Les foires et les portes-ouvertes

Wine production is often discussed in terms of generations of growers within a family. If you take that idea and apply it in terms of families of wine producers working in the Loire Valley, that history can be traced back to the first century. It's a long story.

Bridge at Chinon

Just briefly, the majority of the Loire Valley wines are found along the Loire Valley from the muscadets around Nantes (Atlantic coast side) to the Sancerres and Pouilly-Fumés around Orléans  (North central France). In between are the regions of Anjou, Saumur, Bourgueil, Chinon and Vouvray.

Mid-April sees the start of the wine promotion season. Obviously leaflets and brochures can be found all year round and from a variety of sources.  But especially throughout April, May and June, wine producers in our area have their portes-ouvertes/open house, on their estates. There are also wine fairs. Chinon has its annual wine fair in April, Panzoult has theirs this week on 1 May, which is also a public holiday. The last weekend/beginning of June, there is a big wine fair in Tours which attracts about 150 producers from the Val de Loire. 

setting up in Place Hofheim

Our first porte-ouverte this year was over at François Médard on Easter Sunday. Our second was at Domaine de l'Épinay on Easter Monday. Last Saturday, 26 April, we went to Chinon's Wine Fair. Weatherwise it wasn't a promising start to the day. All quite gloomy and grey. But by mid-morning everything was up and running. With all the locals, visitors, officials, the gendarmes having a glass of something, and the terrific Swingles trio playing (two guitars and an accordeon) the whole thing came to life.

Getting the tastings ready

The wine fair is set up in Chinon's three squares, using very efficient canopies, each of which can take 4-8 wine producers. There's enough of an overhang to cover punters as well if the weather turns nasty. Each square is organised in clusters of wine producers. So Place Hofheim (photo) had wine producers from Cravant. Place Mirabeau had the Véron sector of producers coming from Beaumont en Véron, Savigny en Véron, Panzoult. Place Générale de Gaulle had two groupings one from Chinon and one from the other side of the river otherwise known as La Rive Gauche with producers from La Roche-Clermault, Ligré, Sazilly. There were about sixty wine producers in all. Admission is by wine glass, which are sold from various stands in each of the squares - really nice engraved wine glasses at €4 each. After you've bought your wine glass, then you just wander around having free tastings, not forgetting to carefully pace yourself.

Les Entonneurs

We bumped into various friends who introduced us to others, including the Chief of Police. Being on duty he was in full uniform. But he wasn't the only one.The Entonneurs Rabelaisiens were out in force, and very distinctive in their fur-trimmed red and gold uniforms.You see them at all the main events in Chinon such as the Marché Médiévale and the Marché à l'ancienne, which are both in August. Their role is to promote Chinon wine and the teachings of Rabelais. 

The Chinon Wine Fair runs from 10am to 6pm, but in the evening some of the restaurants continue the promotion of Chinon wines, with a select list to accompany dinner. We had in fact left around mid-day to go to our third porte-ouverte at Domaine de Neuil. It's on our route home and is one we've been to before. The domaine is on the site of an old 16th century manor, remains of which can still be seen.The photo heading up my blog is a shot of the manor tower. Looking at that photo, the roofline is actually designed in the shape of a large square, with all the buildings facing in on a courtyard. For the porte-ouverte, a large chapiteau had been erected in the courtyard and set-up for lunch. We had a tasting and then had lunch with friends Françoise and Jean-François. Great atmosphere. The red wines are lovely. 

Our fourth porte-ouverte was on Sunday 27 April, over at Crouzilles at Domaine de la Sablière,  This time we went with a group of neighbours. There were 10 of us in all. The weather was dire and certainly made things more difficult. This porte-ouverte was a two day affair (Sat&Sun) with marquees everywhere under which were a range of producers: cheeses, charcuterie, honey, out of region wines and Valierre création, who we know. She designs and makes bags and accessories. They are very pretty. We got there at 11.30am. Both days were fully reserved for lunch and for the two walks. One each morning which was around 15 kilometers and one each afternoon which was around 12 kilometers. Had a chat to Nicholas Pointeau, just after we arrived, who with his wife Marielle own and run the domaine. He'd finished around 8pm the previous evening, but with friends staying on, finally stopped at around 1am Sunday morning. So by the end of day two everyone must have been exhausted, as were we, when we got back home at 8pm. Plenty to look at and to do, followed by lunch and then around 3pm we went on the walk. The weather at least held off for that. We went right round Crouzilles taking in a farm, Domaine Coton, and some lovely countryside. The wide open landscape and a bit of sunshine meant we were able to see the neighbouring villages of Avon les Roches and Crissay sur Manse, both of which we know well and both of which are really interesting places to visit. 

