We had the Touraine Primeur* festival here on Saturday in spite of the unusual all day rain. This was the first time that I had tasted the local version of the celebrated Beaujolais nouveau idea; that is to say, quickly bottled wine from some of this autumn's harvest for immediate consumption (most wine is aged a least a bit). There were a number of interesting events including wine tastings, a Renaissance style procession down rue Nationale, and a simulated grape harvest. For the latter, a temporary vineyard was constructed on the town's main square (Place Debré) with fresh grapes attached to real, yet dormant (or dead?), vines. The kids were encouraged to harvest the grapes, and then with the aid of the local high school of agriculture and wine, the grapes were pressed in a hydraulic wine press on the spot. You gotta love a town that has a high school for viticulture.
* Touraine is the area surrounding the city of Tours that is famous for its wine, goat cheese, and châteaux. It is also known as the "Garden of France". Primeur means freshly picked.
Sounds like so much fun, I love the way the French throw themselves so wholeheartedly into their festivals! What did the newly bottled wine taste like Stuart, any good?
ReplyDeleteI thought it tasted very fine. Of course, the real wine aficionados can tell what the future holds for this vintage from this early tasting.
DeleteSounds like so much fun, I love the way the French throw themselves so wholeheartedly into their festivals! What did the newly bottled wine taste like Stuart, any good?
ReplyDeleteI'm not much into Beaujolais nouveau. How was the Touraine primeur?
ReplyDeleteLike my reply to Grace, it's really all about the anticipation of how it will fare after some aging. I am definitely no expert in this, but I thought it tasted quite pleasant.
DeleteSorry... Hadn't read. Was in too much of a hurry...
DeleteIt really was a lot of fun.
ReplyDeleteA temporary vineyard... that's different!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful event & so good that kids were included in the fun.
ReplyDeleteAnd now I have a new word in my French vocabulary .. Primeur !
This is the first time I see a temporary vineyard, must have been a nice event indeed !
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