On Tuesday we went on a wine tasting trip to the Domaine de la Renaudie at Mareuil sur Cher, near St Aignan. Our friends Chris and Sally have been going here for many years, and have chosen some of their wines to serve at the wedding of their son Philip to Claire. They needed some extra wine so they suggested we all go along.
The proprietors, Patricia and Bruno Denis, were very welcoming and gracious. Patricia explained the process very well, with some amusing anecdotes.
Following the tasting we were taken on a quick tour of their winemaking facilities. We saw a large quantity of cases of wine which had been wrapped up and, prior to the earthquake and tsunami, had been destined for Japan. I'm sure Patricia mentioned that the order had been for nearly 15,000 bottles! She now has to find new markets for this wine.
If you would like to read more about their operation, Ken Broadhurst in his blog Living the Life in St Aignan, has written about it here. Ken is an excellent writer and has captured the essence of the place much better that I ever could!
 |
| Patricia explaining the sauvignon v sauvignon blanc debate. |
 |
| A selection of the wines they produce. |
Two Australian visitors, Robert and Kathleen who were also tasting, were on a world tour and spending a few nights in the Loire. They limited themselves to a few bottles that they would be able to drink before they moved on. We, on the other hand, had no such restrictions, and could buy more (quite a lot more!!)
After the tasting we went to Le Moutier, the beautiful home in Mareuil sur Cher of Martine and Jean Lou Coursaget.
 |
| Photograph from Google images - mine didn't turn out very clear |
They offer chambre d’hôtes and table d’hôtes, which if ever you get the opportunity, you should try out. A link to their website is here.
Jean Lou is an artist, and besides her day job, Martine cooks wonderful meals using the finest local produce. You eat with the family, and their daughter is an accomplished pianist who entertained us with some fantastic and varied pieces of music.
 |
| One of Jean Lou's paintings. |
The wines were supplied by Patricia and Bruno.
 |
| Another of Jean Lou's paintings on display at the Domaine de la Renaudie. |
I can thoroughly recommend both the wines and the meal. We came away with cases of their sauvignon, rose, sparkling white and sparkling rose (fines bulles).
Would anyone like to join us for a drink.............................?
No comments:
Post a Comment