Behind the French Menu

Sancerre Wines and Sancerrois. Choosing and Tasting Sancerre Wines. Sancerre Wines on French Menus.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Sancerre Blanc

Sancerre La Mercy Dieu, Domaine Bailly Reverdy

https://www.flickr.com/photos/farehamwine/20895011685/

Sancerre is a beautiful, small, hilltop town with a medieval aspect; it is set nearly in the geographic center of France. Sancerre is in the Loire Valley and its vineyards reach the banks of the River Loire. The town has maybe 2,000 inhabitants and is the source of the name for the white, rosé and red Sancerre AOC/AOP wines. It is the white wines that made Sancerre famous; these Sauvignon Blanc wines can be smooth and fruity, while the youngest white wines are fresh and flinty. As I note further on in this post you do need an up-to-date pocket wine book to take with you when you travel in France; even the Sancerre wines from different vineyards and different years taste differently; you need help when choosing. Price tells you little more than how much you will pay and the year and means nothing to those who have not studied; take that pocket book. There are Sancerre rosés and Sancerre red wines but they only make up some 15% of the overall Sancerre production. The rosés may be crisp and are often chosen as a light and interesting alternative to a white Sancerre. The grapes used in the rosés are Pinot Noir and unless they are very young they are generally light and quaffable. The reds are also made with Pinot Noir grapes but even those that are aged are quite light and not really the wine of choice to accompany a steak or a beef stew. The rosés and reds are the wines you may choose to accompany duck or a fish such as tuna.

Sancerrois

The area around the town is called Sancerrois and with 14 other communes (towns or villages and the area around them) they produce the Sancerre wines. Nevertheless, despite the popularity of Sancerre wines, not everything in Sancerrois is vineyards. The area is equally famous for its many goat cheeses especially the Crottin de Chavignol AOC/AOP that is produced in and around the village of Chavignol, next door to the town of Sancerre.

Getting to Sancerre

Bourges was the capital of the ancient Province of Berry and is now the capital of the department of Cher and Sancerre is in Cher. Bourges, itself a beautiful and absorbing city is just 46km (29 miles) from Sancerre. It takes about 50 minutes by car or bus from Bourges to Sancerre; however, avoid the train which is indirect and takes over three hours with changes.

Bourges Cathedral

Photograph courtesy of Alejandro Mallea

https://www.flickr.com/photos/janoma/5612098221/

Sancerre wines on French menus:

Andouillette AAAAA (Christophe Thierry) Rôtie Sauce Sancerre – Andouillette AAAAA sausages made by Christophe Thierry, a highly rated producer from the town of Troyes. In this menu listing the sausage is roasted and served with a Sancerre wine sauce. Andouillettes are a pork intestine sausage that is quite strong; some call them the French chitterlings.

Andouillette de Troyes in a mustard sauce.

Photograph courtesy of Ross Bruniges

https://www.flickr.com/photos/thecssdiv/5525892392/

Filet de Bar sur Fondue de Poireaux, Sauce Sancerre – A filet of European Sea Bass served on a bed of leeks that have almost been cooked to the consistency of a jam, and all is served with a Sancerre wine sauce.

Le Dos de Cabillaud Sauce Sancerre et Purée Maison – A thick cut from the back of a cod, the fish, prepared with a Sancerre wine sauce and served with the house’s special potato puree.

Omble Chevalier Sauce Sancerre - Freshwater Char prepared in a sauce made with a Sancerre wine. Freshwater char come from France’s rivers and lakes and are one of France’s tastiest freshwater fish.

Fishing for trout and freshwater char near Sancerre.

Photograph courtesy of Grégory Ménard

https://www.flickr.com/photos/neelsandrine/20560731563/

Pavé de Saumon Grillé à la Plancha, Riz Pilaf et Légumes du Marché à la Sauce Sancerre – A thick cut of Atlantic salmon grilled on the plancha served with a rice pilaf and the season’s vegetables; all is accompanied by a Sancerre wine sauce.

