'AOC Mission Possible'

Capturing the sunshine in May we welcomed budding wine connoisseurs Jane & Christopher to 'La Bellevue' for their 'AOC Mission Possible'.

With an impressive list of 'must try' AOC's to visit in the Loire Valley, Christopher & Jane combined well & lesser known appellations, châteaux and many of the attractions of the Val de Loire during their stay.

Dear Sarah-Jane & Gérald,

Thank you so much for a brilliant stay at Annie's House - we couldn't have been looked after better or have had a better introduction to wine and wine-tasting.

Thank you for the caves, delicious wines and strawberries. Gorgeous weather was the icing on the cake. We'll be back and telling all of our friends !

Thanks again !
Jane & Christopher

Summer gets underway in the Loire Valley

Summer is officially underway in the Loire Valley, I just love this time of year !

And with the long warm evenings to sit outside and enjoy the customary aperitif in, has come the demand to learn more about the Loire Valley wines.

Invited to host a weekly Wine Tasting Soirée, Gérald happy shares his knowledge of the regions wines - all welcome to join in !

AOC Tour de France 2009

This week we saw the return of wine enthusiasts Mark and Jeremy to 'La Bellevue' for the final leg of their 'AOC Appellation Tour de France 2009' .

Hosted by Gérald the early evenings Wine Tasting Soirée got underway with dégustations held in the garden and in our troglodyte caves.

Taken through an array of sparkling, white, rosé and red wines, Gérald introduced Mark and Jeremy to last years vintage and discused todays expectations for this years wines.

Wine and conversation continued over dinner which was enjoyed outside with a setting sun and spectacular view across the Loire.

To experience a Wine Tasting Soirée visit: http://www.domainedelabellevue.com/wine_tasting.html



A l'année prochaine !

Route Touristique des Vignobles

Southern France suffered some extremely heavy storms this week.

Huge hail stones took their toll on the fragile new growth of the vines damaging them severely.

Thankfully the Loire has avoided being hit by these tempêtes !

Curiosity aroused Augustin and I took an afternoon stroll along the route touristique des vignobles.

A peaceful walk amongst the vines, vineyards and neigbouring villages.

Anticipating 2009 to be a hot summer I was encouraged to see the baby grapes had started to form.

Montsoreau, Maine-et-Loire (49), France - Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday was not the sunny day we had hoped for but drizzle and grey skies weren't going to put us off heading to Montsoreau to have a look around the market and monthly held Brocante.

Sadly our hopes of finding a 'Find' didn't materialise and we headed to our favourite cafe/resto to rest our feet.

Whilst I nosed around the market Gérald and Augustin headed to Le P'tit Bar to order hot chocolates.

Le P'tit Bar has always been one of my favourite places to eat since before arriving in France. It's a great place to have lunch whilst visiting Montsoreau, Candes St. Martin and Fontevraud l'Abbaye.

VITILOIRE, Tours (37) : 23rd & 24th May'09 - 7th Loire Valley Wine Festival

The medieval town of Tours, Inde-et-Loire (37, will once again host the 7éme édition du salon des vins de Loire the weekend of 23rd & 24th May, 2009

Meet Gérald there along with other wine makers from throughout the Loire Valley.

You will have the opportunity to sample wines ranging from the fresh sparkling wines, through the rosés, whites and reds and the deliciously rich sweet white wines.

Definitely a date for the diary !!

Saumur, Maine-et-Loire (49), France

A convenient 15 mins drive from the cottage, the noble town of Saumur hosts a fabulous market every Saturday morning.

The delicious smell of fresh breads and pasteries fill the air. Whilst seasonal fruits and vegetables, flowers, fresh fish and meats, saucisson, oysters and live stock make this colourful and vibrant market one of best attended in the local area.

The market, not only held in the town centre, continues along the towns cobbled streets and continues along the edge of the Loire river where clothing, accessories and an all sortment of household goodies, antiques and otherwise can be found.

The atmosphere is a busy one as the market ends at lunch time. Local cafes and brasseries buzz with activity and many a café is enjoyed on the open terraces.

Twined with Warwick, England and Verden, Germany the town of Saumur is also home to the famous Cadre Noir, the National Equestrian School.

Throughout the year these magnificant and graceful horses can be seen performing their acrobtic feats and I understand it is the croupade which sets the Cadre Noir apart from their counterparts in Vienna.

With many exhibitions and wine festivals scheduled throughout the year.

Saumur is a worthy visit, if not only to see the impressive château but to enjoy the beauty of this river side town set in the heart of the Loire Valley, France.