have improved when the French football team secured a 0:0 draw against the Italians - the celebrations and relief suggested it was in fact a great victory. However, just a few days later they lost to the minnows of Scotland which no-one, probably not even the Scots, had predicted.
The week ended with everyone suddenly discovering and being knowledgeable about Judo, where the world championships were won by - a Frenchman called Teddy RIner, a name probably unknown to most French people. However, this week he is a real French hero!
It is difficult to be too smug about the French misfortunes, when we Brits can be only too aware that our glory days on the football and rugby pitch can be just as fleeting and vulnerable to upset - but whatever you do, never mention the 2012 Olympics in France - they were robbed!!
The differences and similarities between out two nations was also reinforced by my reading for the week.
A Year in the Merde
My second read by Stephen Clarke Talk to the Snail
On a more serious level, but nevertheless readable and entertaining was Rod Kedward’s La Vie En Bleu: France and the French Since 1900
Cotes de St Mont VDQS and Madiran AC celebrate significant anniversaries in 2007 – 25 years for St Mont and 100 years for Madiran. These anniversaries coincide with the recent interest in the Tannat grape for its health-giving properties. The Plaimont Co-operative has been key to the development of these appellations.
The French Paradox in South-West France is based on a unique combination of terroir, growing practices and grape varieties. In concrete terms:
• a growing process, described in the winegrower’s production specifications set up some 30 years ago - disbudding, leaf plucking, yield control through cluster thinning, health status control, etc. -, which enables the grapes to reach perfect maturity,
• “privileged” grapes: the grapes growing in the Pyrenean area have the advantage of late bud break and flowering. They are thus protected from bad weather in Spring, frost and poor berry set, and enjoy cool nights and sunny days during late Summer, which gives rise to the particular maturity that is specific to the region. Grape harvesting is left until late in September,
• in-depth knowledge of plot soils.Also associated are traditional winemaking methods:
• beginning of vinification through slow fermentation, which promotes extraction during the non-alcoholic phase (pre-fermentation maceration under controlled temperature),
• traditional vinification with temperature control and long maceration,
• maturation on lees with controlled aeration (such wines require much oxygen).The current techniques respect and reinforce these principles of traditional winemaking.
Within the framework of his work, Professor Roger Corder has analysed many wines from around the world. The results are to be found in his book The Wine Diet
.
Among the wines analysed in this region, the following have been awarded an “excellent standard” rating:
• St-Mont, Château de Sabazan, Château de St-Go, Château du Bascou, Le Faîte.
• The Plaimont producers’ Madiran Plénitude
• Madiran Château de Crouseilles and Château d’Arricau-Bordes from the Crouseilles wine co-operative.
Dr Roger Corder has a new book coming out in September 2007 – The Red Wine Diet
Plaimont wines in the UK are stocked by (amongst others) the Wine Society – the Chateau de Sabazan Cotes de St Mont VDQS has been a favourite of mine – a good oaked tannat red, but with a touch more fruit than many Madirans “A gorgeous ripe tasting red from Gascony” (£9.50)
Understanding and appreciating the styles of cuisine in France can enhance the enjoyment of what you are eating (or cooking) – much like wine, where I find a little additional knowledge can helps me be more discriminating in my choices and combinations of dishes and wines.
Doug Stewart at www.france-property-and-information.com offers some insights into some of the nuances behind the rich variety of French Food
Regional influences
Each region of France has ingredients, recipes and style of cooking specific to that region. Although they may be exported to other regions of France (and the world), production is largely local and consumption is highest in the region of origin. For example, in Provence the food typically features olive oil, herbs and tomatoes; these are all locally produced and they feature in a surprising large variety of different recipes.
The evolution of regional cooking styles has been influenced by:
• Local availability. The French, a nation of gourmets, prefer to use local ingredients. Consequently, coastal regions (such as Brittany and Normandy, on the northwest coast of France) will favor sea fish and will use it more often and in more varied ways than inland areas. Likewise, areas where fruit or herbs grow easily, will incorporate these into their local cuisine.
• Neighbouring countries and immigration. Near the borders with other countries, the local cuisine incorporates certain dishes and ingredients of the neighbouring countries. It is not surprising to find Italian dishes near the Italian border. More notably, the French region of Alsace is similar to Germany in its food (sauerkraut is popular) and wine, partly due to it currently bordering on Germany and partly due to it having been part of Germany at various points in its history (the border has moved back and forth with various wars). In parts of the south which have a large North African immigrant population one can enjoy the cuisine which they have imported from their original countries.
