Latest updates on France, French Wine, Food, Travel, Holidays and Events
FrenchDuck UK - Latest
A delightful surprise at the end of a long, hot tasting trip, when we thought we’d found enough new wines for the list.
Set in the hinterland of the Languedoc, north west of Nimes and in the shadow of the Cevennes mountains, this was a stretch of the South we had not traversed before - gently rolling landscape, a little wild with patches of moorland, interspersed with vineyards. Puechredon is in reality a small hamlet surrounded by vines, now run by the energetic Cyril Cuche.
There is little evidence of gleaming stainless steel here, with wines being vinified and matured in old-fashioned cement vats, lined with enamel or resin. Recently oak barrels have been introduced for maturing some of the special cuvées. It all had a slightly rustic feel - until we tasted the wines..
With just one exception (the Sauvignon Blanc 2000) the wines were well-made, full of wonderful fruit, and clearly made with tremendous skill. The “terroir” seems to provide more mineral extract and fruit concenttration than the land nearer to the coast. The landscape around the domaine offers a variety of soils and aspects, so that Cyril can select the most appropriate plot for each grape variety.
There is a charming tasting room (caveau) on the ground floor of the main house, which offers a fine welcome to visitors to the domaine.
See map location of Domaine de Puechredon
Cyril Cuche at Domaine de PuechredonCyril Cuche, winemaker
Amongst the wines we can recommend:-
Contact: Domaine de Puechredon, 30610 Puechredon, France
Tel: +33 (0)4.66.77.38.02 Fax: +33 (0) 4.66.77.43.33
Wines not available in the UK as far as I know.
| June 5, 2008 | ||
| June 6, 2008 | ||
| June 7, 2008 | ||
| June 12, 2008 | ||
| June 13, 2008 | ||
| June 14, 2008 |
2000 years ago over 1000 people worked for 5 years on the construction of the Pont du Gard, near Remoulins (30 Gard, Languedoc-Roussillon).The objective was to bring water to the city of Nîmes via a 50km long aqueduct.
From 5 June - 14 June 2008 a firework and light show is planned to enhance the ancient Roman aqueduct with a nighttime concert under the title Lux Populi (theres a joke in the name!) - and as ever for the French the whole event is embellished with lyric poetry:
Costumed with light, they play with flames and with fire, fly through the air, walk on the water and project their most secret thoughts on the landscape. Who are they? They go by the name of ‘Les Regardons’! This new species-half human and half flame-can transform space. In 2007, they put on an amazing light show at the Pont du Gard. They liked the place and they’re coming back again like migrant birds. Perhaps they have chosen to return to reproduce? In any case, their dance of love and fire, their successful or missed meetings and their magical or scientific experiments form the opening of a saga that traces the myths and fantasies of the Pont du Gard: ‘Lux Populi’. The season opens with the first episode entitled « The Flame of my dreams ». On with the show
Well, whatever, it does promise to be quite a spectacle - a mix of a Son-et-Lumière, Circus and Music! From 10.30pm on 5,6,7,12,13 and 14 June 2008 - entry by ticket either in the stand or on the beach!
For more info see www.pontdugard.fr
We can also recommend a very handy good B&B nearby at Les Alouettes
See below a short video of the last show in 2007 -
Spectacle_de_nuit_2008
Uploaded by EPCCPONTDUGARD
If you are visiting the southern Rhone, one site you must not miss is the fantastic Roman aqueduct - a three-level bridge across the Gard river carrying both road and water. Recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and is one of France’s top five visitor attractions,
It is a truly impressive site - but you probably need to get there early to enjoy the place without too many crowds.
