France

The last few days I’ve been interviewing French students at the University in Montpellier. It has been fascinating learning their views on wine and why wine consumption has dropped so dramatically in France. The weather was nice (in the high 60’s and sunny) on Tuesday and Wednesday, and I was able to explore the city and have a nice dinner on Wednesday evening. Montpellier was established in the 900’s by the Dukes of Toulouse and has some fascinating arched structures, impressive mansions, and an old city center where no cars are allowed. It is filled with plenty of outdoor cafes, [...]

On Tuesday I drove one hour SW of Montpellier to visit Famile Ligneres Winery near Corbierres. It was a wonderful visit with owners Anne and Jean. They provided an excellent tour of the vineyards where they specialize in growing Grenache, Carignan, Mouvedre and Syrah for reds, and Rousanne, Grenache Blanc and Vermintino for whites. They have 200 acres – all dried farmed and organic. Some of the soil is quite rocky (see photo), with dramatic mountains rising behind. They are about 30 minutes from the Mediterranean. Currently they export about 90% of their wine to the USA where they have [...]

It’s been much more complicated planning the France wine tour verses the Australia one. This is because I am required to make appointments with most of the French wineries, rather than just dropping by open tasting rooms as in Australia. Many of the top chateaux in France are by appointment only, whereas only a few in Australia are. Fortunately, I’ve had much help from my father-in-law, Michael, who speaks French and 4 other languages fluently. He has helped me translate emails and messages. Sopexa, the French PR firm for wine and food, has also been extremely helpful, as well as [...]