• History and economic conditions. The culture, lifestyle and economic conditions over a long period of time have formed the development of local food traditions. The rich meat dishes and cream sauces of Burgundy are not only due to Burgundian excellence in raising cattle, but in large part to the economic prosperity of this region over several centuries. On the other hand, mountain regions excel in firm cheeses, which allow food to be preserved over the long and difficult winters, and can be produced from mountain livestock which historically were the main means of support for many families in economically limited areas.
Of course, throughout France one can find a range of dishes, both in restaurants and at home, which extends well beyond regional specialities. However, at the same time, the regional influences in terms of ingredients and style of cooking is marked. Consequently, for those who move to France, the choice of region will influence the types of food one will find.
Italian Influence
Culinary historians generally associate the development of high cuisine in France (as opposed to the existing rural traditions) with the marriage in 1533 of Catherine De Medicis (a Florentine princess) to Henry duc d’Orleans (who became King Henry II or France). At this point, France was not know for its food or food culture. Catherine brought an entourage of Italian chefs with her to France, who introduced to France a variety of dishes, food preparation and dining practices. Although France and Italy obviously have evolved very different food cultures, both before and since this contribution, much of France’s current food culture can be traced back to this time.Cooking styles
As discussed above, each region of France has its own distinctive traditions in terms of ingredients and preparation. On top of this, there are three general approaches which compete with each other:
• Classical French cuisine (also known in France as cuisine bourgeoise). This includes all the classical French dishes which were at one time regional, but are no longer specifically regional. Food is rich and filling, with many dishes using cream-based sauces.
• Haute cuisine is classical French cuisine taken to its most sophisticated and extreme. Food is elegant, elaborate and generally rich. Meals tend to be heavy, especially due to the use of cream and either large portions or many smaller portions. There is a strong emphasis on presentation (in particular, vegetables tend to be cut with compulsive precision and uniformity). The finest ingredients are used, and the meal is correspondingly expensive.
• Cuisine Nouvelle. This style developed in the 1970s, as a reaction against the classical school of cooking. The food is simpler and lighter. Portions are smaller and less rich; the heavy cream sauces of the classical approach are particularly avoided. Cooking is less elaborate and quicker, with more emphasis on local and seasonal ingredients.
• Cuisine du terroir. This focuses on regional specialities and is somewhat more rustic in nature. Local produce and food traditions are the main focus.
Each of these traditions is strongly represented in France, each having its supporters and specialist restaurants. At the moment, Cuisine Nouvelle is less popular than it was, while Cuisine du terroir has grown in popularity in recent years.
For more on French Food see Doug Stweart’s site at www.france-property-and-information.com/easy-french-food-recipes.htm
The artist Margaret Loxton is very English, and very Yorkshire – as is her style, but she has neverthess produced some very atmospheric images of France, and particularly French rural life. With her buxom men and women it may be a style you love or hate, but these pictures are so French they could not be anywhere else.
She has a whole series of scenes, including wine-related ones such as the Pavement Café in Riquewihr (68 Haut-Rhin, Alsace) shown above, but also Nuits St Georges (Burgundy) and the Luberon (Provence).
Limited edition prints are available online from La Provence Collections (along with a host of other gift items and fabrics on a Provencal theme) – thet also have a shop on the Square at Stow-in-the-Wold, near Cheltenham, Glos.
If you don’t want a print, you can see some of pictures in her book
I have enthused about the wines of Gascony for some time, despite the fact that they have tended to remain somewhat unknown and certainly under-rated. So I was delighted to see Jonathan Ray in the Telegraph (04 Aug 07) writing about this area and its wines, and focussing on 2 producers which I have featured before on these pages and on Allez Viins!
Somewhat against the trend, the area is somewhat dominated by 2 larger -scale enterprises, which rather buck the easy stereotype that often equates big size with mass-produced, bland wines to satisfy undemanding palates.
The wines from this part of south-west France are becoming increasingly popular, thanks in no small part to two contrasting producers: the family-owned Domaine de Tariquet near Eauze and the co-operative Producteurs Plaimont, based in and around Madiran and Saint Mont.