Nearby you could stay at Brigitte’s B&B at Les Alouettes near Uzes (30 Gard) -
See map
For more info on the Pont du Gard see www.pontdugard.fr
For more on Brigitte’s B&B at Les Allouettes………… Read more on this…
| July 19, 2008 |
The Tour de France 2008 (21 stages, 3500 km) Stage 14 is on Saturday 19 July 2008 and starts from Nimes (30 Gard, Languedoc-Roussillon) and runs for 194.5 km through the heart of Provence to finish in the foothills of the Alps at Digne-les-Bains (04 Alpes-de-Haut Provence, Provence, Cote d’Azur) via St Remy-de-Provence (13 Bouches-du-Rhone, Provence) and Apt (84 Vaucluse, Provence)
For more on the Tour de France 2008 see www.letour.fr/
For details of coverage on ITV see www.itv.com
| July 18, 2008 |
The Tour de France 2008 (21 stages, 3500 km) Stage 13 is on Friday 19 July 2008 and starts from Narbonne (11 Aude, Languedoc-Roussillon) and runs for 182 km to finish in Nimes (30 Gard, Languedoc-Roussillon) via the Pic St Loup wine region (34 Herault, Languedoc-Roussillon)
For more on the Tour de France 2008 see www.letour.fr/
For details of coverage on ITV see www.itv.com
| May 7, 2008 | to | May 12, 2008 |
| September 19, 2008 | to | September 21, 2008 |
Nimes (30 Gard, Languedoc-Roussillon) like many towns and cities on or close to the Mediterranean coast, has a long tradition of bullfighting and many of their festivities are centred around the “corridas”..
Most Brits will find the idea very unappealling, but that is no reason to avoid the whole of these festivals, as they are but one element of the events, and what you will miss is a tremendous festive Mediterranean atmosphere.
19–21 September 2008 are the dates for the Feria des Vendanges (Wine harvest) A Feria is a feast day often associated with bulls in the south of France.
7-12 May 2008 are the dates for the Feria de Pentecote
Anthony Peregrine in the Telegraph (22 Aug 2007) provides an excellent introduction and guide to the city of Nimes and its nearby attractions such as the Pont du Gard.
From the point of view of wine, Nimes lies on the boundary between the Provence, Languedoc and Rhone, which is also reflected in the style of the local wines. But the Costieres de Nimes AC is classified as part of the Rhone appellations. The grape varieties for the red and rosé wines are Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Carignan, and Cinsault. For the white wines: White Grenache, Marsanne, Roussane as well as Clairette, Bourboulenc, Maccabeo and Rolle.
Well worth a visit would be the Chateau de la Tuilerie just to the south of Nimes where Chantal Comte produces some excellent wines – a good tasting room experience is guaranteed – and they even have their own helicopter landing pad if you are planning to arrive in style!
For more info on Nimes see http://www.ot-nimes.fr/
The number of budget airline routes to France from the UK is continuing to grow, as is the number of French destinations - no longer restricted to the major cities. This really does open up some of the less well-known parts of France.
The list below shows the extent of the coverage - and this excludes flights to Paris which are available from most local airports. Some flights are seasonal, so please check with the airline for timetables and availability.
| Destination | From | airline |
Must be serendipity - yesterday finding out about the Truffle Festival at Uzes(30 Gard, Languedoc), and today hearing of the wines of the same town - the Vin de Pays Duche d’Uzes - what is more they are in the January Sale at Leon Stolarski Fine Wines (www.lsfinewines.co.uk). These wines come from an area which straddles the southern Rhône and the Languedoc (north of Nimes, west of Avignon) and features a blend of traditional Grenache and Syrah as well as a couple of Merlot and Cabernet-based reds. Don’t be put off by the lowly Vin de Pays appellation - Jancis Robinson has written of the wines from this area with high praise!
Leon Stolarski’s list has some other gems from the Languedoc, including Cotes de Brian (sounds like its from Monty Python but is actually from the western part of the Hérault département) which proffers an extraordinary blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Pinot Noir. Other gems come from Minervois Lavinière, Coteaux du Languedoc and Côtes de Roussillon.
- but you need to act soon to get hold of the bargains - and the sale finishes at midnight on 20 January 2006!!
Uzes (30 Gard, Languedoc) hosts its annual Truffle day on Sunday 15 January 2006. This is another of those towns which tends to get missed by many travellers, but a detour up into the Cevennes (north of Nimes, west of Avignon) can be well worthwhile - even in winter if you are a truffle fan. In the appropriately named “Place aux Herbes” from 09h00 to 17h30 you can celebrate the truffle by buying, tasting or learning about the tuber and how to cook with it. The local wine (Vin de Pays Duché d’Uzès) is also on hand to assist digestion and enjoyment.
For more on Uzès see www.uzes-tourisme.com/
