A crisp beautiful winters day. A good day to walk amongst the vines of Sancerre. A good day to start a blog. A good day for an excellent local red wine and a hearty French winter dish from the Alps and an evening in front of a real wood fire. All in the company of Jane and our two dogs, Billy and Harley. New Years Days don't get much better than this!
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| Climbing up towards Sancerre from Menetreol-sous-Sancerre we came across this wonderful view of the vines |
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| Earlier that morning in Veaugues there had still been a mist hanging around. |
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| The vines in the foreground and the Church in Veaugues in the background. |
As well as the vines, the Walnut trees are an integral part of the landscape around Sancerre. You won't find much activity in the vines at this time of the year; perhaps, a little bit of pruning going on.
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| Near Thauvenay, the vines provide the foreground whilst the town of Sancerre rises above everything in the background |
Veaugues, Bué, Mentreol-Sous-Sancerre, Thauvenay and Verdigny are some of the 14 villages allowed to grow Sancerre grapes.
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| The Canal near the Thauvenay lock was partially frozen |
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| The Chateau de Sancerre caught in the rays of the winter sun. |
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| Looking from Sancerre towards Verdigny the vines provide a patchwork for this old tower to stand out against |
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| A few tourists were evident in the streets of Sancerre, still garlanded with Christmas decorations |
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| Bare vines on the slopes below Verdigny |
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| On the climb up towards Verdigny, looking back towards Sancerre |
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| The famous slopes above Chavignol with Sancerre in the background |
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| The ceramic cross standing above Chavignol with Sancerre again gracing the background |
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| A vigneron's abri on the slopes near Bué |
Then it was back home to our stone cottage in Veaugues to warm up, refuel and taste some of the delights that the local slopes had produced in bygone years.
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| We lit a roaring log fire on our return - one of the joys of country living |
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| Our dinner was a raclette, a mountain dish using cheese from the Savoie |
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| Paired with a fantastic Henri Bourgeois red Pinot Noir from 2002 |
Our main wine of the evening was a wine that proves that red Sancerre can be good - it was a Le Chene Saint Etienne 1er Tri 2002 produced by Henri Bourgeois in Chavignol. A lovely Pinot Noir grown in the Sancerre appellation. The wood it was aged in was from a 435 year old oak tree cut down in 1995 and given a new life as oak barrels. A good balance of oak and fruit with enough acidity to make it a great wine with cheese dishes. If you are in the region, do visit Henri Bourgeois; they give one of the most generous tastings and are open on Sundays.
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| Desert was two types of Buche de Noel paired with a Jean Laurent Blanc de Blancs Champagne |
Jean Laurent is one of our favourite independent champagne makers and is located a few hours away in the Cotes des Bars area in the south of the Champagne appellation.
John Etherton asserts his right to the copyright of the photographs in this blog. Howver, feel free to republish them as long as you provide a link to and the name of this blog and attribute the photograph to John Etherton.
Log in again soon for more culinary adventures amongst the vines and wines of France.
