FrenchDuck UK - Latest » Wine Festivals

Christmas Sparklers from Confit Direct

le duck — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 09:01:13 +0000

North Berwick-based French specialists Devigne Wines and Confit Direct have some interesting Christmas offers on Champagne and some lesser-known French Sparkling wines such as Cremants from Burgundy (Cremant de Bourgogne Chardonnay), Jura (Cremant de Jura Rosé made from the Poulsard grape), Gaillac in SW France (Mauzac and Len de l’El grapes), a Methode Traditionelle from the Cotes de Duras (unusual, in that it is a white wine made from two red grape varieties (Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon) and a low alcohol Petillant de Muscat from St Sardos in the Midi-Pyrenees.

So you could try something a little different for your festive fizz. 10% off a mixed case of sparkling wines,

The other half of the business specialises in gourmet foods from SW France and beyond, including duck and goose products such as confit, rillettes, patés, cassoulet and soups, jams, bottled fruit, tapenade and anchoiades and even snails!

Devigne Wines and Confit Direct

Michael & Patricia Robertson, PO Box 13748, North Berwick
EH39 9AA

Tel: 01620 890860 Fax: 05600 756287

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France comes to London - French Wine Growers Fair

le duck — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 17:12:29 +0000

Domaine le Fort

For the first time this November there will be a French Wine Growers Fair in London (21-23 November 2008 at the Barbican). The Salons des Vignerons Independents (Independent Winemakers Fairs) are well established in France and we usually try to get to one of the fairs in Lille, Strasbourg or Paris which take place each November/December. (for more info see www.frenchduck.com) - these tend to be huge events with up to 1000 winemakers attending and offering the public the opportunity to meet the people who make the wine, do some tastings and stock up for the winter.
London’s French Wine-Growers Fair attempts to replicate the format in London from 21-23 November 2008 - with 130 traditional wine makers showing their wines - more than 500 wines on taste - and the opportunity to buy at vineyard gate prices (although regrettably with UK excise duty and VAT payable).
One of the exhibitors is a favourite of mine - Domaine le Fort from the little-known appellation of Malepère AOC near Carcassonne in the Languedoc. This is a small but beautiful domaine which is centred around a building which looks as though it was a fort for the French Foreign Legion, where Stephanie and Marc Pagès make delightful wines such as the Tour du Fort, a blend of Merlot, Grenache and Cabernet Franc, aged in oak. Not otherwise available in the UK, this could be a rare opportunity to taste and buy wines which seldom get to our shores, often because the volume of production is insufficient for the supermarkets and other importers.

Half-Price tickets (£10 reduced from £20) available from www.frenchwinegrowersfair.com - Domaine le Fort is on stand 22
For more info on Domaine le Fort see www.domainelefort.com

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Hypermarket Wine Sale Season

le duck — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 05:30:45 +0000

If you happen to be in France in September/early October then you are in luck - most of the big supermarkets hold their annual Foire à Vins (Wine Fair) offering wines at heavy discounts from top Bordeaux chateau through to good local appellations. It is a tradition in France that domaines, chateaux and negociants offload surplus stock direct to the major hypermarket chains - generating cash and liberating warehouse space for the next vintage. You can get some real bargains, but it is worth getting hold of their leaflets and doing a little research - especially look out for the vintages, as it will tend to be the poorer vintages which have not sold so well. For 2008 the dates are:-

Casino 9 - 24 September

Carrefour, Intermarché, Monoprix 10 - 20 September

Auchan from 17 September

Leclerc from 24 September

Super U and Hyper U from 23 September

Champion from 1 October .

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Wine Festival of Clairette de Die

le duck — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 05:00:09 +0000

The sparkling wine appellation of Clairette de Die holds its Festival de la Clairette de Die on Saturday 6 September 2008 in the village of Vercheny (26 Drome, Rhone-Alpes), a vertiable feast of local food and all aspects of wine-making and drinking - with the added bonus of a local food market, music, dancing and ceremony!
Clairette de Die AC is a sparkling wine made east of the Rhone Valley between Montelimar and Valence. It is made from the Clairette and Muscat grapes, and tends to be light, fruity/grapey and refreshing - not to be confused with the drier Cremant de Die AC which is made solely from the Clairette grape. So just to clarify - Clairette de Die tends to be mainly Muscat - whilst Cremant de Die is mainly Clairette!!?!

