The Guardian, Fiona Beckett - Wine: Local Heros

Wine: Local Heros
Independent wine merchants have a reputation as being expensive. But set preconceptions aside, and there are bargains to be had the equal of any in a supermarket, says Fiona Beckett

Ten Green Bottles is altogether funkier. This shop and wine bar in Brighton supplies restaurants as diverse as The Fat Duck and MsMarmitelover's Underground Restaurant. They specialise in hard-to-find bottles such as biodynamic Saumur producer Domaine de la Paleine's Scherzo 2008 (£10.99; 14% abv), a lovely, off-dry chenin that would add real class to jazzed-up turkey leftovers (creamy or spicy).

To read the full article click here - Fiona Beckett 'Wine: Local Heros'

Restoration of 'la belle vue'

With summer an increasingly fading memory all attentions have turned to the forthcoming winter months and the annual autumn shape-up of the flower garden and potager.

Augustin at his beloved school and Constance taking full advantage of Grandmas attention, time allowed for recollections of Percy Thrower (Blue Peter) to be called upon.

The potager had supplied us with some delicious Charlottes and Amandines earlier in the year, and to my surprise delivered an impressive second harvest.

Next, the flower garden, the restoration of la belle vue and a make-over of the massif.

After much weeding, weeding and weeding... prunning, cutting out the dead, replanting, splitting and replanting, along with the introduction of some new additions and some family favourites - Eric Tabarly and Pierre de Ronsard - we eagerly await the blooms of spring 2011.

Wine Tasting with Gérald at The Wine Shop & Tasting Room, Brighton

On Sunday 10 October Gérald hosted a private wine tasting at The Wine Shop & Tasting Room in Brighton, UK.

The attending 30 guests enjoyed a selection of chenin & cabernet franc wines from Domaine de la Paleine, accompanied by an accords mets et vins, food dishes chosen to compliment each wine sampled.



















(Ten Green Bottles : Sam Devaney, Simon Broad & Gérald Beaumont)

Gérald will be returning to The Wine Shop & Tasting Room on Sunday 21 November 2010 - please contact The Wine Shop & Tasting Room for further information.

The Wine Shop & Tasting Room
9 Jubliee Street
Brighton
East Sussex
BN1 1GE

t : +44 (0) 1273 567176
e : shop@tengreenbottles.com

BioParc Zoo de Doué la Fontaine

For a long time I have heard many speak about the highly reputed Parc Zoologique, Doué la Fontaine.

The imaginative troglodyte giraffe enclosure. Animal protection awareness. Wildlife conservation and the zoo's partnership with the World Wildlife Fund.

And it was during Toussaint bank holiday, in glorious sunshine that la famille Beaumont decided to visit the zoo for ourselves.

Entering the zoo it felt like returning to the jungle, minus mosquito's, humidity and the need for welly boots.

The thought given to create such a fabulous and true environment for the birds and wild animals is impressively creative. Even down to the care and attention of name plates for the various species of plants growing throughout the zoo.














Choosing a best bit? Was it the bird aviary where one can get close to the flamingos, macraws, ibis etc?

Watching the Bolivian saimiri in the trees of the bears enclosure?

Sitting at the café watching the zebra and giraffe at eye level?

The BioParc Zoo de Doué is for all ages and it certainly won't be the last visit from 'la famille Beaumont'!