A fab time. 'Boire du vin, c'est la France. Boire de l'eau, c'est la soufrance'.
Don't know who came up with this expression, but it pretty much sums up the weekend.

 

 

A great Easter weekend - pt 2: Sunday and Monday

The bridge at Chinon

Lots of people in Chinon on Sunday. In part because of the Easter holidays, but there was also the monthly brocante, which is set-up along the river bank on the Château side of the river. This weekend was also the beginning of the portes-ouvertes - the open-house events that are increasingly part of the spring/summer season, when wine producers open up their domaines to the public, offering tastings their wines but quite often, different regional produce as well.

Dolls at Chinon brocante

We went into Chinon first thing, to have a look round the  market. Had a cup of coffee. Bumped into some friends and just enjoyed walked around for a short time. The things people sell and the things people want to buy is quite fascinating. Gorgeous day again. Not too hot and at  around 11am, not too crowded. By the time we left it was heaving. Drove through Chinon, over the bridge and then headed left towards La Rivière, where we were going to Domaine François Médard, for a porte-ouverte. There isn't a website, so no direct links available.

Always great fun at the Médard's. A marquee is erected at the back with little tables and chairs under cover. There's a wine list on each table and you simply sit down and order the wines you like to taste. The family and their friends make sure everything runs smoothly. Little fouées are cooked on site to have with the tastings. You help yourself to the various fillings of rillettes, patés and cheeses. A very good cheese man was also there this year and a potter. Both seemed to be doing reasonable trade. We tried the Médard white, rosé and a couple of reds. Eventually we left with a couple of 5 litres Bibs (Bag in Box) of red and rosé. The family have been producing wine on the same site for at least 30 years. But just recently they have acquired some land over at Ligré which is just a bit further on. Obviously they are developing their range. François and his wife Corinne are lovely people, and very generous when it comes to supplying wine to other events and private views in the local community.

Easter Monday we had another porte-ouverte to go to, only this was a rather different affair. We were visiting Domaine de l'Épinay over at Pouançay for the first time. It's about a 40 minute drive away. Their porte-ouverte runs for three days - Sat, Sun and the Monday. 
We went with some neighbours and also some of their friends whose son is a traiteur and had been preparing the rather lovely lunches and dinners on site over the three days, and their daughter who has married into the Domaine family. The whole event was brilliantly managed, but felt totally relaxed. Different producers were there selling fresh asparagus, fresh oysters, breads, goats cheeses. There was also a traditional basket maker who spent a lot of time demonstrating. The domaine itself has been winning awards all over the place. They produce white, rosé and red wines, pétillant, fruit juices and one of the most delicious dessert wines we've ever tasted. 

Lunch was being served around 1pm, so in the meantime fouées were being prepared and cooked in one of the most efficient ovens we've come across. Really kept a steady temperature/heat.  What was special about all this was that the domaine has had 4 generations working it. Some of the spaces which are now used for storage or display, were originally lived in by the earlier generations. So the history of the family can be traced as much through the buildings as the vines.  A large marquee had been erected on the other side of the road and laid up for lunch. Not sure how many of us, but at a rough guess around 150. It was just delicious. Beautifully done. The four-course lunch including wines came to €20 per person. Lunch finished around 3pm.  A bus ride had been organised to drive us in and around the vines. A lovely period delivery van which could take about about 12 people at a time. The sides had been rolled up so as we could see out easily. A twenty minute round trip, which included stopping off at a ruined windmill. Once back we went to pick up the goat's cheese we'd bought just after we arrived -one of the best we've tasted anywhere - and we also picked up a case of the dessert wine. How could we resist?

After that, we drove back to Cravant with our neighbours and collapsed in a heap.
What a great experience and what a marvellous day.

A great Easter weekend pt 1- Saturday

Brocante

What a good combo. Friends, food, wine and some of that culture type stuff. Could leave it at that really as it more or less sums up what we've been doing for the last few days. Although much is lost without the detail. So I'll keep writing. Note to self - today is Monday, tomorrow is Tuesday - otherwise I'll be a day out. Friday was an ordinary working day over here and not a holiday as in the UK. So all the shops were open as per usual.

