My friends with a B&B in Pieusse just made a great music video to represent their lodging and the feeling of staying in a small town near Limoux.
It’s got me thinking about doing my own video in this music video or movie teaser style. I looked back on 2011 to see what other music videos and wine themed teasers were catching my attention. Here are the top three:
So the question now is … should I make a music video for O’Vineyards or Love That Languedoc? I really like the idea. I’d be proud to have a cool video like the ones above. But I’m not sure it’s the best way for me to spend my time this winter. Other projects take precedence for now. But still… I’d like to do it. I also wish I had one of these camcorders. /drool
We had a great surprise during harvest. One of our friends dropped by with a crate of freshly picked mushrooms from the Malepere (southwest of Carcassonne and northwest of Limoux)! So in the midst of harvest chaos we had time to make some delicious mushrooms.
People around here know what mushrooms to pick, but even if you have doubts you can bring them to the pharmacy. French pharmacists will tell you what mushrooms are edible and which aren’t. How adorable is that?! Once you’re confident in your mushrooms, then you chop them up and toss them in the frying pan for just a bit. Some olive oil and garlic. Voila! Hopefully these photos make up for the fact that I don’t have the time to write much.
Enjoy.
Alternate names for these mushrooms
Cepes, Ceps, surenys, Cepes de Bordeaux (we don’t like that one much around here), porcino (means piglet in Italian), king bolete, penny bun. In German, it’s a stone mushroom (Steinpilz) and my favorite might be the Austrian Herrenpilz which feels a bit like saying Mr Mushroom or Gentleman’s mushroom.
There were also a few cepes bronzés in the batch (sometimes called Tête de nègre).
It’s the end of carnavale. Carnaval? Whichever way it’s spelled, the masked dancing is hilarious.
Also, it means that I’ve had lots of themed meals built around cassoulet and sad clowns dancing down the streets of Limoux. Aude is home of the longest carnaval celebration on the planet. (Maybe a bit too long?) We go from January til March with six parades every weekend.
The video above is from an excellent dinner I had at Chateau Pennautier where the CIVL hired a banda and some dancers to lead us in some carnaval shenanigans at the end of the meal.
While Carnaval is wonderful (and that dinner was especially great), I can only take so many brass bands… so I’m happy to say that it’s over. Sunday is the Fete des Rameaux. The weekend of Toques et Clochers!
Toques et Clochers is a big auction of single vineyard Chardonnay produced by Sieur d’Arques. They also do a big party in one of the towns that produces the wine, and they rennovate a local church tower with the money raised by the auction.
Earlier this year, I got a sneak peak at the barrel samples, and they were very exciting.
I’m looking forward to this weekend to see how those barrels are coming along.
This weekend’s Toques et Clochers 2011 schedule:
PROGRAMME TOQUES ET CLOCHERS 2011
Bonjour,
Voici le programme de la 22ème Édition de Toques et Clochers :
-10h : Ouverture des Caveaux de Dégustation des «AOC Limoux» Sieur d’Arques : Vins Toques et Clochers millésime 2009 et Première Bulle
-10h30 : Célébration en l’honneur de la Basilique rénovée Notre-Dame-de-Marceille
-15h : Inauguration officielle : «Cortège et Défilé des Vignerons du Sieur d’Arques et Parade Limouxine»
Points de Restauration,
Animation de rues,
Musique
Entrée obligatoire 1verre : 5€
Accès à la fête par navette :
Quartier du Paradou
Départ Limoux, route de Carcassonne
Départ Couiza, devant La Poste
Accès à la Basilique :
Départ Limoux, Allée des Marronniers
Vous trouverez ci-joint ce mail l’affiche de Toques et Clochers de cette année.
How to find us
Domaine O’Vineyards, located in the North Arrondissement of Carcassonne, is just minutes from the Carcassonne train station, the Medieval City, and the Carcassonne Airport.
GPS coordinates: 43.259622, 2.340387
O’Vineyards
Wine, Dine, Relax at our Boutique Vineyard
Unique thing to do in Carcassonne
Wine Cellar. Winery Visits. Wine Tasting.
Wine & Food Pairing
North Arrondissement of Carcassonne
885 Avenue de la Montagne Noire
11620 Villemoustaussou, France
Tel: +33(0) 630 189 910
Best by GPS.
Follow the signs to Mazamet/ Villemoustaussou using the D118. At the end of the last straight part of D118, you will come to a roundabout with the Dyneff gas station.
Take the exit towards Pennautier. Continue 500m to a small roundabout and go straight over.
Look out for the second road on your right, Avenue des Cévennes which curves up hill (about 1km) to Avenue de la Montagne Noire on the left.
At the last juction, bear left. the road sign “Ave de la Montagne Noire” (confusing as it seems to show a right turn)
After another 500m you will see our red brick color building in the middle of the vines.