Clairette de Die is a naturally sparkling white wine, which is characterised by its fruity flavour and its floral aromas. No sugar is added during the production process. There is simply no need, since tasting it is like biting into an extremely ripe fruit, an apricot or a peach, and simultaneously inhaling the aroma of white flowers such as the rose, eglantine, or honeysuckle. The colour can be more or less intense, ranging from an extremely pale straw colour to golden, depending on the method of production used by the winemaker. The sugar contained in Clairette is derived solely from the grapes, which means that this is a naturally sweet wine.

For more about the area and the festival see http://www.diois-tourisme.com/

For more about the wine appellation see http://www.clairette-de-die.com

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Wine Fair in Sigoules, Dordogne

le duck — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 06:39:44 +0000

Sigoules (24 Dordogne, Aquitaine) (see map) south of Bergerac celebrates local wine production on the weekend of 19/20 July 2008 with its Foire aux Vins with all the usual activities including ceremonies, a church mass, banquets, folk music and dancing, concerts - and opportunities to taste the wine and food of the local area which includes the wines of Bergerac AC and the Cotes de Duras AC.

It promises to be fun - plus there are plenty of good winemakers in the area.

For more info see www.pays-de-bergerac.com

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Saint Sardos Wine Festival - 3 Aug 08

le duck — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 06:27:23 +0000

The small appellation of Saint Sardos, (82 Tarn-et-Garonne, Midi-Pyrenees) some 50km west of Toulouse and south of Montauban is unique in having a blend of Syrah and Tannat as the principal grapes supplemented by Cabernet and Merlot. As such it reflects its geography between the Languedoc (where Syrah is important) and Madiran (where Tannat is king) with a dash of classic Bordeaux varietals. The result is a fruity, spicy red or rose wine, which for the best cuvees needs a couple of years to mature.

The wine fair takes place in the town of Saint-Sardos (82 Tarn-et-Garonne, Midi-Pyrenees) on Sunday 3 August 2008.

For more info see www.cave-saint-sardos.com (in French)

In the UK some of the wines of Saint Sardos are available from Devigne Wines in Edinburgh

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60 years of Madiran and Pacherenc du Vic Bilh

le duck — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 08:13:44 +0000

The two appellations of Madiran AC (red) and Pacherenc du Vic Bilh AC (white) were created in 1948, and will be celebrating n July and August 2008.
These 2 appellations are typical of the South West of France - producing distinctively different styles of wine from lesser-known grape varieties - predominantly Tannat for the Madiran, Gros Manseng and Petit Manseng for the usually sweet Pacherenc-du-Vic Bilh. These are not necessaily “fashionable” wines but they are interesting, characterful, honest wines, which are no longer just rustic curiousities. Modern wine-making techniques enable skilled winemakers to produce more approachable wines whilst retaining the essential character which distinguishes them from the mainstream.
Didier Barre produces wonderfully rich and smooth Madiran at Domaine Berthoumieu - his sweet Pacherenc is a delicious, complex perfumed dessert wine. Another top producer is the Laplace family at Chateau d’Aydie.
The excellent co-operative Producteurs Plaimont produces good examples of the regions wines.
In August the Fete des Vins de Madiran takes place on the weekend of 14 and 15 August 2008 in the village of Madiran (32 Gers, Midi-Pyrenees).
From 4-14 July there are a series of events to celebrate, including daily “introduction to wine tasting” sessions at the Maison des Vins in Madiran, guided walks amongst the vineyards, music and barbecues - see www.civso.com (in French).

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Music and wine in Gascony

le duck — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 07:52:16 +0000

The departement of Gers (32 Midi-Pyrenees) in the heart of Gascony has built a reputation for creating its musical summer festivals – principally the internationally renowned Jazz in Marciac (1–17 August 2008) and Tempo Latino (24–27 July 2008) in Vic Fezensac.

These otherwise quiet small towns vibrate with music, and the streets are filled with people – and the events are also sponsored by the Cotes de St Mont VDQS wine co-operative (Plaimont) just to ensure that the atmosphere is convivial.