Tournedos de Bœuf en Robe de Lard Paysan et sa Sauce Sancerre Rouge – A tournedos, a thick cut from a beef filet, the tenderloin, cooked while wrapped in country bacon and served with a red Sancerre wine sauce.

Quenelle de Brochet, Sauce Sancerre Blanc – Pike, the fish, made into dumplings served with a white Sancerre wine sauce. (Pike dumplings are a traditional dish and a French comfort food)

In the cellars of the Delaporte’s family.

The Delaporte Domain has been family owned since the 17^th century.

Photograph courtesy of Jameson Fink

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesonfink/6777898577/

The History of the Sancerre wines.

As may be expected Sancerre was a wine-growing area of France from when the Romans arrived in the area and they planted grapevines they brought from home; very different to the grapes grown today. (The Romans occupied Provence in 121 BCE and after Julius Caesar defeated the Gauls in 51 BCE the Romans settled France and made it part of the Roman Empire. Roman rule ended with the Battle of Soissons in 486 CE.)

The Sancerre White Wines.

The white Sancerre Blanc, white wine, is made with Sauvignon Blanc grapes with a minimum of 10.5% alcohol. Sancerre whites wines were amongst the first wines to be granted an AOC in 1936 when the AOC became part of France’s official labeling system for wines. There is a huge difference in the taste of the Sancerre white wines within its own appellation. That difference I was told comes from the very different soils in the appellation. The light red and rose Sancerre wines are both made with pinot noir grapes, received their AOC’s in 1959 and they also have tastes that change with the year, vineyard and soil.

Across the River Loire from Sancerre on the other side is the appellation for Pouilly-Fumé whose wines are also made with Sauvignon Blanc grapes, but with very different tastes.

Go to Sancerre with an up-to-date pocket wine book.

To buy a Sancerre Blanc wine, you need an up-to-date wine book or a knowledgeable friend who will explain the differences among the Sancerre Blanc wines. In a restaurant, a knowledgeable sommelier, (wine waiter) will help if he or she is given a budget. I was on a sales trip to Bourges, nothing to do with wine, to visit a customer who invited me to his home for dinner. At dinner, he served a white Sancerre that showed that all my previous tastings were of mediocre wines. Here I received a lesson on the very different Sancerre white wines; the best come from specific vineyards and vintners and are often aged. Later I checked the cost of the wine that was served at dinner, and in a restaurant, a bottle would have cost more than the cost of dinner for one. I try not to pay more for wine than the cost of the dinner for one; preferably no more than the cost of the main course; nevertheless, if someone else is paying I am happy to accept the invitation.

Château de Sancerre and park

In the background is the town of Sancerre.

Photograph courtesy of JPC24M

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cjp24/9525730109/

The Sancerre Reds and Sancerre Rosés

The Sancerre Rouge, Red wines, and the Sancerre Rosé wines have 10% alcohol and are both are made with Pinot Noir grapes. The red Sancerre is a light red that goes with well with duck and also certain fish dishes. The Sancerre Rosé wines have a light taste when compared with the light reds as the grape skins are separated from the wine at a very early stage.

Sancerre Rosé wines.

Photograph courtesy of Jameson Fink

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesonfink/5773848620/

Wines just outside the Sancerre Appellation.

Wines made outside the Sancerre AOP appellation may not carry the Sancerre AOC label. Most are classified as IGP wines; wines that previously were known as Vin de Pays du Val de Loire and now are called Vins de Val de Loire IGP. Here the cognoscenti look for bargains in wines made in the same manner as Sancerre wines but outside the boundaries of the Appellation. If they find an excellent IGP wine with the taste of a good AOC Sancerre, they may save more than 25% or 30% of the price when they buy a crate. Good restaurants with a local clientele will stock up on these wines and offer them as house wines. With a good wine and low prices, the customers will return again and again.

