September 2014 Tours

Thursday 25th Tour 2 Cairanne, Rasteau and Roaix

We decided to liven our senses a little with a visit to the senses tour at the cooperative of Camille Cayran in Cairanne. It was also an opportunity to gain a little knowledge, which can take seriously or lightly. We of course tried their wines afterwards!

At Domain Boisson it is a true family business as we met with both Bruno and Regis and their wives. We were pleasantly surprised that Yukiko recognised the Domain as one they tried back in the UK and was very excited to meet them in person and couldn't help but buy a bottle! Regis was so happy to meet them that he gave them a complementary bottle which really made their day!

From there, we drove through the hilltop village of Cairanne and over towards St Roman de Malgard for a taste of good french home cooking at Chez Claudette. We stayed with our clients to enjoy the ambience with them outside. We had the usual choice of starter from the salad counter and then for main it was a choice of duck or pork with sweet carrots, followed by a selection of cheeses and for dessert, Ile Flottante, ice cream or chocolate mousse!( all with a carafe of red wine of course!)

After this feast, we set of to Domain Charavin to taste their superb Rasteau CDR.
We then headed up again, through the village of Roaix, to our last cave, Doamaine des Escaravailles who are known for excellent quality Rasteau, Roaix and Carainne CDR. This proved to be a good choice as Chris and Yukiko bought a bottle about 6 years ago in the UK and not seen it back in the shops since!

It goes without saying that we tried all their reds and some of their vin doux naturel too!

Well it was the last tasting of a very interesting, adventurous and fun 3 days.

Thank you to Chris and Yuliko and to our friends at the caves

We will be putting a list of some of the wines we tasted on our website in due course.

September 2014 Tours

Wednesday 24th Tour 4 Beaumes de venise, Violes and Vacqueyras

We started the day at the Beaumes de Venise co-operative, where you can visit their Vinotheque, showcasing their older vintages and walk across a glass floor above their cellar!
After tasting here, we moved on to a small independant, Domaine St Roche, where we were able to show our clients the workings of their of aluminium vats, recently filled from their harvest. Stephane can now sit at his computer and watch the information from the vats to ensure temperatures and fermentation processes are at their optimum. ( he will still have to taste the wine during this time, of course!) After a couple of tastes straight from the vats, we went back 
to the cave for the degustation. We tasted their roses and reds and their delightful Beaumes de Venise Muscat.
It was now time for lunch, and what better location than the Chateau du Martinet in Violes. It is just like stepping back in time!
After lunch, we went to Domaine des Favards, where we found Celine busy in the cellars transferring the wine to ensure that the sediment was moved. It was this reason that Celine set up a tasting table in the cellar, so that she could keep an eye on her work and give us attention too! Thank you Celine:)

Our final stop was at Arnoux et Fils, in the village of Vacqueyras, they have a vast selection of wines for an independent, and the old cellars are still situated under the village.

We will be putting a list of some of the wines we tasted on our website in due course.

September 2014 Tours

We met our lovely clients at the Hotel Montmirail in Vacqueyras early Monday morning at the start of their 3 day tour with Raisin'your glass!

Monday 22nd Tour 3 Violes, Sablet and Gigondas

After discussing the itinerary with Chris and Yukiko, we set off towards Roaix following the roads through Gigondas, Sablet , Seguret and onward to Rasteau, alongside les Dentelles de Montmirail setting the backdrop to these hill top villages.

We visited a couple of cooperatives, one in Roaix-Seguret and another in sablet, and we had enough time to visit an independent in Gigondas before taking lunch at 12pm at the LaTable du Mas at the Mas de Bouvau.

Roaix-Seguret

Mas de Bouvau

After lunch, we set off to a cave in Violes who have their vineyard in Seguret. We tasted Sablet and Rasteau. Gigondas was proving to be a favourite choice, so we headed off to Pierre Amadieu in the heart of the village for a rather special and interesting tasting, much to Chris's delight! Because Chris and Yukiko were travelling by plane to England they had limitations on the quantity of wine that be brought back, and so realising this, the cave mentioned the Wine Fair in Lille on 14th-17th November, which is closer to home and therefore could arrange collection of some of the wines they would have purchased.
The Grande Reserve AOC Gigondas Red and the Domaine Grand Romane AOC Gigondas Red were particularly liked and one of them, The Reserve, needed to be taken home with them today!

We will be putting a list of some of the wines we tasted on our website in due course.

September 2014 Tours

The mistral was blowing hard when we arrived in Violes, but the sky was blue and the sun warm (as you would expect!) We have 2 weeks here to enjoy the sun, wine and good company, meet some new faces and share our experiences.
We visited some new caves with Colin and Ann this time in Caromb and Beaumes de Venise, having been on our tours before, they were keen to have tastings from some different vineyards in the area.
One vignerons, just outside Vacqueyras near Aubignan , meet their customers by appointment only. Alain and his wife Nelly have their cave at their home in the middle of their vineyard, which has far reaching views across their vines in a seated pergola area with the perfect view for tastings.
We started with their Vacqueyras wines and followed with their Muscat de Beaumes de Venise white and red.
We were then asked if we fancied trying his Eaux de vie de Muscat and Vinaigre Balsamique de muscat.


Well, it would be rude to say no.......


This caveau has certainly not only entertained us but has showed us again how passionate wine growers are and why they make exceedingly good wines.
We will certainly be adding this vineyard to our wine tours!

Our second tasting takes us to a another family vineyard just outside the village of Caromb, another discovery from the Vacqueyras wine fete this July. It is a busy time of the year with the vendanges taking place, producers are waiting to pick at the right time for their grapes to achieve the perfect wines.  They still have a lot of work to do preparing their vehicles and equipment! After a picnic lunch, (the usual fresh baguette from the boulangerie with selection of cold meats and pate with Charentais melon) and in the midst of the vineyards, we went to the cooperative of Cave St Marc; we are always met here with helpful and friendly staff. When we book here we are able to make use of their tasting room with Gaby.

We celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary this week, having a romantic meal at the Mas de Bouvau in Violes, remembering the day where we were married. We also celebrated Pete's 50th Birthday with our good friends in Vacqueyras along with their family and friends. (see More cheese gromit blog)

After a few thunderstorms during the week, (which left our car covered in grape juice from the roads) the mistral returned to settle the weather and let the sun do it's job. The harvest was in full flow now, with some producers waiting to the following weekend to pick at their ripest.

More cheese Gromit?

To celebrate Peters' 50th Birthday in Provence it couldn't have been better served than being invited to our good friends' Micheline and Jacques' cheese and Champagne soiree. It was also their daughters' birthday and we were made welcome by their friends and as many choices of cheese as years old!

The night began with Champagne, followed by a selection of 26 cheeses numbered in tasting order. Varieties such as goats cheese with fruit, Brie de meaux, Compte Vielle, tournesol, Epoisses, Roquefort, Salers and the list continues......all accompanied with a selection of choice charcuterie.

With lots of laughter and tales from Jack, we enjoyed the 'smorgasbord' of cheeses with some very good local wines from Vacqueyras, Cairanne and Vinsobres. Including a vary special Vacqueyras produced by Jack's brother and blended by Jack himself in the year that his daughter was born, 1991!

And it was amazing........
The evening was rounded off with a tempting selection of french pastries....of course!

Feelling Mediterranean

Tonight, we wanted to go to the Mas de Table, at the Mas de Bouvau, for our wedding anniversary, unfortunately the restaurant is closed, so we booked for another night.

So instead I am cooking my Mediterranean vegetable pie. (see previous blog) !
This enables plenty of drinking time :)