AMongst tge artists appearing at Marciac are Diana Krall and Herbie Hancock, whilst Tempo Latino has a latin jazz theme.

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Gaillac Wine Fair - August 2008

le duck — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 07:07:19 +0000

The Gaillac AOC appellation celebrates the local wines over 3 days (8–10 August 2008) in the town of Gaillac (81 Tarn, Midi-Pyrenees) Famous for its wines made from local grape varieties such as Mauzac and L’En de l’El, a wide range of wines styles is produced from dry to sweet, white, rose, red, still. sparkling and perlé, which is a local lightly sparkling wine with some natural bubbles.

Situated in the north of the Tarn departement, the Gaillac Appellation area covers 2.500 hectares spread over 73 communes, for an AOC production of over 165.000 hectolitres.
Today, the appellation gathers around one hundred independent producers and 3 cooperative cellars.
The 3 different terroirs and the age of the vineyard enable Gaillac to offer numerous traditional grape varieties. The diversity of the Gaillac vineyard means that it can produce a great variety of elaborate wines, a wide range of dry, sweet and “perlé” white wines, red and rose wines as well as sparkling wines.

Our recommended producer in the region is Domaine de Labarthe, where the Albert family make consistently good wines which retain traditional character - try their Cuvée Guillaume (oaked red) and their dessert white “Grains d’Or” (golden grapes).

For more info on the wines of Gaillac see www.vins-gaillac.com

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Quercy wine fair - August 2008

le duck — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 06:57:13 +0000

The winemakers of the Coteaux du Quercy VDQS celebrate their annual wine fair at Montprezat-du-Quercy (82 Tarn-et-Garonne, Midi-Pyrenees) on 8 August 2008.

Located between Montauban and Cahors (46 Lot, Midi-Pyrenees), these red and rose wines are unusually (for the south of France) based on Cabernet Franc (40–60% of the blend) with Malbec, Tannat, and Gamay being the other allowed varieties.

The name “Quercy” comes from the latin “quercus” for oak – and was the name given to a large area of South West France until the current departement system was introduced in 1790. The Coteaux du Quercy area was known as “Bas Quercy” and is dominated by the high “Causses” or moorland which still has a lot of “scrub oaks”.

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Cahors Wine Festival

le duck — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 06:49:38 +0000

Cahors with its Malbec (or Cot or Auxerrois) based wines remains one of my personal favourites – and these wines seem to improve year on year. This may be due to competition from South America, especially Argentina, where more overtly fruity and accessible Malbec wines are produced. However for me they lack the depth and intensity which good Cahors can offer. It’s also worth remembering that much of the Cahors vineyard is effectively less than 50 years old – the whole area was devastated by severe frost in 1956 which killed off most of the vines. Much changes in a vineyard in 50 years – vines mature, techniques improve, the best locations are revealed – and as exports increase winemakes have an incentive to strive to produce ever better wines.

You can try for yourself at the Fete du Vin de Cahors (Cahors Wine Festival) to be held at Puy l’Eveque (46 Lot, Midi-Pyrenees) on 9 August 2008 – about 20 miles west of Cahors town on the river Lot. This opens in the Salle des Fetes at 5pm (i.e. after the worst of the heat of the day) and offers visitors the chance to taste the wines of local independent winemakers, but a few bottles (or more) all accompanied by music and a banquet!

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Gascony Wine Fair in Eauze - 26 July 08

le duck — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 07:09:54 +0000

The Vignerons Independants (independent wine makers) of the Vins de Pays des Cotes de Gascogne hold their annual wine festival in the town of Eauze (32 Gers, Midi-Pyrenees) on 26 July 2008. More than 50 winemakers will be offering tastings. The Cotes de Gascogne is best known for making light fruity whites wines (90% of the production), typically from Colombard or Ugni Blanc grapes, but there are also some good Sauvignon Blancs and Gros Manseng.

However, many winemakers will also produce Armagnac and Floc de Gascogne which are also based on Colombard and Ugni Blanc grapes. Floc de Gascogne is a blend of unfermented grape juice and Armagnac which served chilled is a refreshing aperitif, available in white and rose styles.

