Archive for February, 2009
Loire Trip
Wednesday, February 4th, 2009I’m just back from a great trip to the Loire Valley where I visited The Loire Valley Wine Trade Fair to meet some of our fantastic winemakers, taste their 2008 barrel samples as well as discover new wines. The atmosphere of the show was relaxed and fun and I managed to impress many winemakers with my fluid French.
I was hoping to post some pictures of our Loire winemakers but I unfortunately left my camera in the prison…er, I mean hotel (doh!). Prison, you ask? Well, I’ve stayed in some odd places in France but Hotel Les Jardins de l’Anjou was one of the funniest! Built in the 1960s, everytime I left my room I thought I could hear the banging of chamber pots & Morgan Freeman saying “The first night’s the toughest, no doubt about it…” Blimey, I think I might have overdosed on Cabernet Franc…
I can highly recommend the hotel’s restaurant located next to the indoor swimming pool. A strong smell of chlorine awaits you. You have to sample the Steak Tartare - so fresh that it could have been galloping through the fields a few days ago. Check out http://www.viande-chevaline.fr. When in France, eat like the French…
Travelling through muscadet country I stopped off for lunch at the erotic sounding seaside town of Pornic. The restaurant offered a choice of two types of fish - unleaded or diesel but I had an “interesting” meal of pike washed down with an eye-watering muscadet.