Saturday we drove into Tours, early. Beautiful day. Found somewhere for breakfast (coffee and croissant) and then went for a walk. Discovered there's an enormous flower market every Saturday morning near to the town hall. We've not been to Tours on a Saturday before, so hadn't realised it was there. Absolutely great. Terrific range at very reasonable prices and of course on a gorgeously sunny day, it was just lovely strolling through. Then found our way to a terrific art-supplies shop, Plein ciel Cadres et Papiers for Mike, who was needing some origami paper for a workshop he's doing in Chinon. Slightly off the beaten track, but worth the trek as Mike found everything he needed. Then headed back towards the centre to La Boîte à Livre, our favourite bookshop. Absolutely great selection of books, but as I've mentioned before books here are incredibly expensive, even the paperbacks. But guess what - simply impossible to leave empty-handed. This time it was with a novel, a play and a magazine.  The book is Le Collier Rouge by Jean-Christophe Rufin. One of the founders of Médecins sans Frontières, as well as a writer, he was amongst other things, the former French Ambassador in Senegal and is the President of Action Against Hunger. His career and experiences heavily influence his writing. The play was Savannah Bay by Marguerite Duras which we'd seen just the once, years ago at the Edinburgh Festival with our good friend Angie - in English. Quite wonderful and forever in my head. Now I have the play in French. The magazine is a special edition of Beaux Arts, dedicated to Henri Cartier-Bresson.

We'd actually come to Tours to meet up with a group of friends and go to an exhibition.
So next up was lunch at Le Turon in the Rue Colbert. Lovely bistro, very good food, very well priced and very friendly staff. Ten of us in all - a great time. Then we headed up to the Château de Tours, which is an excellent exhibition space. Always worth going. This time the main exhibition was - until comparatively recently unknown - the photography of Vivian Maier (1926-2009). An American of French/Hungarian extraction. She was a nanny, with an almost lost cache of over 100,000 images, which having been discovered have, posthumously, given her the deserved reputation as one of the most accomplished street photographers. Her black and white street images shot with a Rolleiflex camera, taken in New York and Chicago images are quite superb. The website link is in English and is excellent. It also contains under Film a trailer of the documentary made in 2013 about Vivian Maier's life and how her images were discovered. Quite extraordinary. 

After such a great day in Tours, we headed back home for a brief visit. Got changed, sorted out a couple of plates of apèro type eats and some wine, and then walked down the road to our friends Nadia and Patrick who were driving us over to a mutual friend's Easter barbecue dinner party in Seuilly. A great crowd. Sixty of us in all. A mixture of French, American, Irish, English, German. Chris and his wife Moira come over from the States at various times during the year, the longest usually being in the summer. We saw them when they were last over in December. We went over for dinner with their family, friend Steve and Nadia and Patrick. It was just before they went for Christmas back in the States. They are generous hosts and brilliant barbecuers. Fortunately we'd been very careful at lunch time, otherwise we'd have exploded. Everyone had gone to town on the food, so it all looked good and was all quite delicious. Someone had got a Doodle link organised so that we could all say what we were bringing, which ranged from appetizers, vegetables, salads, cheeses, cakes and desserts.  Various of his local friends had helped get everything set up as Chris only arrived back in France on April 17. Moira had had to stay in the States, but they're coming out again in June some time for about 10 weeks. All worked brilliantly. We caught up with friends we hadn't seen for a while and met some new faces. What a fabulous end to a glorious day.

La Cour de Babel

We watched an 'eye-opener' of a film last night in Chinon. La Cour de Babel  was made in 2013. It is a 'fly-on-the-wall' documentary filmed at the Granges-aux-Belles secondary school in the 10th arrondissement in Paris. The title is a play on the Tower of Babel/La Tour de Babel, with cour meaning playground. Cour also sounds like cours which translates as lessons.

The film focusses on a class of new young arrivals. New to France as well as the school.  There were 24 students aged between eleven and fifteen years from 24 different countries. Each spoke a different language and had little or no French. In many instances, the cultures that the students had left were vastly different from each others, as well as from that of the country where the students and their families were planning to start new lives.

The new students were all together in a special 'class of welcome' which ran for twelve months, and aimed to immerse the students in the French language, so they could integrate and move on more easily within the French education system and ultimately embrace the French way of life. 