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Wine and Jazz in Montauban 3 July -9 August 2008

le duck — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 05:44:27 +0000

The elegant city of Montauban gets its streets filled with Jazz for its 5 week long Fesitval de Jazz from 3 July to 9 August 2008 – and there will be other attractions such as the opportunity to taste the wines of the Cotes de Brulhois AC which come from just south of Agen (47 Lot-et-Garonne, Aquitaine) and are red wines based on Tannat, Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet and Fer Servadou grapes – a potentially rustic blend which can produce some seriously good reds.

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Fete des Vins in Perpignan

le duck — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 08:59:58 +0000

The Fête des Vins (wine festival) takes place in the Place de la Republique in Perpignan (66 Pyrenees-Orientales) on 27 June 2008, where more than 50 local winegrowers from the Rousillon region will present their wines. The wines include Cotes du Roussillon AC, Maury AC, Banyuls, Fitou AC and Muscat de Rivesaltes and Collioure AC.

Tours and tastings are also being organised in vineyards from the end of June until the beginning of September, plus a tasting over the same period in the Palais des Rois de Majorque in Perpignan.

For more information, please contact: apvr@vins-du-roussillon.com or +33 4 68 51 59 99 or see www.vinsduroussillon.com

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Discover Bordeaux and its wines at the Bordeaux Wine Festival

le duck — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 05:34:29 +0000

From 26 to 29 June 2008 , a “wine road” will run along the Garonne river from the historic city centre of Bordeaux through the heart of the Bordeaux region’s vineyards, with wine and local food tastings, son-et-lumiere, music and firework displays.

A €13.00 euro (£11) wine pass will buy you 12 wine tastings, while a €70 euro (£58) pass will cover access to nine tasting routes through the region’s vineyards, spread over the four days. So you can choose between St Emilion, the Medoc, Sauternes and Graves, Entre-Deux-Mers PLUS trips to explore the wines of BERGERAC and COTES DE DURAS.
Within the city there will be plenty of opportunities to celebrate, taste and learn. Discover the nuances of the region and the wide range of wines, styles and prices which are on offer. It’s not all finest vintage, wallet-busting stuff, but some really good value interesting wines.

Amongst the other attractions (beyond the City itself with its rich history and cultural heritage) there will be barrel-rolling competition, numerous parades by different wine guilds, music, dancing, a food and wine village - every day there will be racing on the river with some of the old boats which used to bring the wine into Bordeaux and up the Gironde and onto ocean-going ships for export; and a competition to swin across the Gironde - definitiely not recommended if you have been imbibing!

For more info see www.bordeaux-fete-le-vin.com

You can book direct with Rail Europe for Eurostar and TGV tickets from London to Bordeaux

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Cahors Wine Festival at Albas

le duck — Thu, 01 May 2008 07:41:05 +0000

Albas (46 Lot, Midi-Pyrenees) holds its annual Fete du Vin de Cahors on Saturday 3 May 2008 - situated in the heart of the Cahors vineyard to the west of Cahors, the day goes under the banner of “open our cellars to the fresh air!” - another celebration of the arrival of Spring and the start of the growth of the vine for another vintage.

The day includes open tastings, music, a banquet and other attractions such as a barrel-maker (tonnelier) - and amongst the wines will be Impernal, Prieuré de Cénac, Château d’Anglars, Château Beauvillain-Monpezat, Château Carrigou, Château Eugénie, Château Leret-Monpezat, Clos Triguedina and Domaine la Borie.

If you can tear yourself away from the festivities in the town, it is worth taking a trip to the “Point-de-Vue” on the hill above the village for a spectacular view of the river Lot and its vineyards. Take the D37 south west from th village and follow the signs.

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Festival at Rablay-sur-Layon in the Loire Valley

le duck — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 04:42:39 +0000

The Coteaux du Layon - the valley of the River Layon - is known for producing some of the best dessert wines in the Loire Valley. Made from the versatile Chenin Blanc grape affected by noble rot, these can be gloriously complex and aromatic wines.

Since 1994, the village of Rablay-sur-Layon has rallied round to organise a free festival of theatre, music and singing. For 2 days, twenty or so different shows are put on in various areas and squares around the village.

