Domaine de la Paleine - Ligers 2011

Tuesday 2 February saw the close of the Salon des Vins de Loire 2011.

Held annually in Angers the Loire Valley Wine Fair, a 3 day trade fair plays host to the highest number of professionals, visitors, connoisseurs and Val de Loire vignerons under the same roof at any one given time.

Throughout the 3 day event vignerons wine and new vintages are sampled, professionals source favourites and new finds for commerce and connoisseurs judge the attending Domaines wines in order to establish who will be presented with the Ligers 2011 medals prior to the opening of the 3 day fair.

Proudly holding one of the highest number of Ligers medals awarded - Domaine de la Paleine was presented with a further 5 Ligers medals for its outstanding quality of wine:

Ligers Or
Saumur Rouge, ‘Cuvée de Printemps’ 2009
Saumur-Puy-Notre-Dame, 'Moulin des Quints' 2009

Ligers Argent
Saumur Rouge, Tamino 2008

Ligers Bronze
Saumur Champigny 2009
Saumur Brut

If you are interested in learning more about the wines produced at Domaine de la Paleine on Sunday 13 March 2011 Gerald will be hosting a wine tasting at The Wine Shop & Tasting Room in Brighton. To learn more about this private event please contact either Sam or Simon at Ten Green Bottles.

David Reynaud, Crozes Hermitage 2009

Not only am I married to a Frenchman who is a connoisseur of fine wines but also an excellent cook, and it was while Gérald was preparing the early evenings pot au feu he suggested sampling a David Reynaud 2009.

A biodynamic wine from the AOC Crozes Hermitage, and albeit, it is not in the 'Beaumont Philosophy' to drink any wine too early, on occasion we do like to follow the development and opening of specific wines starting from their 'primary stage'.

For Géralds comments please feel free to email: info@loirevalleyuncorked.net.

Wine Tasting : Domaine Singla, Côtes du Rousillon, France at The Wine Shop & Tasting Room, Brighton

Laurent de Besombes from Domaine Singla and Gérald have been professional and personal friends, dating back to the days when Gérald owned his cave à vin/bar à vin in Paris so it was a natural progression for Gérald to introduce me to the unique and biodynamic wines from Domaine Singla.

In my privileged position of being exposed to a great number of French wines my first tasting of Domaine Singla left me speechless, it is sublime and a ‘must have’ in our personal wine collection. It is tasting unique wines such as this that ignite the desire to learn about wine and the great news is… you can at The Wine Shop & Tasting Room in Brighton!

Wine Tasting - Sunday 27th February at 15h30 with Laurent de Besombes from Domaine Singla, Côtes du Roussillon, France

Located at the foot of the Pyrénees, just north of the Spanish border, Domaine Singla produces unique, biodynamic wines with a blend of vibrancy and acidity unique for wines this much exposed to the sunshine of southern France.

Not interested in appellation rules, from an interview in Decanter, ‘if the taste matches AC regulations, then fine; if not, I don't care', Laurent De Besombes makes wine that suits him, and we agree in every respect - yields are tiny (15-20 hl/ha) and all are selected by hand for maximum ripeness.

The fruit arrives in the cellar by nothing other than the force of gravity, and the grapes are pressed by treading. There is no fining or filtration, and, finally, each year Laurent allows the nature of the vintage to be the primary force in dictating the winemaking methods, not just what has worked previously.

If you are looking for a unique expression of terroir, you would be doing well to find a winemaker more dedicated to the cause.

Booking can be made online; click ‘here’ or by contacting either Sam or Simon at The Wine Shop & Tasting Room on: 01273 567176

French Lessons with the 'je ne sais quoi!'

French lessons with a Glass of Wine - Tuesdays from 18h30

During my London days of work and French lessons, I recall confiding in my French boss the consciousness I felt speaking French openly. In his cool French manner he suggested I learn while enjoying French wine... a simple suggestion and as soon as the new strategy was applied my spoken French improved, as did my confidence and my knowledge of French wine!

Offering this very same fun and relaxed approach to learning the French language while enjoying quality French wine is The Wine Bar & Tasting Room in Brighton. Every Tuesday from 18h30 French lessons can be attended.

Set in the friendly atmosphere of The Wine Bar & Tasting Room their experienced and qualified teacher, Amanda, will focus on a new topic and language point each week while you enjoy a glass of quality wine. The evening is divided into two sessions: a one hour lesson, which will examine a language point suitable for beginners; followed by an optional informal one hour discussion using the language learnt in the first hour.

Bookings are taken on a weekly basis. To book your place pay online here, send Ten Green Bottles an email at shop@tengreenbottles.com, drop into the shop or call: 01273 567176.