PostsPassing Trade and sales to Canada, U.K. and Brittany
June 7th, 2007 by Helen
While we organise our new style of 
management the demands for our wine continue. We have the transporters set up to pick up a palet for England. John came for a glass of Regnie and ended up helping label and box the order, a tremendous help. Fred and I take about two hours plus to prepare 600 bottles. It makes a huge difference to have a helper!
We came across seven Canadian cyclists one day and invite them back to Maison des Bulliats for a degustation. They greatly appreciated both our 2005 and 2006 Regnie. We sat on the verandah in beautiful sunshine. Fred was born in Canada and we enjoyed their visit. I made a cake from a recipe given to me by a dear friend in the Auvergne which I will put on my recipe blog if I ever get a minute….
Soon after their departure a British couple, who had been given our name by a frenchman living in Wales… called in and tasted the two millisimes and delighted bought some cases of each.
Twenty cases were picked up for Brittany today. The paperwork has to be completed the address labels printed and affixed to each box [thanks to Catherines expert instruction during a visit here last year] I was reasonably computer literate for the needs of my previous lifes work as a university lecturer, but we have had to grapple with photoshop and, blind leading the blind rather, we have had to computer generate tariff lists, brochures, excel sheets etc.
The cherries are ready in spite of violent storms during several nights, there has been enough sun and I bottled six jars to enjoy during next winter and made pots of cherry jam and a cherry cake for my birthday tomorrow. Fernand came by this afternoon to kindly spray my tomatoes with sulphur against mildew [a treatment he would also use for the vines after rain] I gave him some cherries with which Christianne will make a clarfouti, a delicious french desert traditionally made with unstoned cherries baked in the oven in a sweet pancake type batter.
Fred, when weather has permitted been fixing the brakes on G’s Bentley. Tired but satisfied with the days achievements we share a bottle of our 2006 Regnie, which went divinely with the pizzas I made with dough I make from flour milled in the Auvergne and topping from all the delicious little bits of cheese left over, from local goat to Auvergne cantal, strewn with torn basil leaves picked from a pot on the verandah.
I was pleased to give you a helping hand. C’est normale! I shall be busy this weekend as our village, Lantignié is again hosting the annual “Les charrois gourmands”. We expect about a thousand visitors. All of the village is involved in working to make this a great day out. The wines and cheeses of Lantignié are offered at stopping points , , , usually the homes of viticulteurs ….throughout the day. Oh did I mention that this is a ramble through the vineyards with stops for aperitif, entrée and of courseun plat chaud, et ensuite cheeses and dessert. We shall finish off with a light Beaujolais supper…actually L’assiette Anglaise the village square. This is the kind of litle known carnival which characterises the colourful conviviality the Beaujolais. See you there Fred et Hélene.