THE internet has changed the way many people do business on the web, but what abut the traditional trade of vineyards and wine suppliers?
Here Ryan O'Connell explains how he has used the internet and tools such as online video, blogs and photography to promote his parents' vineyard in Languedoc, Ryan writes:
I'm only 24 so all this interactive communications technology has been a part of my life since the first time I saw my friends playing Doom II against EACH OTHER on different computers miles apart from each other using a mysterious process that involved plugging their computers into fax machines.
THE demand for Scotch whisky in France is on the rise according to recent figures, as drinkers look to enjoy a wee dram.
Figures from the Scotch Whisky Association show that the value of exports to France has increased, as well as to South Africa and Venezuela.
France is the number one market for Scotch whisky, with almost 127 million bottles sent across the Channel this year, a nine per cent increase on 2008.
MANY readers of the site enjoy posting their photographs to Flickr, so I'm sure you'll be interested to know that you can share a glass of wine with follow photographers near Carcassonne.
Ryan O’Connell, of Domaine O'Vineyards, is organising the get together which will provide people with an opportunity to capture some images, as well as enjoy a glass of wine.
SHE was beyond elegant. Immaculately coiffed, exquisitely tailored, equally prêt for shopping on the Champs Elysee, or a stroll through the Bois du Bologne, writes Christopher Strong.
Her dancer's body arcing delicate, repetitive motions with effortless grace. As I crossed the courtyard, our eyes met.
WE do seem to be under constant pressure to live healthily, eat properly and drink sensibly so maybe a wine from the Languedoc-Roussillon can help out.
The So'Light wines, from Domaines Auriol, offers up a tipple with fewer calories and lower alcohol levels compared to traditional wines.
The wines have no residual sugar and are developed to reduce the alcohol levels to nine per cent, quite a step down from the usual 12 to 13 per cent you have in regular wines.
EXITING the pigpen, and entering the pasture, we find the goose, writes Christopher Strong. Source of the delicacy that generates resounding bravos from foodies of all nations – foie gras, literally fat liver.
It comes from a, supposedly, free range bird, whose only function in life appears to be organ donation.
A REDUCTION in the TVA added to restaurant bills in France from from 19.6 per cent to 5.5 per cent is expected to be in place by the beginning of July.
The Times newspaper reports that the scheme is being brought in quickly to try and help restaurant owners ahead of the summer, but some say that they might hold on to the reduction to help them survive the economic downturn.
The Finance Ministry has created a website, États Généraux de la Restauration, to keep people up to date with what the changes mean.
DESPITE the doom and gloom, the British taste for champagne should ensure a few more bottles go pop over the coming months.
Figures from the Champagne industry trade body show that whilst the number of bottles imported into the UK has fallen slightly, they are still at the same level as that reached in 2005.
NICHOLAS Joly is equal parts philosopher, economist, poet, author, lecturer, country gentlemen, biodynamic advocate, and 100 per cent wine maker, writes Christopher Strong.
His Chenin Blancs are consistently rated 'exceptional' by all the critics, but Nicholas Joly, often labelled The Pope of biodynamics by one wine magazine takes no credit for his renowned wines.
IF there is one thing that most Brits in France miss it's a hot 'n' spicy curry on a bed of fluffy white rice.
When Lee Aston, who was originally from Coventry and now lives with his French wife in Normandy, helped a family member build a website he was thanked with a box of packet curries.
Then as his friends, both British and French, took a liking to the curries an idea grew and he realised that there was a demand for everything from a mild tikka masala to a fiery vindaloo.
Here Lee chats about how he started his business and the setting up of PacketCurry.com
DIJON has been synonymous with mustard since 1856, when Jean Naigeon of Dijon substituted verjuice, the acidic "green" juice of not-quite-ripe grapes, for vinegar in the traditional mustard recipe.
Mustards from Dijon today generally contain both white wine and burgundy wine, and most mustards marketed as Dijon style today contain one or both of these ingredients.
But last month Amora-Maille announced the closure of three production sites by the end of 2009 with the loss of 265 jobs, of which the most famous is the historical factory at Dijon.
THE table manners of French children are held up as something to follow after readers of the Good Pub Guide complained establishments in the UK are overrun by kids.
