A moving tale including the application of two fine wines

Wine art? tongue slightly in cheek, yes this is about wine and art. For the first time in months I gave all be it by accident, a lunch to friends.

I’ve been moving house office and studio. I’ve been researching in England for Mayflower 400, I’ve been busy, I’m getting re organised, at last the dust is beginning to settle.

As for the wine and the lunch…? Me, a chef, you must be joking? My specialty is toast.

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Wishing to return the pleasure of invitations (two previously) from new friends near my winter quarters I found my ‘apero’ invitation turned into a ‘lunch’ invitation; opps.
By way of introduction, Suzan is an excellent cook, Jaques is a fellow sailor and much more including a house with swimming pool on the cote d’azur near Heyres, Francoise is a poet plus and would make an excellent stand in for Obelix.

Who could we choose to play Asterix? I digress…
Umm, now what?

Fortunately I’d saved the remains of my first attempt in 2 years to roast a chicken stuffed with chestnuts so the remnants of the wee oiseau were served up as an East European Jewish style chicken soup plus vermicelli with a brown wholemeal bread recommended by the baker in nearby Rieux.
I bodged my way out of the main course by streeeeeching some ‘student’s bolognese from the reserve in my freezer, extra minced beef, extra herbs extra onion, extra garlic; you get the idea. All served in help yourself ‘marmites’ (large pots) onto a wheatmeal spaghetti; not very French, very G S A Frickers emergency nosh…
Taking a leaf from absent French friends pre the meal I plied my guests with aperos (Muscat) while they got used to my home.
By chance my hand fell on a good Gaillac wine (Clos Rocailleux 2011 made from Syrah & Braucol) ~ did you know Braucol is one of the oldest grape varieties, one of 3 ancient varieties only found around Gaillac? Ahh, I digress; again.
Back to the plot.
… to join the very good Bordeaux (Chateau Bellevue Chollet 2012, Medaille d’or, concours des grands vins de France 2013) my guests kindly contributed.
Being French they were naturally very polite about my efforts which I helped them to forget with liqueurs after.
Their choice of liqueur was limited to yellow Chartreuse or Cointreau but that did not seem to matter.
The final toast was well ‘bread’, “to absent friends“; meaning we wish you were here.
Aside from merry conversations they also helped me order gaz for the central heating and fix an errant lawn mower.
Drat; the idea was to show my appreciation of them.
Ohh well I’ll just try again soon.

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