The cheeses of Sancerrois

The most famous cheese in Sancerrois is the Crottin de Chavignol AOC, a goat’s cheese mostly made in and around the village of Chavignol just 3.7km (2.19 miles) from Sancerre. At the same time, many villages in the area make other cheeses that are excellent, but most are only available locally because their production is small and without a minimum production level they remain mostly unknown in the rest of France. In local fromagers, cheese shops, you may buy them, and at least one or two will be on local restaurant cheese plates. However, the best way to enjoy these cheeses is to take a cold bottle of white Sancerre and three or four local cheese plus the Crottin de Chanvignol and have a picnic. Do not buy more than 20 grams of cheese per person or you will have a lot left over. I speak from experience.

Goats’ cheeses from Sancerrois.

The light colored cheeses are ten days old

and the cheeses with the all-blue rind are three months old.

Photograph courtesy of Jameson Fink

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesonfink/5773309743/

The fetes in Sancerre and Sancerrois

With advice from the local Tourist Information Office, you will see that many of the nearby villages have fetes for their cheeses, snails, and wines. From April through August these villages have about nine or ten fetes of their own. To that add the town of Sancerre with its own seven or more fetes. One of the Sancerre fetes includes their neighbors’ Crottin de Chavignol AOC cheese and another that celebrates Sancerre wines and oysters. For more about "Buying cheese in France and taking it home;" click here,

The wine routes of Sancerre

If you are not in the area at a time that coincides with one of the fêtes, there is still much to do in the area around Sancerre. Take from the French Government Tourist Office a map of the local route de vins, the wine roads; the maps include places of interest along with farms that make cheeses and, of course, restaurants. While the wine routes of the whole of the Centre Pay du Loire covers all its appellations it is more than 300 km (187 miles) long. The local part of the wine route may be enjoyed in a day’s drive and even after half a day and a stop for a long lunch you will have the picture and tasted many different wines and cheeses.

Signpost to the wine route in Sancerrois and all Loire wines.

Photograph courtesy of JPC24M

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cjp24/13479270144/

The Tourist Information Office in Sancerre has an English language website:

http://www.tourisme-sancerre.com/main.php?p=26&lang=uk

For additional information on what is happing in Sancerrois write to the Tourist Information Office, in English.

Additionally, there is an excellent website from the Doyen of wine routes, Jacques Coeur but it is in French. Nevertheless, if you use the Bing or Google translate apps you will miss very little:

http://www.route-jacques-coeur.org/accueil-classic.php

The routes de vin in the Jacques Coeur website above covers all of the wines in the ancient province of Berry.

To choose the best pocket wine book to take with you to France read the interview with Janice Johnsons on the best wine books:Click here.

Other sites in Sancerroise.

Depending on your interests, especially if you are traveling with children, consider the Musée de la Sorcellerie, the museum of witchcraft (open in July and August in the village of Blancafort 39 km (miles) from Sancerre. The museum has an English language website:

http://www.musee-sorcellerie.fr/

Connected Posts:

AOC and AOP on France's Foods and Wine labels? Why did the AOC add an AOP?

AOP, IGP and Vin de France. The Labels on French Wines.

Andouillettes. The Sausages of France I.

Bacon in France. Bacon and Salted Pork on French Menus. Lard in French Means Bacon in English.

Bar or Loup, the European Sea Bass. Bar on French Menus. Searching for the Most Popular Fish in France.

Berry, One of France’s historic Provinces, Enjoy its excellent Berrichonne Cuisine. Savor its wines. Taste its outstanding cheeses and much more.

Brochet; Pike, the Fish. Brochet on French Menus.

Buying Cheese in France. Bringing French Cheese Home and a Lexicon for buying French Cheese.

Cabillaud - Cod, the Fish. Cabillaud is Fresh Cod, Morue is Rehydrated Cod. Cod is the Most Important Fish in the World and the Most Popular Fish in France.

from

Crottin de Chavignol AOP. One of France’s outstanding goats’ milk cheeses.

Escargots - Snails on French Menus and How to Order Snails in France. If You Enjoy Cockles, Mussels and Conches, Then Snails will not be Strange.

Filet Mignon on French Menus and Filet de Bœuf in French Cuisine.

Huitres. Oysters in France 1. Ordering, Eating and Enjoying Oysters. Huitres on French Menus.

Omble Chevalier, Char: Fresh Water Char on French Menus

The Plancha or Planxa in French Cuisine. The Plancha on French Menus.