The winegrowers of Rablay play an active part in preparing for the event and organize aperitif concerts and a vintage wine tasting area.

Rablay-sur-Layon (49 Maine-et-Loire, Val de Loire) lies due south of the city of Angers and not far from our favourite Anjou wine producer - Antoine Leduc at Domaine Leduc-Frouin who makes an excellent Coteaux du Layon AC.

Antoine is a very talented and respected winemaker, and also a delightful host if he happens to be around when you visit the cellars. He is ably assisted by his enthusiastic sister Natalie and their mother. We imported their wines for many years and often the wines were truly superb.

For more info on Rablay and its festival see www.rablaysurlayon.com
For more on this area see our customised map

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Independent Wine Maker Fairs - Autumn 2008

le duck — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:34:08 +0000

The Vignerons Independents, the body representing independent winemakers, holds a number of wine fairs (Salons) in Spring and Autumn each year, which are open to the public and give you the opportunity to taste from a wide selection of vineyards from every region of France, meet the winemakers and purchase wines at cellar door prices.

For autumn 2008 the dates are as follows:-

30 Oct - 3 Nov 2008 - Lyon (69 Rhone, Rhone-Alpes) - Hall Tony Garnier

7 - 10 Nov 08 - Reims ( 51 Marne, Champagne) - Parc des Expositions

14-17 Nov 08 - Lille (59 Nord, Nord-Pas-de-Calais) - Grand Palais

27 Nov - 1 Dec 08- Paris (75 Paris, Ile de France) - Porte de Versailles

For more info see www.vigneron-independant.com (in French)

If you are visiting Lille, there is a good B&B on the tram route to the city centre - see Alix’s Garden

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Medoc Chateaux open their doors

le duck — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 09:45:45 +0000

Its “Portes Ouvertes” in the Medoc on 12-13 April 2008. In this famous and celebrated wine region numerous chateaux will be holding open house in the prime appellations of Medoc, Haut-Medoc, St Estephe, Pauillac, Moulis-en-Medoc, Listrac-Medoc and Margaux.
This prized area which stretches north from Bordeaux up to the Pointe de Grave between the Atlantic and the mouth of the Gironde is home to some of the best wines in the world, so any opportunity to visit and taste is a great opportunity.
However, you are unlikely to be offered a sip of the finest old vintages, but samples of the latest 2007 vintage will be available in its very young and rather green and tannic state.
Many of the Chateaux are also hosting other events alongside the tastings - music, art or photography exhibitions and food in various forms. Just visiting these chateaux should be an experience, and tastings should be interesting!

For more info see www.pauillac-medoc.com

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Taking St Emilion seriously!

John — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 09:07:26 +0000

I have previously been a little cynical about the tendancy of the French to imbue elements of their gastronomic heritage with just a tad too much pomp and often doubtful history and ceremonials. If they had such things, I am sure there would be the equivalent of “The Worshipful Company of the Most Glorious and Authentic Pickled Onion or Shallot”, (oignons conservés au vinaigre?) enriched by elaborate costumes and rituals - and a history dating back to 1992! Having said that I admire their pride in their local produce and agree that it should be celebrated.

However, one august body to which my fond cynicism should not apply is the Jurade de St Emilion, who do have elaborate red robes, a spectacular procession through the town and a banquet which does justice to the fine wines of St Emilion. Every autumn they celebrate their “Ban des Vendanges” to mark the official start of the grape harvest, and many years ago I was lucky enough to accompany members of the Jurade on an extensive itinerary of tastings, a series of lavish meals with grand cru wines and the grand banquet. Although we were often only tasting young wines at the chateaux, some wonderful and mature vintages were brought out for the banquet.