Allez Vins! imported the wines of Plaimont for many years, as they produce excellent Vins de Pays (Colombard) and the Côtes de St Mont VDQS red, white and rosé wines – under the inspired direction of André Dubosc. Unlike other co-operatives at the time (late 80s/early 90s) they focussed on quality rather than quantity, and allowed themselves to be led and managed, rather than trying to keep every grower happy.
Their robust Madiran AC (Tannat) and the sweet Pacherenc du Vic Bilh AC (Gros and Petit Manseng) are also worth trying.
Only a week or so ago we looked at Domaine du Tariquet where Yves Grassa and his family are producing some stunning little wines – full of lively fruit and characted.
This photo of a section of the Alsace wine route, taken just a few days ago really raised my spirits in what has been an English summer which can only be described in the range of “disappointing” to “disastrous”. Amid reports and experience of a very damp June in France and late ripening in the vineyards it was good to see a picture of a vineyard looking like it should in the middle of summer. Of course it also serves as a reminder that the Alsace climate boasts one of the lowest annual rainfalls in France, mainly due to being situated in the “rain shadow” of the Vosges mountains to the west.
The Alsace Wine Route winds its way from north to south, for more than 170 kilometres, along the eastern foothills of the Vosges. This delightful itinerary runs across a succession of undulating hills, through pretty villages with narrow streets of flower-decked, half-timbered houses, clustered around their church steeple.
Visitors can easily explore the heart of the vineyards, along numerous vineyard paths leading to the crest of each slope, where signs explain the work of the winegrower and the diversity of the grape varieties.
They are welcomed into winstubs and tasting cellars to instantly discover the traditional appeal of the vine and the wine.
I keep an eye on a site called Trek Earth which is a photo repository, and which includes a France section see – http://www.trekearth.com/ which is where the above photo comes from. I often see photos on the site which are very evocative of the magic of France.
For more on the Alsace Wine Route (la route des vins d’alsace) see www.vinsalsace.com – but if you planning on spending any time on that site I suspect you may want to turn the sound off!
2007 is the three hundredth anniversary of his death, and hence numerous events are planned to celebrate this master of military invention. His physical legacy is of course the list of imitimidating fortresses to defend le Hexagone - the defensible boundaries of France from the northern border with Belgium down to the Alps, along the Mediterranean and up the Atlantic Coast. However, his military reputation initially was more concerned with planning and implementing sieges - so in many ways he was a poacher-turned-gamekeeper - if you are good as breaking sieges, then who better to design defenses to repel them? The hallmark of Vauban is his impressive use of massive angular pentagonal walls which prevented attackers targetting one section of wall without being at risk of counter-attack from an adjacent section. The classic examples are the Citadel at Lille, Briancon and Besancon, although many other examples exist.
My favourite is on the island of Belle-Ile off the coast of Brittany, where the fortifications adjacent to the small harbout of Le Palais are most impressive. More familiar to visitors to France will be the fortifications at St Malo and la Rochelle. Vauban left his mark on most of the land and sea frontiers of France, although he was born in Burgundy which hosts only one of his constructiona. On the Côte d’Azur, Antibes, Villefranche, Cannes and St.Tropez. Toulon, Marseille, Collioure on the Mediterranean;
other sites are at Arras, Auxonne, Barraux, Bayonne, Belfort, Bergues, Bitche, Blaye, Bouillon, Calais, Cambrai, Colmars-les-Alpes, Douai, Entrevaux, Givet, Gravelines, Huningue, Joux, Kehl, Landau, La Rochelle, Le Quesnoy, Lusignan, Le Perthus (Fort de Bellegarde), Luxembourg, Maastricht, Maubeuge, Metz, Mont-Dauphin, Mont-Louis, Montmédy, Namur, Neuf-Brisach, Perpignan, Plouezoc’h (Château du Taureau), Rocroi, Saarlouis, Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, Saint-Omer, Sedan, Toul, Valenciennes, Verdun, Villefranche-de-Conflent. For more info see www.vauban2007-bourgogne.org and www.sites-vauban.org
Dr Roger Corder’s Book The Wine Diet
He writes in the Telegraph (20 July 2007); “…. moderate drinkers suffer lower rates of heart disease, but only those people who limit themselves to two or three small glasses (around 125 ml) a day with food can be assured of these preventive benefits…..It is better to drink small amounts of wine everyday than to drink only occasionally. But it’s also healthier to drink your wine with food, not without.”
