St Andrew's Day and Dram Fest

I love to match our dinners to special days, not just birthdays, Easter and Christmas but saints days and country celebration days too. It's a great way to try new food and recipes.

November 30th is St Andrew's Day, the Patron Saint of Scotland but as our main Scottish celebration day is Burn's Night early in the year yesterday's meal was a 'nod'.

Our main was steak - Aberdeen Angus steak - from Aldi, we have tried many other supermarkets and butchers but still prefer theirs, great value too.

I found a new recipe for Scottish baking which included a marmalade cake, quite different as it was made using oil not butter. A very moist cake with plenty of orange flavour, next time I might crystallize some orange peel for the topping.

Of course it would not be a Scottish meal without a 'wee dram'. Hubby and I learnt so much about whisky on our trip to Scotland last May, you can read about our adventures in my May posts. I really enjoyed our visit to the Glen Moray Distillery and I especially liked their Chardonnay Cask, my St Andrew's Day toast.

Earlier in November Hubby and I, along with three friends, visited Dram Fest in Leicester, a superb day hosted by 23 Wine and Whiskey. We have done many wine tasting but never a whisky tasting - but we will again !

It was a superb day, over 250 whiskies with a chance to chat to the actual distillers, so much to learn, so much to taste. We all had an amazing day as you can see from the photos.- thank you to everyone.

A super day had by all ...

.... and we were 'papped' 

Cellier des Dauphins

Hubby and I have been enjoying Cellier des Dauphins wine for many years. Our must do on holidays in France with my dad when our children were young was dinner at Flunch.

Flunch is a self service restaurant found within supermarket complexes in most large cities and towns. It caters really well for children with their meals including an ice cream and a toy .... we still have a Flunch kite!

However we are not the kind caring parents my above paragraph portrays .... our reason for eating at Flunch was because their wine was Cellier des Dauphins. Hubby, Dad and I looked forward to our Flunch meal and red wine, always a highlight.

Dinner at Flunch 

A number of years later, enjoying Cellier des Dauphins in France and bringing many bottles home in the meantime,  we met Jo Thompson at a wine fair in London. Jo is owner/director of Belleville Marketing who promote this superb French wine here in the UK.

In 2016 as part of our superb holiday in the Cotes du Rhone (Visan to Chateauneuf-du-Pape) Jo kindly arranged a wine tasting for us with Cellier des Dauphins. What a superb tasting it was, having enjoyed their wine for many years we felt very privileged to have a private tasting. You can read about our amazing day on my Cellier des Dauphins dedicated blog page.

Les Dauphins is the UK labelling for Cellier des Dauphins so for a number of years we have been very pleased to be able to buy at home. However the Cellier des Dauphins label will now be the UK branding and last week Hubby and I joined Jo at Noize Restaurant in London to meet Laurent Paré, Cellier des Dauphins new Chief Oenologist.

It was lovely to meet Laurent and talk about
our favourite French wine and our holidays.

Another great evening with Jo

Noize Restaurant was a super venue, their cellar a perfect venue for tasting French wine. Throughout the evening they served amazing canapes; pork, prawns, cheese gougeres and mushroom palmiers.

Based in Tulette Cellier des Dauphins has been a wine co-operative since 1967 with 2,300 winegrowers and 12,500 hectares of vines covering around 20 appellations including many of the Cotes du Rhone named villages.

Our evening's tasting began with Les Dauphins Cotes du Rhone Blanc made with Viognier and Grenache Blanc. A clean white wine with a floral nose and delicious citrus finish.

Les Dauphins Blanc

Cellier des Dauphins Reserve Blanc is also a Viognier Grenache Blanc wine but with Marsanne and Roussane. This wine was very elegant, a lovely rounded wine with flavours of apricots.

Both white wines were superb, great examples of white Cotes du Rhone and both very much enjoyed.

Cellier des Dauphins Reserve Blanc

The first red in our tasting, Les Dauphins Rouge, is made from Grenache Noir and Syrah. It was full of ripe dark fruits with a hint of spice on the finish. This wine is very similar to the wine we used to drink in France, a memory in every sip.

Les Dauphins Rouge

Cellier des Dauphins Reserve Rouge is a full bodied Syrah Grenache wine with soft tannins full of black fruits and a long comforting finish. In the 16th Decanter World Wine Awards this wine scored 97 points and was awarded the Platinum Medal.