The latest issue of the book highlights concerns of punters, with one reader saying children "completely spoil it for aficionados like myself who love ‘proper pubs’… I am sick of going into a pub and feeling I am at play school."
And the Guardian's Jon Henley highlights his experiences of Paris, where he saw children grew up under the strict French system of learning your manners at the table.
PRIMARY schools across France will welcome chefs, bakers, cheese makers and other food specialists to make la Semaine du Goût.
The event runs until October 19 and offers children the chance to take part in cookery lessons, tastings and to learn more about the French culinary experience.
But it's not only school children who can enjoy the food of France, as many restaurants and food professionals are offering people a chance to savour the delights of the table.
THE French authorities have issued a recall notice on Chinese sweets and biscuits after studies found high levels of the chemical melamine.
In a statement the Ministère de l’Agriculture et de la Pêche said White Rabbit sweets and Koala biscuits should be destroyed or returned to retailers as they were found to contain traces of melamine above the warning level set by the European Commission of 2.5mg per kilo.
Although no cases of people being ill have been reported in France, in China four babies have died and 53,000 have become sick after eating milk products contaminated with melamine.
IF it is easier for you to get to the French restaurants of London than those across the Channel, then look out for a celebration of the food of France in the city.
London Macadam, the magazine for French people living in the city, has linked up with a number of restaurants to offer special offers and deals to diners.
More than 55 restaurants and delis are taking part in London French Week, which runs from October 6 to 20, offering discount deals, a glass of champagne, free desserts, coffees and more.
THE French authorities have ordered that products from China that may include milk derivatives such as biscuits and sweets be removed from sale.
The Ministère de l’Agriculture et de la Pêche said it has made the precautionary move following the crisis in China over milk contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine.
The European Commission has also said all imported products from China containing more than 15 per cent milk powder will be tested, although no food contaminated with melamine had been found in the EU so far.
IF you are a bit of a wine buff and have a question or two about the delights of Bordeaux, then take some time to quiz the head winemaker of the legendary Baron Philippe de Rothschild wines.
Guy Henri Azam, and fellow wine expert Philip Goodband, are taking part in a webchat which will look to discover the secrets of Bordeaux, but also look to answer questions from people.
The chat forms part of the promotion of, Enchanté, a new Bordeaux label that promises to demystify buying wines that will be available in Sainsbury's.
CELEBRITY chef Jamie Oliver has said Brits are materialistic drunks who can't cook and that much could be learnt from the French attitude to food.
In an interview in Paris Match, Jamie Oliver said that Britain had forgotten its culinary traditions, replacing them with a desire to own widescreen televisions and the latest mobile phone.
He comments on claims that 80 per cent of Brits do not sit around the dinner table to eat, sayings it is horrific that some houses in the UK don't even have a table, and believes the French way of doing things should be adopted.
THE not-so-hot summer, and people having less to spend, has had an impact on fruit and vegetable producers, leading to an announcement by the government to allow special sales of products in the coming weeks.
In a statement the Ministry of Agriculture said that poor weather had seen summer fruit and veg fail to grow properly, resulting in the harvest of some products being delayed.
So it has said that producers will be able to sell their stock at supermarkets, and other retail areas, at weekends on August 22 and 23, 29 and 30 as well as September 5 and 6.
Supermarkets are being asked to raise awareness of the sales, so it is most probably worth checking to see if your local store is holding a promotion.
FOR too long, Bergerac has bumped along in the wake of its more illustrious neighbour, Bordeaux, writes Phil Hargreaves.
Now, massive investment and a new generation of often innovative winemakers have put Bergerac back on the map.
The wines cover a whole range of tastes, from dry whites, reds from Montravel and Pécharmant and sweet whites from Saussignac and Monbazillac.
However, don’t underestimate the simple Bergerac appellation which affords some excellent value, from straightforward fruity wines to more expensive oak-aged cuvées.
SOME might say that selling English cheese in France is a bit like sending coals to Newcastle, but for Adrian Perryman it's a chance to show off the rich tastes the UK has to offer.
Since moving to France in 2003 with his partner Jannie, the former chef and builder has become a regular at village markets around the Creuse offering up a cheeseboard bearing some of the most famous names from England.
Bringing a taste of Languedoc-Roussillon to the supermarket shelf
THE Sud de France marque has been adopted by wine producers from Languedoc-Roussillon and is designed to give British customers a key to unlock the French wine mystery.
