Wine Club: A taste for discovery

The praise was fantastic. “Very good. I think you enjoy cooking, yes?”. Despite the fact that the thin pastry wrapped around my olive-stuffed loin of rabbit was beginning to unravel, chef Bertrand Anduberteau boosted my confidence while at the same time squeezing my unruly pastry parcel together, turning it upside down and plonking it on the tray ready for roasting.

I had approached this cooking session at Ch. Ambe Tour Pourret in St Emilion with some doubts. Sometimes these sessions involve nothing more than gathering around a central table while a skilled chef shows just how well they can do their job. But this was a hands-on experience in a well-equipped kitchen, and once I had finished wielding sharp knives I was even allowed an occasional sip of wine to add refreshment to my learning. The session was in English, Chef Bertrand can talk cooking in several languages, and at the end of the lesson, while the parcels of various shapes and sizes were roasting, and the accompanying sauce was bubbling away I sat in the courtyard and talked to proprietor Francoise Lannoye.

She is relatively new to St Emilion. In this lovely part of the Bordeaux region it is more usual to see generations of the same family work the same vineyards, gradually building up quality and reputation. Francoise and her husband have blown in from Paris and brought fresh enthusiasm and some bright ideas to the town. The property is organic, “because it is the right thing to do”, she says, and while the builders are busy extending and renovating the cellars the château itself is in the process of being hauled into this century in terms of plumbing and décor.

As well as the cookery sessions you can call in for a lunchtime cheese and wine tasting or visit the stylish new tasting room just across the road.

Cooking sessions cost 88 Euros. Contact [email protected].

Close by, British newcomers Nikki and Julian Garofano are setting new standards in bed and breakfast accommodation. Le Pavillon Villemaurine (www.pavillon-villemaurine.com) has developed quite a reputation and it was so packed out that I couldn’t stay there, but the fact that they spent 10 years in Yorkshire while Nikki worked for Yorkshire TV means that you will definitely get a good cup of tea there.

I know St Emilion well, having spent many holidays there while the children were growing up, but on this visit I noticed a real change. Still wonderful for its scenery and vineyards, there is now real prosperity, in a very elegant way. There are new tasting rooms tucked away down winding roads. The hand painted “degustation” signs that used to be nailed to a tree at the end of a driveway now look a lot more professional and there are more places to stay and places to eat. At Ch Troplong Mondot you can take in the magnificent views as well as excellent food at their restaurant Les Belles Perdrix, and even stay in their accommodation among 
the vines.

Close by at Ch Haut Sarpe (www.josephjanoueix.com), a grand sprawling building in the centre of its own parkland, proprietor Jean Francois Janoueix does more than just encourage passing visitors. Each harvest-time around 150 people from around the world flock to provide the workforce to pick the grapes. With clear enthusiasm for bringing a happy working group together, the château provides accommodation, food and even a bar for evening entertainment.

They have been doing this for decades, notching up 40 weddings from amongst their vineyard crew over the years so are clearly hitting the right balance between work and play.

The town of St Emilion itself remains as beautiful as ever, although busy in mid-summer. You can explore the monolithic church, shop for wine, attend a wine tasting or just sit in one of the many cafés and enjoy the bustle of this Unesco World Heritage site. Make sure you visit the Tourist Office to sign up for walking, cycling and the tourist train tours of the historic sites, vineyards and châteaux.

While St Emilion has charm and personality, Bordeaux has now become very chic. The tram network has opened up the city and reduced the number of cars while the development of the riverside has made the city feel like a smaller version of Paris.

It is well worthwhile enrolling for one of the courses at L’Ecole du Vin (www.bordeaux.com). Situated right in the heart of Bordeaux they offer a range of courses in English from a two hour introduction to the region (25 Euros) to a three day intensive course including the intricacies of blending. If you just want to taste, the wine bar next door has dozens of bottles open for tasting every day.

Whenever you visit a château you will be shown the barrels and be expected to make some kind of comment, even if you just ask how much they cost.

The answer to this question is around 900 Euros each, and since they are used on average for three years they add significantly to the cost of a wine. If you have never seen a barrel being made it is worth heading to Nadalié on the outskirts of Bordeaux where you can see them bend the staves, toast the insides and laser brand the finished barrels.

You can then enjoy lunch in their excellent restaurant (www.nadalie.fr)

If you enjoy Bordeaux and its wines it is worth getting in touch with the Jurade de St Emilion which has a branch in York. As well as local dinners and events they organise visits to the region at least once a year and they can open doors and bottles that it is impossible to do on your own. Contact them via the website www.jurade.org.uk.