Cellier des Dauphins Reserve Rouge

Vinsobres, one of the named villages, is made with Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. This village rises giving altitude to its vineyards. It's a wine full of cherry and black currant flavours with hints of spice and an edge of vanilla.

Cru des Cotes du Rhone Vinsobres 

Puymeras and Plan de Dieu are two of Cellier des Dauphins wines that feature photographs of the wine growers on the label: Puymeras is produced by Laury and Plan de Dieu by Mathieu.

Puymeras village is at the foothills of the southern Alps. This named village wine is full of rich dark fruit, it's made from Grenache with great depth and body and a warming finish.

Plan de Dieu is a wine region on the flat plains and is made from Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. Another deep wine of black fruit and high spice notes with a herby edge.

Puymeras and Plan de Dieu

Every bottle of the Cellier des Dauphins wines was superb, all slightly different but with a background similarity of Cotes du Rhone. As well as the wines mention above we also tasted Cairanne from their Cru des Cotes du Rhone, another superb wine.

Cellier des Dauphins Cru des Cotes du Rhone 

Thank you Jo for our Gifted bottles, my 2CV wine holder is now complete with its illuminated Les Dauphins bottle.

Cellier des Dauphins to us is far more than a wine; it's an old friend who brings fond memories and great enjoyment with every glass.

Hubby and I had a wonderful evening, thank you Jo, Laurent and Pauline.

Wines from France

Our latest wine tasting with our Scout Leaders was all about French wine. As Hubby and I were holidaying in the eastern Loire we brought back wines from one of the main French Supermarkets, along with a special wine for our dessert.

Our evening began with a traditional French aperitif, Pastis. Very similar to Ouzo and Pernod this clear liquid is aniseed flavour which is diluted with water to taste. Not everyone liked aniseed but those who did really enjoyed the refreshing drink accompanied with peanut flavour puff snacks.

Our wine tasting began with three white wines, one from the Alsace, one from the Loire and our third from Burgundy. Sylvaner has a distinctive tall thin green bottle as with most Alsace wines. It's not as widely known here in the UK as other wines from this French/German area of France.

Sylvaner is a crisp clean white wine that suits seafood and fresh salads; an elegant flavour of green apples with a subtle hint of minerals leading to a dry crisp finish. It was a new wine to everyone and was one of the evenings favourites.

Touraine Sauvignon Blanc is always enjoyed by everyone so this wine was included not so much as a new discovery but as an enjoyment of an old favourite.

Our third white wine however was new, Bourgogne Aligote is a light wine from Burgundy that is sometimes blended with Chardonnay. This was 100% Aligote and although fruity and fresh, with a soft finish it was a little light in flavour. This of course could have been due to have just enjoyed the weighty full flavoured  Touraine.

I have to thank Heather Dougherty for our choice of rosé wine; on a visit to London Fair in 2018 she recommended Tavel a beautiful wine from the Southern Rhone.

Across the river Rhone from Chateauneuf-du-Pape this Grenache Syrah rose is full of flavour, you can taste the warmth of  southern France.

Lovely red berries and wild strawberries with a slight peppery finish makes this one of the nicest rosé wines I have tasted.

Not all our group are rosé drinkers but they all enjoyed their glass of Tavel.

Our next wines were tasted in pairs starting with a superb wine from the Loire Valley. I have been a fan of Cheverny for many years, dominantly Sauvignon Blanc with a small percentage of Chardonnay this white is one of my must buys when in France. Flavours of grapefruit, apple and  white peaches, it is such an elegant, smooth wine with a long lasting length to its finish.

However I have never tasted Cheverny rouge; made from Gamay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc this wine is full of raspberries and red fruit. Everyone really enjoyed this, it was quite a surprise and is now also on our to buy list.



Our second pair were from Burgundy, both single grape wines. Bourgogne Chardonnay had quite a buttery flavour with an edge of vegetation. It was a creamier wine than I expected and I'm sure would be superb with a chicken dinner.

Borgogne Pinot Noir had all the expected characteristics of cherries and oakiness. Its tannins were soft making it quite an easy drinking wine. I do enjoy Pinot Noir but it isn't my favourite red wine; I'm sure it would pair well with a red meat dinner, a thought agreed with at our tasting.


And so to our red wines, four in total from the southern half of France. Beginning with a wine of two grapes the tasting progressed with slight changes, beginning with a glass of Ventoux.

