Last night La Madelene hosted a musical soiree to celebrate mid-summer and share some of our favourite wines with friends. About 50 guests joined us in the garden to hear Domingo, Julien and their base player play south american rythms and bossa nova; canapes etc prepared by Jude, friend Tonita and guest professional chef Nick, were hoovered up by the crowd in record time; guests were able to take part in a degustation of 11 wines …for the record: Gigondas and Sablet blanc from Domaine les Gouberts, Muscat sec and Esprit Libre vendange tardive vin doux from Bernadines, red and white CN du P from Nalys, red Beaumes des Venise from Redortier, Tavel rose and white Lirac from Maby, Rose from Domaine Mourchon, and Clos de Caveau’s red Vacqueyras. Around midnight when the musicians were enjoying a well earned glass or two of Nalys attention  turned to the roc-ola juke box and next thing we knew it was nearly 2am!….. (more…)

Had the pleasure of taking 8 lovely ladies from the Telegraph and Zenith Optimedia out to lunch on friday…sometimes this job is a tough one. At Verger des Papes ( of course, at my usual table) we drank appropriately enough Vieux Telegraph , the 2005 vintage. So well did this number suit the palate of said party that I was press ganged into driving them “off-piste” as it were to the Vieux Telegraph domaine where after a nostalgia inducing media agency style haggle we managed to persuade the owners to flog us a case of the 2005 inspite of their protests that it had all gone or that we would have to buy all their second wines if we wanted some VT. A good time was had by all…..