Le Chemin des Vins
Chemin des Vins
December 2004 at King’s College, London Waterloo
This was an exhibition of five winegrowers from different regions of France:
“These are all small producers passionately caring for their grapes in the vineyars to the wine in your glass. They are proud of their individual ‘terroirs’ and the expression it gives to the character of their wines. It is difficult for them to comprehend that the price of a bottle almost doubles when it is imported into the UK. Certainly it is not they who are heavily marking up their wine and they are hoping this tasting will help to dispel the myth that good French wine is expensive.
At a time when wine sales are dominated by the supermarkets with aisles and aisles of industrially produced, chemically treated bottles here is an opportunity to appreciate natural, traditionally-made wine that is not normally available to us unless we knock at their Cave door.
This Wine Fair is different because no wine will be available to buy en place, it will only be possible to order it, and collect it at a later date, on a short hop over or under the Channel (not far from Calais). Their belief is that once you taste this wonderful wine you will be convinced that it is well worth the effort whether it be for six bottles or ten cases!”
Virgile’s Vineyard in Surrey
Virgile’s Vineyard in Englefield Green
A presentation of the wines of Domaine Virgile Joly matched with the food of Languedoc
June 2005 at Englefield Green, Surrey
Joly Rouge AOC Coteaux du Languedoc 2004
Tartine avec poivrons rouge et anchois
Saturne Rouge AOC Coteaux du Languedoc 2003
Saucisse de porc
Virgile Rouge AOC Coteaux du Languedoc 2002
Terrine de gibiers
Virgile Blanc Vin de Pays de Herault 2003
Fromage Cantal jeune
Carthegene Vin de Liqueur 2001
Pain d’epices
Eau de Vie de Marc Rouge 2001
Fresh cherries from the Vallee de l’Orb
A Taste of Languedoc
December 2005 at Egham, Surrey
Lits would like you to come to a tasting of thirty handcrafted wines from 12 personally selected vignerons with samples of regional food. A bistro corner will be serving a Menu du Jour to allow you to linger if you wish!
Egham, Billesdon and Classic Cars
ANOTHER TASTE OF LANGUEDOC
In Egham and Billesdon, Leicester
November 2006
You are invited to sample more wonderful, natural wines
from the Languedoc avec bonnes-bouches!
With personal presentations from 4 vignerons
+ new vintages of old favourites & some new discoveries
The idea is to try the tastes and flavours, to match a wine with the different food flavours. The experimentation, the sensations of pleasure… we have only made suggestions at the tables, take your time and return to try again.
These wines are selected on the basis of not only being pure, unadulterated by chemicals, but also because they taste good. That is never to forget that wine, like food, is so personal. We have our likes, our dislikes…. and our favourites. But one of the most fascinating things we must remember is how much the flavour of a wine can change with what you are eating. A wine which may appear easy to drink on its own may be overwhelmed by the powerful flavours, likewise a full bodied wine can easily overpower delicate ones. It is an art to match a suitable bottle to a chosen dish, something which can only be learnt by trial and error, imagination and a lot of fun practising!
Similarly they also have their place in time, the mood, the company, the occasion, the budget! The French have terms for them: ‘un vin pour tous les jours’ a wine for everyday drinking, ‘un vin de copain’ , to be shared with friends, ‘un vin de dimanche’, a special wine for Sunday, ‘un vin d’anniversaire’, a special wine for a celebration. A special feast usually calls for a special bottle!
I hope I have given you a choice!
COOL SUMMER CLASSICS
Virginia Water, Surrey June 2006
You are invited to a tasting of 21 summer wines
with canapés set amongst a fleet of classic cars!
Working with the vignerons from Languedoc
In 2004 I started to share some of the wonderful wines I had found in France with my friends, clients and colleagues in England, and, as a result of their appreciation we have now begun a small import business. Here are details of the six presentations I have held to date; they are by invitation only so if you would like to attend one in the future please let me know.
Egham, Billesdon, Virginia Water and Battersea
This year we returned to Egham and Billesdon and also presented an evening dinner with Languedoc wine at ‘The Wine Circle’ restaurant in Virginia water and a wine tasting at an art exhibition in the ‘Power Station Gallery’ Battersea, London.
