Wine Tasting

We recently received an unexpected invitation to a private wine tasting, and never being ones to turn down an opportunity to try new wines – with the excuse of adding them to the dinner menu at our Bed & Breakfast – we went along to sample what was on offer.

We were greeted with a firm hand shake, given wine tasting sheets (just how seriously wine tasting is taken) along with a tasting glass and pointed in the direction of the many wine producers and merchants. Faced with a range of wines from all over France, ranging in price to suit all budgets, and a great buffet to help soak up the large samples being offered it was looking like being a great evening! And so it proved to be…………………………… after a lot of tasting we eventually left with a healthy selection of clanking bottles and lighter pockets!

As we are so close to the Loire Valley, with Saumur being less than 60km away, these are some of our most local wines along with those of the lesser known Haut Poitou. There are so many Loire and Saumur wines available that it would be impossible to try them all - so to have a selection, some guidance and the chance to taste means we found some great new wines to add to our in house dining menu.

An unusual and lovely sweet Southern Loire white to be drunk either as an aperitif, as a dessert wine or, as we sampled, with blue cheese and also a gold medal winning fruity dry white Haut Poitou (Sauvignon Blanc) which is great to accompany a starter, fish or spicy food. With these and various others we are now pretty much there with the wine choices for our Christmas Day and New Years Eve menus. Watch this space!

Happy wine drinking……………………………………………….