Sorry, I forgot!! So this is a photo taken by one of our guests in the first week of April. (Well it's close enough)!! At least the sudden spurt of growth was down to March's high temperatures.
This was taken by the same guests (and friends), who took the April- March photograph and shows the Domaine du Moulin, a wine estate, literally, just down the road, behind an ocean of golden rape.
Thank you Bernard and Jan
Bunches of grapes are forming on the vines. The sunflowers are reaching full flower. The land is looking lush and productive.
Permission has now been given for the Vendage to begin, starting with the Chardonnay on the 4th.
Most winemakers will leave them a while to enable the Sept. sunshine, (it is 36° today), to boost the sugar content after the worst August for over 40 years. The picture is of ripening Cabernet Franc.
I was going to publish a photo of either ongoing work in the vineyards, featuring yours truly, or one of the many wine festivals which are on at the moment. However, I must confess that I simply never got round to it and then one of our guests, sent this lovely, evocative photo of nearby Saumur, thus saving my bacon. Merci beaucoup Morag
The Vendange is finally finished, apart from the over-ripe Chenin for the Coteaux de Saumur. It is now up to the winemakers to sort out a very complicated year. This is one of the last parcels of vines we harvested.
Our Church in Le Puy Notre Dame, dressed up for "Noel".
The last of the summer wheat has been harvested and the straw baled. The grapes in the vineyards are filling quickly The countryside starts to settle down under the summer hea
Wild Flowers in full bloom, the first of the summer hay being cut. Evertwhere fresh and pretty.
January 2007
The vineyards are now devoid of leaves and on dry, sunny days vans and cars are parked everywhere as pruning commences The long shoot, left with about six buds will produce this years grapes.
We do not have much snow here in the Southern Loire Valley but this year we had three days of heavy snow which created a winter wonderland. It was great for some eight or nine year olds who had never seen snow like it. This is part of the garden at Le Clos Charmeur snapped by Marcel.