Behind the French Menu’s links include hundreds of words, names, and phrases that are seen on French menus. There are nearly 400 articles that include over 1,000 French dishes with English translations and explanations. To search for more articles like this one simply add the word or words you are searching for to the words "Behind the French Menu" and search with Google or Bing.

Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Époisses (Epoisses) AOC the Premier Cheese from Burgundy (Bourgogne – Franche-Comte).

from

Behind the French Menu

Bryan G. Newman

A properly aged Époisses.

Photograph courtesy of Euro Food Depot

Époisses is a strongly flavored, slightly salty, slightly nutty, very creamy, pale beige, 30% fat, cow’s milk cheese made from pasteurized and non-pasteurized milk. The Époisses is also a very smelly cheese, but its smell has no relation to its strong but excellent taste. The rind is shiny, smooth or slightly wrinkled and can vary between a light yellowy orange to a deep orange-red; the older the cheese gets, the more wrinkles will be seen on the rind.

An Époisses cheese that has just been tested.

Photograph courtesy of traaf

_{https://www.flickr.com/photos/traaf/4616563520/si}

The origins of the Époisses’ cheese.

The origin of the cheese’s name is a small village called Époisses, part of a commune in the department of Côte-d'Or. The village has a population of less than 1,000 and is just 91 km (57 miles) from the city of Dijon.

A fromager, a cheese merchant, with an impressive shop in the wine center city of Beaune said the cheese dates back to the 16th century when it was created by the Cistercian monks in Abbey of Notre-Dame de Cîteaux some 30 km from Beaune. He said that the monks from this Abbey taught the farmers’ and their wives, from Époisses, how to make the cheese. (Époisses is 112 km (70 miles), from the Abbey).

Epoisses on French Menus:

Entrecôte Grillée Sauce Époisses – A grilled entrecote steak served with a sauce made with the Époisses cheese.

Croustades d'Escargots aux Morilles et à l'Époisses – Toasted bread served with snails and wild morel mushrooms with Époisses cheese. (A croustarde, like that in the menu listing above, is often very similar to an Italian bruschetta).

Faux Filet à la Crème d'Époisses - A US strip steak (a UK sirloin), served with a cream of Époisses cheese sauce.

Tarte Flambée à l’Époisses de Bourgogne – Tarte Flambée or Flammen Kuechen from the region of Alsace. (Since 1-1-2016 Alsace has been part of the new super region of Grande Est formed together with the regions of Champagne-Ardenne and the Lorraine).

The traditional tarte flambée is a rolled out, very thin, pâte à pain, bread dough, covered with crème fraîche and a soft white cheese baked in the oven. The cheese used is a local cheese from the Alsace called bibeleskaes; to this are added thinly sliced onions and lardons, smoked or fried bacon bits all baked together in an oven for about ten minutes. Today many different flavors may be part of a Tarte Flambée, and Époisses cheese is one of them.

An Époisses ready for serving.

Photograph courtesy of Crisafullis Cheese Shop

Onglet de Bœuf Charolais Grillé, Sauce Époisses - A US hanger steak or London broil and a UK skirt steak. Here the grilled steak comes from the very highly rated Charolaise beef served with a sauce made from the Époisses cheese.

Tartiflette à l'Époisses - Tartiflette began as a whole, baked, Reblochon cheese poured, as it melts, over boiled potatoes with some recipes adding crème fraîche to the cheese. To a tartiflette on the side may be added bacon, local dried meats, sausages or ham. A good recipe has many copies, and the tartiflette noted here is made using the Époisses cheese.

The Château d'Epoisses.

Now a place for meetings and conferences.

Photograph courtesy of Burgundy-Tourism

The Époisses cheese, like many other French cheeses, was very popular in the 19th century but with WWI, WWII and the Great Depression farmer's could not make a living and production practically ended. Then in the 1950’s Robert and Simone Berthaut, at the time artisan cheese makers in the village of Époisses began reintroducing the Époisses cheese. Today the Berthaut’s have a modern dairy and they, along with two other dairies and one farmer artisan producer, makes the cheese which has held AOC status since 1991.