As Timothy Hartley kindly informs me, the Jurade de St Emilion has a rich and important history in the development of the wines of St Emilion:
LA JURADE DE SAINT-ÉMILION

The roots of the Jurade lie deep in both French and English history - as its Arms, Great Seal and banners, which bear both the Lilies of France and the Lions of England, show. Saint-Émilion, together with the rest of Acquitaine, formed part of the dowry of Eleanor of Acquitaine on her marriage to King Henry II. The Jurade goes back at least as far as 1199, when their son, King John, confirmed privileges apparently earlier granted by Richard, Coeur de Lion. Saint-Émilion became effectively a free City under the Crown with the Jurade having control of its legal and economic affairs. The Jurats’ duties included the control of production, and sale of, wine, closely monitoring its quality, branding approved casks and destroying any which were unworthy. Under Edward I, in 1289, the area of the Jurisdiction was enlarged to cover what is still the wine growing area composing the appellations of Saint Émilion. In return for these privileges, the Crown required that regular, and very large consignments, of wine be tasted, judged, its good quality assured, and then be consigned to England in casks quality assured by the Jurade’s seal. After Saint-Émilion reverted to the French Crown, the Jurade’s rights and duties were confirmed by French Royal Charters but, in the French Revolution, Jurats lost both their heads and their privileges.
The Jurade no longer has its extensive former civic and legal powers but its Grand Council still sits once a year, in Spring, to conduct a blind tasting of the wines of Saint-Émilion to assess their merits and pronounce a Jugement du Vin Nouveau. In September, it authorises the start of picking, in a ceremonial Ban des Vendanges from the top of the Tour du Roi, the Jurats wearing the scarlet and white robe of their mediaeval predecessors and calling upon their spirits to witness the continuation of over 800 years of tradition, passion, experience and skill.
The Jurade honours its historic links by giving us the privilege of two Chancelleries, based in the two ancient leading cities of England, York, serving the north of England and Scotland, and London, for the south of England and Wales. They organise tastings for those who would like to know more about the Jurisdiction’s wines, often in combination with charitable fund raising. They also arrange visits to Saint-Emilion for members of the Association de la Jurade in England for the important festivals in Saint-Emilion’s calendar, the Fête de Printemps and the Ban des Vendanges. More information about their activities, and contact details, are on their website - www.jurade.org.uk. They are always happy to welcome new members and to introduce them to Saint-Émilion’s renowned hospitality, its beauty and its enormous range of wines.

St Emilion produces some of the best Bordeaux red wines, wines which in the Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes dominate. The town and vineyards of St Emilion (33, Gironde, Aquitaine) are to my mind the most interesting to visit, the town being on an outcrop and the vineyards stretching down to the Dordogne river. The Spring celebration “Fete de Printemps” takes place on the 3rd Sunday in June, whilst the harvest celebration “Ban des Vendanges” takes place on the 3rd Sunday in September.

For more info on St Emilion see www.saint-emilion-tourisme.com

UPDATE: The St Emilion Ban des Vendanges takes place on Sunday 21 September 2008

For a classy B&B in the region see www.chezkelly.eu

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Beaujolais has moved 100km south!

John — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 07:47:27 +0000

According to the Independent the Beaujolais region is effectively enjoying a climate equivalent to that 100 kilometres further south compared to 20 years ago. This also means that grape harvest is starting earlier, and hence the wines are no longer quite so “nouveau” when bottled, which should allow for a touch more maturity and finesse in the wines.
On the eve of the launch of Beaujolais Nouveau 2007, there is some thoughtful analysis of the issues facing the winemakers of Beaujolais:-

Beaujolais, however, is starting to fight back. For the first time this year a substantial amount of a Beaujolais Nouveau rosé will be sold. There is also a significant drive to improve quality.

“We were carried away with the euphoria,” said Dominique Piron, a wine producer and trader at Morgon, in the northern part of the beautiful Beaujolais hills, just north west of Lyons. “The more mass-produced forms of Beaujolais Nouveau were sometimes, frankly, bad and damaged the image not only of Nouveau but of all types of Beaujolais.

“Worse than that, the fad for Nouveau meant that even the better forms of Beaujolais, the ten ‘crus’ such as Morgon, Fleurie, Chiroubles, were made in the light, ‘nouveau’ style, without the richness and subtlety that good Beaujolais should always have.

Beaujolais Nouveau rosé is not something I have tried, but given the rise in popularity and availability of rosé wines on the shelves then a rosé may be a more attractive option - I shall obviously have to experiment!

Nick Dobson Wines still has some traditional Beaujolais Nouveau and Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau available if you are quick - plus he has written about his trip to the region last week - see www.nickdobsonwines.co.uk

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