Loire Wine Tours

More photos from Les Grandes Tablees. There were thousands of people who came along to partake in the event. With your ticket for the event you are able to buy your courses for the soiree with the starter, main, cheese, sweet, bread. You are provided with a glass that allows you to sample the cuvees dispensed […]

Some pics of the big wine event of the year in Saumur, Loire valley, France of the Saumur Champigny wine fair 'Les Grandes Tablees'. Karin and I went along and tasted the special cuvees of the appellation produced just for the event.   In order they were 2011, 2009, 2006, 1991. The best by a clear mile was […]

I promised to let you know of our progress of the new wine room at Manoir de Gourin. Progress continues apace and tomorrow we will hopefully start the final chapter of the decoration of thr ceilings and beams. The picture give you some indicaiton of out progress. Cheers.

Every year on the last weekend of July we have a vintage grand prix in the local town Le Puy Notre Dame. So this weekend we experienced a great event with all the old cars, bikes etc racing around the town streets. Its all organised by the local wine owners. Of course. Cheers.

An article in the paper mentions sulphites, which is an ingredient in most wines, where a champagne house forgot to put on its labels that the wine contains sulphites. Sulphite's prime purpose is to stop oxidisation of the wine in that it removes oxygen. There is natural sulphite in grapes and in natural processes it can be retained […]

We are quite blessed in the Loire valley, France as the variety of wines of white, pink and red go really well with a BBQ. The whites from the chenin blanc grape are dry and fresh so pair well with grilled shellfish. The pink if medium is a good match with spicier grills and if […]

Yes a lovely warm day both in terms of the warmth of our guests and the weather. We spent a great afternoon in Saumur country in the centre of the Loire valley, France with some wonderful guests enjoying the sunshine and the super wines. Our host Brigitte Van Den Boom was most helpful and gracious […]

The weather has been hot and humid the last week and the farmers have been hard at work bringing in their crops of wheat and barley before the weather breaks. The latest is thunderstorms on Friday night. The warm dry weather has been a good break for the winemakers of the Loire valley after some very […]

A great day out on a non stop tour around Saumur in the Loire Valley. A useful hour is taken up at Manoir de Gourin with guests to give them a brief but thorough introduction to the wines of the Loire valley.

We continue to monitor the progress of the vintage this year in the Loire valley, France. Last time I reported on the effect of the wet weather over May and June. It has continued over the first part of July and the prognosis continues to be a problem with mildew in the vines with the effect […]