The village of Époisses.

Photograph courtesy of France Map.

While these cheeses are maturing, they are rinsed with water and then dipped in Burgundy's Marc de Bourgogne about three times a week. (Marc is the French version of Italian Grappa, a brandy made with the grape skins, leaves, etc, that are left over in making regular brandies). The washing in Marc de Bourgogne inhibits mold growth, and that, in turn, allows in bacteria, which give the cheese its distinctive aroma and flavor to grow along with the flavor added by the Marc. After four weeks the Époisses AOC cheese is considered mature; however, the cheese is sold when the pate inside is still slightly granular, becoming creamier as the cheese matures. When bought in a fromager, a cheese shop, or ordered in a restaurant, if they have continued the aging process correctly, the cheese will have a smooth, creamy pate. The Époisses aficionados consider the cheese perfect when it can be eaten with a spoon

Washing and dipping an Époisses.

Photograph courtesy of Tourisme-Langres.

The sizes of Époisses

The cheese comes in two sizes and is sold in thin wooden boxes. The smallest is about 10cm across and weighs between 250 and 350 grams (between 9 and 12 ounces). The larger size depends on the producer and may weigh from 700 to 1100 grams (25 to 39 ounces).

Pasteurized and unpasteurized Époisses cheeses.

One dairy (Gaugry) and the Bartkowiez farm produces Époisses in unpasteurized versions while the other two dairies make the cheese with pasteurized milk and that is the version that is sold to the USA. The UK permits the import inspected unpasteurized cheeses from members of the European Union.

The cheeses of Burgundy.

Burgundy is more famous for its wines than its cheeses, but four cheeses made in Burgundy have been granted AOC status:

Chaource, AOC/AOP; a cow’s milk cheese. (Le Chaource originated in the town of Chaource in the department of Aube in the region of the Champagne-Ardenne. (Champagne -Ardenne since 1-1-2016 is part of the new super region of Grande Est, to the North of Burgundy-Franche-Comte).

Charolais AOC/AOP; a goat’s milk cheese.

Époisses, AOC/AOP; a cow’s milk cheese.

Mâconnais, AOC/AOP; a goat’s milk cheese

There are many other fine cheeses in Burgundy without an AOC on the label. Look for cheeses like the Ami Du Chambertin (cow's milk), Montrachet (goat's milk) and the Aisy-Cendre (cow's milk) among many many others. To enjoy the cheeses of Burgundy on a picnic, and there are at least fifty different cheeses to choose from, buy three or four cheeses along with a baguette and a bottle of a cold Burgundy white wine. N.B. When buying four different cheeses for your picnic, do not buy more than 30 grams of cheese per person or you will have a lot left over; I speak from experience.

Connected Posts:

Alsacienne (à l’) - Cuisine à l'Alsacienne - Dining in the manner of the Alsace.

Ami Du Chambertin; the Cheese from Burgundy.

Bacon in France. Bacon and Salted Pork on French Menus. Lard in French Means Bacon in English.

Bœuf Charolais - The Charolais Beef. Le Bœuf Charolais du Bourbonnais AOP - The Charolais Beef is Considered Among the Best France.

Charolais AOP – One of France’s Tastiest Goat’s Cheeses. Charolais Cheese on French Menus.

Chaource AOP; One of Franc's Greatest Cheeses. The Cheese takes its Name From Chaource Village in Champagne-Ardenne.

Crème Fraîche - Creme Fraiche. What is Crème Fraîche? Why is Crème Fraîche Part of so Many of France’s Famous Sauces.

Entrecôte (Entrecote). Ordering a Perfect Entrecote Steak in France.

Escargots - Snails on French Menus and How to Order Snails in France. If You Enjoy Cockles, Mussels and Conches, Then Snails will not be Strange.

Faux-filet or Contre-filet - A UK Sirloin, a USA Strip Steak.

Jambon Sec (Cru) - Air-Cured Ham. The Ten Most Popular Air-Cured Hams on French Menus.

