Nothing's better than a picnic 1 - Saturday

We've had a brilliant weekend picnicking with neighbours. Perfect weather both days. And of course where else would we be, but surrounded by vines. The French know how to picnic. Here it's an art form. None of this sandwich business. Oh no no no. A picnic is a pseudonym for a full-blow outdoor lunch. Or in this case - two of them. The first was Saturday and the second was Sunday. We have had such fun. Two very different styles and scales of events which needless to say involved a couple of excellent wine producers, on whose domaines the picnicking was taking place. I don't know about other regions, but picnics are a big part of the season here. Until this year though we've not been to any because we were always in the UK. But this last weekend, we made up for lost time and are happily knackered as a result. 

On Saturday we were over at Azay le Rideau for a picnic at Chateau de L'Aulée.  They are stunning wine producers who we buy from regularly, and who always try to take friends to. It's a lovely place, and with an extensive range of white wines and fizzies, reds and rosés. Once everyone had arrived we were treated to a gorgeous fizzy as an apèro and then with lunch we were offered a white and a red. Big barbecues had been started up for everyone to use as and when they wanted to. But the picnic was inside a large marquee which is permanently erected. There were about sixty of us. Tables were in rows covered with gingham patterned cloths. Looked really pretty. You could sit where ever you wanted. Great atmosphere - very convivial. 

Naked fizzy corks waiting for their wrappers

Afterwards there was a tour of the site which showed each stage of the wine production process. We've done this a couple of times now, but it's always interesting. Our neighbours hadn't been to Chateau de L'Aulée before, so we were keen for them to see behind the scenes. Both are knowledgeable about the wine business and have lots of local connections. Even so they were extremely impressed. Which is why they walked out of the chai with a couple of cases. I think they went for a mixed case of three fizzies and some of the white and red we'd had with lunch. We left with a case of fizzy. So pleased they enjoyed themselves.