The film followed the progress of the students from their arrival in the 'class of welcome' to their final day together, before dispersing full-time into the school's regular classes. Filming took place solely within the confines of the classroom where they had their French language classes. Glimpses of the students families only occurred when the parents or in some instances, guardians, came to the school to discuss their child's individual assessment with the French language teacher. These took place at various times during the year. 

The students were very much cocooned in their group. You saw them only in their 'welcome' group, never with other teaching staff or students. The occasional overhead shot of the outdoor playground during breaks was used more to convey the sense of time passing through the seasons, than a measure of how the 'class of welcome' were integrating. 

Some of the parents/ guardians had been in France for a little while before the children arrived. But whether they arrived separately or together, each had a different reason for coming to France. For example, Xin from China had lived with her grandmother there for ten years and hadn't seen her mother at all in that time, until Xin joined her in Paris, where her mother was working in a restaurant. Another girl and her family left Guinea because of their resistance to female circumcision. A Jewish family had been persecuted by a group of Serbian neo-nazis and had to get out. Growing up is difficult enough without such traumas. 

Over the year the director, Julie Bertucelli captured the students conversations, their conflicts, moments of enjoyment, their frank discussions about politics and religion, their impressions of living in France, their struggles and successes. Fortunately she allowed the action to speak for itself. There was no attempt to heighten the drama. Gradually through their shared situation of being outsiders, the students bonded. They were also very well served and supported by the teacher, the wonderful Brigitte Cervoni.  Such patience, such care and understanding, such skill. Highly experienced in teaching French to immigrant children, Brigitte Cervoni has co-authored a book on the subject. 

This film serves a hommage to both the teacher and the students. It also serves as a timely reminder that in our increasingly aggressive and selfish world, we need fair, humaine and welcoming immigration policies. 

We are one and other things

Being the 100th anniversary of the birth of Marguerite Duras, we were treated last night to two films that were Duras from start to finish, one being an adaptation of a book and the other a screenplay.

Amant/The Lover (1992) is based on Duras's semi-biographical novel of the same name, and is beautifully written, played and at times explicit. I've put in two links to the two film trailers, one being for the French market and the other for the English market. The styles are very different. The French for me captures the sensuality and underlying passion, whereas the English version has to explain everything and as a result, it comes across as something more ordinary. At least, that's my reaction. The story is set in French IndoChina in the late 20s.

The second film was Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959). Quite mesmerising. Reviewed as a 'masterpiece' by the director Alain Resnais and we couldn't agree more. The trailer is of an age, so sound quality and visuals are a bit creaky. But the film version on tv had been recently restored and the quality as a result was fabulous. The story juxtaposes a French woman's experiences during WW2 with that of Hiroshima and the aftermath of the bombing. It's not at times easy to watch, with the two stories being presented in flashback. But it's immensely rewarding.

Just bought Seasons 1-3 of Spiral - a French tv police and legal drama series set in Paris. Word of mouth is that it's excellent. Darker than The Wire and the reviews are excellent. So thought we'd give it a try, mainly to move on from Commissaire Moulin, made back in the late 70's and is shown regularly on channel 17 here. Usually the performances are good, but the stories are a bit hit and miss. But a useful intro for us to French crime drama. 

Just completed our first year, which is hard for us and everyone else to believe. Been a manic week. Films, talks, book club, an AGM with concert. Party tonight to celebrate a neighbour's birthday. There's a big nuclear protest tomorrow in Chinon, which is part of a coordinated plan in key cities in the region - may be across the country. Going to a gig tomorrow night, Sunday general gardening, tidying day at home and if it's nice hopefully a walk - we've friends dropping in for an overnight on their way to Spain, on Monday, so have booked a table for lunch at our L'Auberge. Went there for lunch during the week for our first birthday. Absolutely packed and very good. Any excuse if one is needed to go again. 

We've more gigs coming up. One at the beginning of May and another at the end of June. Also now been asked to coordinate a WW1 project for some time in the autumn and the Christmas party for one of our Anglo/French groups. Mike has also been invited to participate in a Crafts demo in Chinon on 15 June, doing origami. It's in one of the main square - Place Mirabeau, which we always visit for bread, to pick up a paper and the deli. Mike had made origami decorations for some of the shops there, so was immediately thought of, for the crafts thing. We'll do it together, with me attempting to be his glamorous assistant! But it's really great to be involved and will be an excellent opp for meeting other people. Fingers crossed weather wise. 

