Merry Christmas - Joyeux Noël

La famille Beaumont would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas.

With no accounting for time Augustin is eager to get his first Christmas well and truly underway.

Joyeux Noël et Bonne Fête !

The Vines Winter 'spring clean'

Arriving hand-in-hand with the colder weather is the winter spring clean of the vines.

From now until February there is much to do in the vines and vineyards in preparation for next spring.

To ensure each vine reaches her full fruiting potentional her stems are cut leaving one long stem and a smaller back up should a late frost next year bite hard.

Dead vines are uprooted, to be replaced at a later date and the high wires which once supported the vines fruits are removed.

The vines new look is a dramatic one !

La Marché de Noël - Christmas Market

Last weekend Doué-la-Fontaine held its Marché de Noël in aux Arènes, the towns ancient arena. Artisans stands lined the festively decorated caves.

Musicians played festive melodies while roasting chestnuts, mulled wine and other foodie goodies filled the air.

There were plenty of stands to keep both adults and children amused and no shortage of christmas pressie ideas and local delicacies to indulge in. Gérald & I tucked into les escargots et les bulots....yum yum !

As for meeting Père Noël, at the time of our visit he was tending to his raindeer but we did meet a few of his little helpers.

Beaujolais Nouveau 2008

Yesterday Augustin saw in his first Beaujolais Nouveau and showing all the signs of a vigneron in the making, he was eager to participate in the fun.

Although for this year and for many years to come, it was only Mama et Papa Beaumont who sampled the wines.

Harvest 2008 ends

Havest 2008 was a little longer than usual and this week saw les vendanges draw to a close.

Here Gérald is busy cutting and collecting the last of this years grapes.

France says 'NO' to the proposed censorships

The past week has seen wine makers all over France protesting over the French Governments new proposal to restrict wine tastings at wine fairs & wine festivals, dégustations on their premises and restrictions on wine being offered free for promotional purposes.

If this new law is past France could possibly see an end to one of its longest traditions, sampling wine at a vineyard.

To date the vignerons are saying 'NO' to this censorship and due to their number and power we remain optimistic no change will be made.

75eme Fête des Vendanges, Montmarte, Paris

Sadly Augustin and I were unable to join Gérald at the Fête des Vendanges but we hope to be there next year.

Enjoy our collection of photos including Gérald with the Mayor of the 18e arrondissement and of Gérald providing wine tastings.

The Cottage 'Annie's House'

Summer 2008 saw a wonderful diversity of guests stay at 'Annie's House' from Australia, France, Germany, Ireland and UK.

Augustin thoroughly enjoyed all the additional attention he received and the new baby friends he made during their stays.

La Famille Beaumont would like to thank you all for making Summer 2008 so memorable.

Fête des Vendanges, Montmarte, Paris

Gérald will be returning to Montmarte, Paris at the end of this week in preparation for the 75th Fête des Vendanges.

A vibrant, colourful festival bringing together vignerons and artisans from all over France and an estimated 300,000 visitors over a long weekend.

Held in front of the beautiful Sacré Coeur the purpose of this fête is to celebrate the first cut of the grape vines in Montmarte, said to be some of the oldest vines to be found in France today!

Fêtes des Vendanges - 10th, 11th & 12th October 2008.

Les Vendanges 2008

Two weeks ago the grape picking harvest of 2008 got underway at the Domaine.

Keeping with tradition, the wine pressing started with the Chenin and Chardonnay grapes which will produce the sparkling Crémant de Loire wines.

Harvest over the next few days will concentrate on the picking of the Cabernet Franc grape, the pressing of which will be used for the rosé and sparkling rosé wines.

Since pressing began wine makers have noted a similarity between the 2008 and 2006 vintages.

4ème Marché des Vins de Saumur 2008

The weekend of 6/7 September saw the stunning town of Saumur host its 4th Marché des Vins de Saumur, a friendly wine festival growing in recognition and held on the banks of the Loire river.

Sadly the weather wasn't its best but this didn't prevent locals and holiday makers getting into the swing of things, investing in a wine glass and tasting vignerons wines and artisans fare.

2008 saw Gérald with a new assistant, Augustin Beaumont, our 7 month old son.