Morille, the Morel Mushroom. Morel mushrooms on French Menus. The Mushrooms of France V.

Moutarde – Mustard and Dijon Mustard in French cuisine.

Onglet and Bavettes on French Menus.Steak Frites in French Cuisine.

Reblochon Cheese AOP. One of the greatest cheeses from the Savoie, France.

Regions - France’s Mainland Regions and Their Borders Have Changed. Keep This List With Your GPS and Map.

Sausages in France. A Short Introduction to France’s World of Sausages. The Sausages of France III.

Tarte Flambée, Tarte Flambe, Flammekueche or Flammen Kuechen; Alsace’s Signature Slow Fast Food.

Bryan G. Newman

Behind the French Menu

For information on the unpublished book behind this blog contact Bryan Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Pêche – A Peach: the Fruit. Peaches in France. Peaches on French Menus.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Peaches

Photograph courtesy of Paul Long

https://www.flickr.com/photos/plong/5723401279/

The story of the peach.

An extensive variety of peaches are grown in France; their flesh may be anything from practically white like the Pêche Blanche to others with a flesh of the deepest yellow along with others that are almost orange or red or come with red streaks.

Like many other fruits, the peach originated in China and traveled to Persia and ancient Egypt. It is unclear who brought the peach to France, but the honor is generally given to the Mediterranean’s wholesalers, the Phoenicians, or possibly the Greeks when they began to create settlements in the South of France. (The Greeks arrived 500 years before the Romans and built on the Phoenician trading post the City of Marseille). It was the French or British who brought the peach to North America.

Fresh peaches.

In village markets, you may also come across old, rarely seen, heirloom varieties of peaches and vine peaches. These heirloom peaches may be on a restaurant's menu or in a farmer’s market. Each variety of peach has its own taste and texture and its own short season so that even with France’s beautiful, warm, Mediterranean fruit factory, you will only see fresh, French, mainland peaches between the June and September. At other times of the year, peaches may be flown in from France’s overseas departments. The many varieties of peaches are all perfumed with a broad range of bouquets, and they vary from the size of a medium-sized apricot to the flat peach, the pêche plate; peaches that look like miniature car tires and on to other varieties.

Peaches in the market.

Photograph courtesy of Ryan

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ryanready/4914936376/

Hotels may offer fresh peaches with yogurt for breakfast, or a café may offer you a baguette and butter with a homemade confiture de pêches, a peach jam. A restaurant’s digestif, an after dinner drink, may well be a crème de pêche, an alcoholic peach eau-de-vie.

Peaches on French menus:

Pêche Blanche – White peaches. From the outside, some white peaches may not look very different to regular peaches; however, the texture and different taste make a huge difference.

White peaches

Photograph courtesy of Biodiversity Heritage Library

https://www.flickr.com/photos/biodivlibrary/29755840721/

Pêche Melba - Peach Melba; a real peach Melba is made with fresh peaches served on a bed of vanilla ice cream accompanied by a fresh raspberry sauce and possibly kirsch. This recipe was created in honor of Nelly Melba, an Australian Opera singer at the Savoy hotel in London in 1892. While the site of this dish’s creation was not in France, the chef was French. The chef was Auguste Escoffier; Escoffier created many other recipes in Nelly Melba’s honor, and Pêche Melba will, in season, be on many French menus.

The beginnings of Peach Melba.

Photograph courtesy of Heather Sperling

https://www.flickr.com/photos/spersper/7674391120/

Pèche Plat - A flat peach.

Flat peaches

Photograph courtesy of KS&Bear

https://www.flickr.com/photos/124330675@N06/21621216220/

Rôti de Magrets aux Pêche de Vigne - Roast duck breast prepared with vine peaches.

Sorbet à la Pêche - A peach sorbet.

Pêche du Jour – Catch of the day. The word for Pêche is also used for fish, and a pecheur is a fisherman. Read the menu carefully.

Pêches du Roche - Fish from the rocks; this covers many types of small fish, a great many of which are used in fish soups. Be careful with the word Pêche.

Visit the King’s Kitchen Gardens, the Potager du Roi.