From now on the portes-ouvertes are in full swing. There are three that we're going to over Easter - some with neighbours and some on our own. We've a big party to go to that weekend as well, and there are various events lined up with one of our Anglo/French groups over the same weekend in Tours. Chinon Wine Fair is on 26 April, and a favourite wine producer has his the same day, so we're calling in there for lunch. 27 April another favourite wine producer is having a p.o. This time we're going with neighbours - so we're all having lunch there after having had a good look round the additional producers who will be on site and that afternoon, a 5/6 k walk round the village has been organised.  These events are amazingly well put together. They are such fun, a lot of work of course, but the atmosphere is just great. I bumped into the girlfriend of another producer we know - Fabrice Dellalande - who coordinates the dinner (amongst other things) for St.Vincent. Mike had spotted him earlier in the week, measuring up the side.  When I saw Evelyn this morning I asked if this was for St.Vincent next year, and it was. 1500 guests next time - so a bigger marquee, which all has to be planned and booked well in advance. These things always do.  

Apart from sampling the local produce and catching up with neighbours and friends, the p-o's are also useful for me to get some photography done. Last phase of current diploma is underway, which I want to finish by the end of April. Like the p-o's this part is people and produce orientated. Timing couldn't be better. 

One way or another life is pretty full on for us one year olds.

Good week all round

Should have found another title. When have we ever not had a good week. It has had it's moments of 'oh dear', when Mike's beloved Mac, died a sudden death.  2006 model, which in computer terms means positively geriatric.  To the extent that the graphics card which had caused the problem was irreplaceable - from anywhere. And as always advances were such that no new software would work with it either. So expensive month for the cost of a new mac. Then of course the replacement software, which for Mike is essential - same price as the computer. Eek. Glass of wine needed. Anyway, the problems are in the process of being resolved. Although for the moment the taller Shearing has to use my computer, which is extremely annoying! But needs must for favourite person!

Went over to Thouars the other day to meet some newly made friends for a walk round and lunch. Haven't been over there before. Great market - quite extensive. There's also a indoor/covered market. So between the two of them, pretty much everything you might want could be found. On to a lovely brasserie for lunch, just a short walk from the market, and then we headed into a permanent exhibition about the resistance in the local region during world war two, as well as more national elements. A mixture of panels, films, objects, photos. Well presented and very informative. Very pleased we went. A really fun day.

Yesterday was the 100th anniversary of the birthday of the wonderful Marguerite Duras. One of my favourite novelists for a long time, some of whose books I've only been able to read once, because their impact was so strong. She was also a cracking playwright. My friend Angie may remember the production of Savannah Bay that we saw together ages ago, at the Edinburgh Festival. It's never left my head. Interesting article about Marguerite Duras in La Nouvelle République last week, which I may well hang on to. Also had the pleasure of meeting her translator - Barbara Bray - in Paris one time, when we were working on a theatre project. Would imagine intellectually these two ladies were perfectly matched.

Have just been introduced to another French writer via my local book club. Sorj Chalandon. Every now and again, a book appears which is very very special. In this instance a book,
' . . .that renders war magnificently, but leaves a peaceful impression - that of a reader who has discovered a great book' (Le Magazine Littérraire)

I'm in the middle of reading Le Quatrième Mûr, which is in French and seemingly not available in English, although some of his other works are.  Sorj Chalandon is a French journalist as well as a writer - he writes for the satirical magazine Le Canard enchaîné. From 1973 - 2007 he worked on Libération, covering events in Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Somalia and Afghanistan.  It is the Lebanon that provides the backdrop for this novel. Terrifying in places to the point where you almost can't breathe, L.Q.M. is also extremely moving, depicting individual courage and resiliance, sectarianism, cultural patrimony and in the process provides a window on the overwhelming complexity behind conflicts we constantly read about, sometimes for decades and which appear, unresolvable. 

The starting point is Sam, a Jewish Greek refugee and theatre director who dreams of staging Jean Anouilh's Antigone, on a battlefield in the Lebanon, becomes terminally ill and passes the baton to a close French ally, Georges.  I just don't want to get to the end. I sense that this will be another 'one-read 'book. The review in Les Echoes sums up the power of the writing perfectly as,

 ' . . . a cluster bomb that explodes in the reader's mind and is sure to haunt his memory long after. 

 The haunting has already begun.