DESPITE a busy and successful career Sue Boxell knew there was something niggling away in the back of her mind.
That something was Burgundy; its wine, food and people. So much so that Sue left the UK on an old Dutch barge to sail across to France and make a fresh start in the vineyards of the region.
"I was a project manager for Eurotunnel and was based in Calais, but our head office was in Victoria, in London, and obviously this was before the shuttle was finished and so I was up at the crack of dawn crossing the Channel either by ferry or hovercraft," Sue said.
A STUDY of wines sold in the EU, including a number from France, were found to contain a range of pesticides, with one bottle from the sample containing ten different varieties.
Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN Europe), a pressure group featuring members from France, Austria and Germany, tested 40 bottles of wine that people could buy off the shelves, including some high end varieties.
Chinon sits on the banks of the scenic Vienne river, just south west of Tours, at the heart of the Loire Valley, writes Beryl Brennan.
It was the birthplace of Cardinal Richelieu, the writer Francois Rabelais, and Richard the Lionheart is said to have died here in 1199 from a crossbow wound.
It is also famous for its wines; the appellation covers over 2,000 hectares and some 200 vignerons produce wines from 18 villages situated on both banks of the river.
FRANCE has always felt their cuisine the best in the world, but is it something that should be included in UNESCO's world heritage list?
Presisdent Nicolas Sarkozy certainly thinks so, as he has called upon UNESCO to include French gastronomy in its cultural list.
In 2006 a similar step was undertaken by top French academics, chefs and connoisseurs but no gastronomic tradition has made it on to UNESCO's list and in 2005 a similar bid by Mexico was rejected.
Ice cream and crêpes, just one of the combinations to enjoy on La Chandeleur in France
FEBRUARY 2 is the Catholic holiday of Candlemas, a feast to commemorate the purification of the Virgin Mary and the presentation of the baby Jesus forty days after his birth.
NOW this would go down great at the local market this weekend when stocking up on a bottle of vino or two - a furoshiki wine carrier, found via Lifehacker.
YOU can't beat a good sing-song to shake off a long week and bring a smile to your face - so here is De cap tà l'immortèla, from Nadau, an Occitan band, courtesy of Jacme Delmas.
A SUMMER market in France can turn up some real surprises, but can also turn into a bit of a mad crush as once quiet village squares fill up to bursting point.
I've spotted a number of entertaining articles over the past couple of days that highlight the many characters, differences and treasures you can find.
WHEN farmer Robert Berthaut and his wife realised in 1956 that the Époisses cheeses were becoming extinct the couple were determined to do something about it.
They decided that the traditional heritage should be revived and set about learning the skills surrounding this specialist cheese
The Berthaut cheese company is deeply rooted in history founded on time honoured techniques and traditions and is situated on what had at one time been an ancient religious community, with its buildings built to blend in with the old curing room.
BOURGOGNE or Burgundy is a historic region of France, which has been inhabited by the Celts, Gauls, Romans, and various Germanic peoples, the most important of which were the Burgundians; an East Germanic tribe from mainland Scandinavia who immigrated to an island called Bornholm, in Old Norse Burgundarholmr, the island of the Burgundians.
In time, the region was divided between the Duchy of Burgundy (west of Burgundy) and the County of Burgundy (east of Burgundy.) The Duchy of Burgundy became the more famous of the two being the one that achieved historical fame.
Later the Duchy of Burgundy became the French province of Burgundy, while the County of Burgundy became the French province of Franche-Comté (free county.)
THE weekend newspapers have thrown up two interesting views of life in Languedoc Roussillon, one with an eye on the tourism trade the other with a view of the troubled wine industry.
The Independent takes a long look over where to visit and the pleasures of spending a holiday in the region, with much talk of long sandy beaches, ancient towns and fine food and wine.
Following an investigation by France Boisson-Gira, it appears that the number of cafés in the Cote d'Or department is falling. With an 18% drop in the last three years the days of sitting with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine outside a café watching the world go by could be a thing of the past.
FOR many Brits the search for a curry in France sometimes has the feel of a classic adventure with fantastical characters, a mysterious rendezvous or hastily scribbled maps on napkins. But maybe that prize poppadom was beneath their nose all along.