To be honest I cannot imagine that you would really want to drink a Madiran or Cahors without food, as these wines are based on relatively tannic grape varities as Tannat and Malbec. These are wines to be savoured not glugged!
Our favourite remains the Gold Medal-winning Madiran AC Cuvée Charles de Batz from Domaine Berthoumieu available in the UK from Noel Young Wines
An interesting article in the Independent (14 July 2007) (Bastille Day) about one of my favourite cheeses, and the battles that are being fought over the methods of making traditional raw milk Camembert.
Unfortunatelty in this instance the steamroller that is the EU cannot be blamed, as it is internal squabbling between small local producers and the big dairy companies.
Camembert is the king of Normandy cheeses, made from cows milk to produce a soft round cheese with a soft white rind.
The raw milk version has a richer flavour and better texture than the pasteurised version, which is the most common. However, because the milk in the tradtional version is unpasteurised, there is a small risk of food poisoning, particularly for the young, old and infirm. Fortunately to date, the raw milk version has not been banned in the interests of health and safety, but this spat between producers cannot help.
However, here is some advice from the Independent:
* How do you know when a Camembert is ready to eat?
The traditional saying in Normandy is that “a ripe camembert squeezes like a woman’s breast”. But there is a more scientific test.
* Cut into the cheese and look at the width of the crusty layer in the centre. If it is “as thick as a knife blade”, the camembert is perfect. If it is thicker, the cheese is not quite at its best. If there is no crusty layer, it is a little too ripe.
* A Camembert should always be stored upside down, to preserve the beauty of the top of the cheese when served. Ideally, a camembert should never be put in the fridge. If you do, take it out at least an hour before eating.
* Gourmets say that the best time for eating Camembert is during the late spring and early summer. This means that you will then be eating, via the cow and the factory, the rich flush of Norman spring grass.
For more info on Camembert, see the website of producer Fromagerie Gillot
Recommended Reading: French Cheese (Eyewitness Companions)
French Cheese / Les Frommages 2002
The Merrian-Webster online dictionary has the English use of “canard” as its word of the day. Goodness knows why the poor old duck should be implied to mean “a fabricated report” or “groundless rumour”. Be assured that FrenchDuck in both its .co.uk and .com versions does not peddle unfounded rumours, but attempts to share good information and advice about France, French Wine, French Food and Travel. canard • \kuh-NARD\ • noun
1 a : a false or unfounded report or story; especially : a fabricated report
*b : a groundless rumor or belief
Of course the other problem with the term is that if you search for “duck” on the news, it is mainly about English batsmen’s scoring record - seems a shame that such a game bird which evokes great sentimentality from nature lovers, and is such a key staple of the diet of South West France has these connotations in English
NB the charming graphic is the logo for an English run B&B called Le Canard au Parapluie Rouge (The duck with red umbrella) near Argenton-sur-Creuse (see map) just off the N20 Autoroute to the South West - For more info see www.lecanardbandb.com.
. The French canal system differs from the British network, as they are wider - hence they do not need to use narrowboats. Wider boats enable the French to offer “hotel” boats which can accommodate up to 12 people in relatively spacious comfort and can cruise up and down the tranquil canals offering a different view of parts of la Belle France.
Down on the Canal du Midi there is a “peniche” (barge) offering B&B (or Chambres d’Hote). Peniche Soleiado is moored on the Canal at Ramonville-Saint-Agne - shaded by plane trees, breakfast (and supper) on deck and en-suite bedrooms.Situated just south of Toulouse (31 Haute Garonne, Midi-Pyrennes) this could be a novel place to stay - even the address sounds interestiing - Bridge of Eat Apples? (see map)
Peniche Soleiado, Pont-de-Mange Pomme. 31250 Ramonville-Saint-Agne T:06 86 27 83 19
Nearer to home, there is another Peniche - Fantasia in Wambrechies (59 Nord, Nord Pas de Calais) on the outskirts of Lille(see map) This one offers wood-panelled rooms and air conditioning, and is moored in the centre of the town for easy access by bus into the heart of Lille in about 30 minutes.
Peniche Fantasia Au Port de Plaisance, 59118 Wambrechies 0 T: 06 82 27 92 61
For more info on French canals see www.vnf.fr (Voies Navigable s de France)
RECOMMENDED READING:-