This appellation is on the south east edge of Cotes du Rhone and north west edge of Provence. Mont Ventoux stands alone high above the vineyards and is a challenge to cyclists and hikers, it is often a stage in the Tour de France.

Ventoux is made from Grenache and Syrah grapes. It has a full red berry fruitiness which comes from the Grenache being the dominant grape, followed by a kick of spice from the Syrah. Its a lovely example of a Cotes du Rhone wine that can be enjoyed on its own or with a meaty meal.

Our second red was from the Languedoc area, a Corbieres wine which we have enjoyed on many holidays on the Mediterranean coast. The same grapes as our first red but as Syrah is the dominant there is more spice. As well as Grenache giving fruit it has a small percentage of Carignan which brings out the blackcurrant and blackberry flavours.

Staying with these grapes for our third wine our Cotes du Rhone had, as expected, Grenache as its main grape with Syrah and Carignan. Additionally this rich dark red has Merlot and Cinsault giving it more stone fruit flavours such as plums and damsons. it was interesting to see how these wines changed with the change of dominant grape and the addition of others.

Our final red was from Bordeaux, Cotes de Bourg has Cabernet Sauvignon as its main grape combined with Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Of the four red wines this has the deepest red fruits and the most depth of flavour. Everyone enjoyed our journey through these reds but the favourite was the Cotes du Rhone.

Our final wine was a real treat. You may have read my previous post about our visit to Monmousseau where we discovered the most delicious sparkling red wine we have ever tasted.  Made from Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Carignan it was full of cherries, blackberries and blackcurrants with such an abundance of fine bubbles.

On our visit we had been recommended to pair this with chocolate so I made chocolate profiteroles - the combination was heaven, the perfect way to end our evening of French wine.

Monmousseau

Hubby and I have enjoyed many holidays in the Loire Valley and although there are many places we have yet to visit we couldn't pass through without revisiting Monmousseau. 

Just outside Montricard, near Chenonceaux Chateau this domaine makes superb sparkling wine in the traditional method using Chenin Blanc. Monmousseau also produce still wines under the Touraine, Vouvray and Chenonceaux appellations using Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc and Gamay grapes.

Monmousseau 

Monmousseau stands high above the valley of the River Cher, known as the King's Valley, with amazing views over the hillsides and inland waterways. 

Monmousseau grapes

This region is famous for its tuffeau stone, quarried for building the beautiful Loire chateaux. Alcide Monmousseau, in 1886, transformed the old quarry tunnels into wine making cellars. The site has 15km of underground caves at a constant temperature of 12 degrees, perfect for the production of traditionally made sparkling wine.

These caves, still being used today for production, are fascinating to tour. Our visit began outside taking in the stunning scenery before using a key code to enter the caves. It was a self guided tour, armed with an information sheet but no hard hat or other safety equipment, we ventured forth ....

The entrance to the caves

The quarried out stone cave stretched before us

Thousands of score Mark's from the quarrying

Its amazing to think these tunnels were dug by hand, the old photos show how dangerous the work was.

The extensive cave network is now, as well as being a wine cave, an art exhibition. Painting are projected onto the walls in an amazing 3D effect. Natalie Dahon and ReNo Menat are the two artists responsible for this beautiful work. Inspired by this rocky universe, my photos do not do their work justice, it was superb. You'll need to look carefully to see the tunnels, some art is in the enclosed alcoves of the caves.

After the amazing artwork we moved into the wine making part of the tour. It was quite surreal to have to move aside as the forklift truck and driver carried out their daily work, a tour that makes you feel part of the wine production.

Having visited many canvas in the Champagne region Hubby and I have seen many displays of rotating cages and wine making equipment but we are always taken aback by the storage quantities. Monmousseau was no exception, thousands of bottles stacked in bays, a practice going back many years.

An old photograph showing the wine in storage 

Today's bottles 

One exploded bottle, but the rest stay safe

After the tour in the caves we returned to the main shop/reception area - this used to be part of the main production as you can see in this old photo and the photo we took on our visit.

The room now, you can see the same arch above the doorway on the left

Cremant de Loire is a superb sparkling wine of which Hubby and I have enjoyed many, however it is difficult to buy Monmousseau in French supermarkets or in the UK. We enjoyed a super tasting trying four of the range on offer. The wines range from being very dry to a sweet red sparkling wine, quite a surprise to us. 