I WROTE a few days ago about the Pictobrowser that allows you to display your photos hosted on Flickr in a very stylish way on your own site (see Use Pictobrowser for your photos).
As if luck should have it a chap I know who lives in Toulouse, Graham Holliday, wrote an article about the people he'd met at a meeting.
BRITAIN looks set to lead Europe over the coming years when it comes to spending on wine, despite paying some of the highest prices for a tipple.
Research commissioned by VINEXPO, the world's biggest wine and spirits fair, suggest that by 2010 the UK wine market will grow so big that Brits will spend more on still and sparkling wine than any other European country.
YOU wouldn't have thought that France would need to campaign to ensure quality food is available in its towns and villages.
But I noticed a news article recently highlighting the work of the French branch of the Slow Food movement, and the group has a video of the piece on its website.
WHAT do you get if you mix one wine buff, with a bit of a petrol head and add a dash around the vineyards of France?
The answer is a new BBC2 show, starting on Wednesday, which sees wine expert Oz Clarke team up with Top Gear’s James May, to offer advice on French wine.
SOME of the leading wine producers in the Bordeaux region have launched a campaign to block a new motorway that could cut through world famous vineyards.
There are five proposed routes that would either cut through the Margaux appellation area, or bypass it and cut it off, also bridges across the Gironde or the Garonne and the Dordogne rivers would be built.
DIJON has been synonymous with mustard since 1856, when Jean Naigeon of Dijon substituted verjuice, the acidic "green" juice of not-quite-ripe grapes, for vinegar in the traditional mustard recipe.
THE table manners of French children are held up as something to follow after readers of the 
PRIMARY schools across France will welcome chefs, bakers, cheese makers and other food specialists to make 
THE French authorities have issued a recall notice on Chinese sweets and biscuits after studies found high levels of the chemical melamine.
IF it is easier for you to get to the French restaurants of London than those across the Channel, then look out for a celebration of the food of France in the city.
THE French authorities have ordered that products from China that may include milk derivatives such as biscuits and sweets be removed from sale.
IF you are a bit of a wine buff and have a question or two about the delights of Bordeaux, then take some time to quiz the head winemaker of the legendary Baron Philippe de Rothschild wines.
CELEBRITY chef Jamie Oliver has said Brits are materialistic drunks who can't cook and that much could be learnt from the French attitude to food.
THE not-so-hot summer, and people having less to spend, has had an impact on fruit and vegetable producers, leading to an announcement by the government to allow special sales of products in the coming weeks.
FOR too long, Bergerac has bumped along in the wake of its more illustrious neighbour, Bordeaux, writes Phil Hargreaves.
SOME might say that selling English cheese in France is a bit like sending coals to Newcastle, but for Adrian Perryman it's a chance to show off the rich tastes the UK has to offer.
DESPITE a busy and successful career Sue Boxell knew there was something niggling away in the back of her mind.
A STUDY of wines sold in the EU, including a number from France, were found to contain a range of pesticides, with one bottle from the sample containing ten different varieties.
Chinon sits on the banks of the scenic Vienne river, just south west of Tours, at the heart of the Loire Valley, writes Beryl Brennan.
FRANCE has always felt their cuisine the best in the world, but is it something that should be included in UNESCO's world heritage list?
A SUMMER market in France can turn up some real surprises, but can also turn into a bit of a mad crush as once quiet village squares fill up to bursting point.
SET in the heart of the Auxois countryside you will find the vineyard of 
ONE of the most famous recipes of Burgundy is the one that includes its name, 
I WROTE a few days ago about the Pictobrowser that allows you to display your photos hosted on Flickr in a very stylish way on your own site (see 
MANY people head to France with a business idea or two in an attempt to ensure they can enjoy life in their new home.
BRITAIN looks set to lead Europe over the coming years when it comes to spending on wine, despite paying some of the highest prices for a tipple.
BLOWING away the often stuffy world of wine is Gary Vaynerchuk and his 
YOU wouldn't have thought that France would need to campaign to ensure quality food is available in its towns and villages.
WHAT do you get if you mix one wine buff, with a bit of a petrol head and add a dash around the vineyards of France?
AS the debate rumbles on about banning smoking in bars and restaurants, here is a handy website that will clear the air.
SOME of the leading wine producers in the Bordeaux region have launched a campaign to block a new motorway that could cut through world famous vineyards.
Recent Comments