The King’s Kitchen Gardens are just around the corner from the Château de Versailles and an essential part of any visit to the Château. You will be told by the guides, correctly, that in the 16th and 17th century France was considered the world center for peaches. The peach was one of King Louis XIV 's favorite fruits. (King Louis XIV September 1638 – September 1715).

A view of the Chateau of Versailles from the Potager du Roi.

Photograph courtesy of Baptiste Lafontaine

https://www.flickr.com/photos/magn3tik/33900450421/

Over time and my various visits to the gardens I have asked and received answers including the fact that the King had over thirty different varieties or peaches cultivated in his the Potager du Roi, at Versailles. That was thanks to his gardener, Jean-Baptiste de La Quintinie (1626 - 1688). The garden Quintinie began was continued after his death by his sons. Today the gardens are both an agricultural training school and a place where visitors may see how the gardens looked 400 years ago. (N.B. Quitinie had previously designed and prepared the gardens for the Chateaux de Vaux-le-Vicomte, but that is another story).

When visiting the Chateau de Versailles find a spare hour to visit the Potager du Roi. It is a ten-minute walk from the Château, and will also be a fascinating visit. Even more to the point, here is a solution if you are thinking how you are going to spend your time while you wait an hour or more for your tour of the Chateau! The guides are in the gardens are knowledgeable, and you may see and hear about heirloom fruits that you will be unlikely to hear or see anywhere else. Entrance is 4.50 Euros during the week and 7.00 Euros on the weekend.

The gardens have their own French language website that can be easily understood using the Bing or Google translate apps:

http://www.potager-du-roi.fr/site/potager/index.htm

Buying peaches.

Chefs are very careful when choosing peaches; peaches may improve their color after they are picked but they do not get any tastier. When buying your own peaches, unlike some other fruits, the touch of your hand tells you nothing about the taste.

The greatest cocktail made with peaches is Italian.

Nevertheless, there are excellent French copies.

The Bellini- This Italian cocktail is made with fresh white peaches and that excellent Italian sparkling white wine Prosecco de Valdbienne. It is named after the Italian Renaissance painter Giovanni Bellini. The Bellini cocktail was created in Harry’s Bar, Venice, Italy by its owner Giuseppe Cipriani. Harry’s bar and Giuseppe Cipriani, are even more famous for the creation of the dish called Carpaccio. Like the Bellini, the Carpaccio is also named after a Renaissance Venetian painter, in this case, Vittore Carpaccio. In France, excellent Bellinis are made with Champagne or a Crémant instead of the Italian Prosecco.

Sky High Bellini

Photograph courtesy of Cate Sevilla

https://www.flickr.com/photos/catesevilla/2395806980/

Languedoc-Roussillon, now part of the super region of Occitanie, produces nearly 50% of France’s peaches followed by the Rhône-Alpes now part of the super region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes with Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur in third place. In the world of peaches China takes first place, producing more peaches than the rest of the world combined.

Nectarines and peaches

Brignon, Brugnon, and Brognon are the French names for nectarines. This is not a post on nectarines, but they are an offshoot of peaches. Certain peaches carry a recessive gene which can create nectarines on a branch of a peach tree or a whole tree of nectarines where peaches were expected. This recessive gene affects the color of the nectarines as well as their sweetness and texture/.

Peaches in the languages of France's neighbors:

(Catalan - presseguer or bresquiller), (Dutch - perzik), (German - pfirsich ), (Italian - pesco), (Spanish - melocotón),

Connected Posts:

Carpaccio on French Menus.

Champagne the Most Famous Sparkling Wine in the World. Choosing the Champagne that Meets your Sweetness Preferences.

Cremants are the best value in French sparkling wines.

Escoffier the Chef. Escoffier, the Most Important Influence and Contributor to French Cuisine in the First Half of the 20th Century.

Magret de Canard or Lou Magret. - Duck Breast on French Menus.

Regions - France’s Mainland Regions and Their Borders Have Changed. Keep This List With Your GPS and Map.

Sorbet - Sorbet. Sorbets on French Menus.