I cannot honestly say which was my favourite, some I enjoyed more than others but given a larger pocket and much larger boot I would have brought many more bottles home.

Monmousseau tasting

Our four sparkling wine tastings 

The three that made it home including the superb sparkling red 

Two fabulous still wines also produced by Monmousseau

It was another fantastic visit, the caves with their artwork were amazing. We will be enjoying Monmousseau at home with fond memories and will certainly be visiting again if we visit or pass by the Loire on one of our many trips to France.

Our petit tour de France

What a great time we had, 10 days visiting my favourite country, starting with an overnight ferry crossing from Portsmouth to Caen arriving early morning on my birthday.

Early start (4.45am alarm) to my birthday on board Normandie

We had expected our crossing to be on Brittany Ferries' new ship Honfleur but she isn't ready so we sailed on an old favourite Normandie, we first sailed on her in 1992.

My late Dad's photo of Normandie when we sailed on her in 1992

Thank you Brittany Ferries for our upgrade to a Commodore Cabin with room service breakfast ... what a way to start the day!

Room service birthday breakfast

Hubby and I love our road trips, using autoroutes, major roads and minor roads (all better than ours) we travelled across to the eastern side of the Loire, arriving at Sancerre .... my favourite wine region. It made my day to be wandering the village, enjoying a glass or two of this delicious wine before a superb dinner at Le Blouchon.

A glass of Sancerre in the September sun

My delicious birthday dinner at Le Bouchon

We stayed in Sancerre for two nights, you can read about our time here and our wine discoveries in my previous post Sancerre et Pouilly-Fumé.

The village itself was very interesting, lots of history. There's a red tourist line painted on the road that wanders around the tiny streets, a good way to learn more with the 28 points of interest. Sancerre is built on a hill with a chateau at the top which is now privately owned although the owners have given permission for the ancient tower to be open to the public.

Always ready for a challenge we climbed the 190 stairs to the top. A wooden structure with open steps .... not my favourite type of stairway but I made it and the views were amazing!

Sancerre tour

Not my favourite kind of steps

Stunning views from the top of the tour

Vineyards of the Sancerre

As well as our tasting in Pouilly-Fumé we also visited our second tour ... more steps, this time a more modern structure with more superb view across the Loire to Sancerre.

Another tour to climb ...

... with easier steps !

Stunning views with Sancerre on the hill

Travelling a little further south our next stay was in Nevers, a city we have not visited before. Our studio apartment was clean and comfy with a small kitchenette, although we were confused ..... frying pan and saucepan but no cooking utensils .... very odd.

Our three days exploring were slightly hampered by the unusual September weather. This time of year we were expecting around 25 degrees, instead we had very hot and humid 30 - 32 .... plenty of refreshments required!

The Ducal Palace

Nevers was full of history

St Bernadette - famous for her vision
of the Virgin Mary - we visited her tomb in the church where
her body lies  (she has wax hands and face)

Wildlife on the Loire - beautiful to watch while we enjoyed our picnic

Perfect picnic 

I love France and am always happy to make the most of our holiday, this time by having two nights in Le Mans before our sailing home. It's a city we have passed by many times but never visited. Staying by the river Sarthe in an Ibis hotel was the perfect location for walking into the city centre.

Our day of visiting churches, the cathedral, shops and of course a few bars was superb, the highlight being a trip on the Petit Train. I love these road trains and this journey was amazing, taking us through Le Mans' narrow cobbled medieval streets.

 Notre Dame de la Couture dating back to the 12th century

Le Mans stunning cathedral

The height of the ceiling was amazing

The stain glass windows were stunning 

The oldest part of the cathedral with its painted roof

Medieval cobbled streets 

The streets were so narrow

The Petit Train of Le Mans 

Travelling from Le Mans to Ouistreham we made two stops; the first at Falaise, the birthplace of William the Conqueror; the second at Pegasus Bridge, the turning point of WWII.

The castle at Falaise where William the Conqueror was born

Memorial at  Pegasus Bridge

We were so  lucky to see it opening ...

... even more so to have a Hercules fly past

Our overnight journey home on Brittany Ferries' Normandie was slightly choppy. Settled in our cabin I slept my way across the Channel waking early morning to a beautiful sunrise over Portsmouth.

The sunrise from our cabin window

Thank you to everyone who made my birthday trip to France very special, especially my super Hubby, it was a fantastic holiday and birthday.