INDULGE your sweet tooth at the sixth Salon du Chocolat in Villefranche-du-Périgord on Sunday 28 October.
Chocolatiers and cake chefs will be displaying their talents throughout the day, while you can also marvel, and enjoy, some of the chocolate creations on display.
The fair takes place in the foyer rural, from 10h to 18h, and entry is just one euro and free for the under-12s, with the ticket price also entering you into a prize draw.
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EVERY Thursday the popular night market beneath Loubejac's church tower takes place and runs throughout July and August.
The first one takes place on 5 July, starting at 18h30, and remember to bring along your plates, as well as glasses for a dash of wine and knives and forks.
Local food and drink producers offer duck, breads, soups, salads, wine, fruits of all types and you can sit down with friends to enjoy a leisurely evening.
There will be live music on 2 and 9 August, with the last night market taking place on 30 August.
This southern corner of the Dordogne will host similar events, sometimes featuring live music, but always offering a slice of real French life.
There is a farmers market every Tuesday during the summer season in Villefranche-du-Périgord, it takes place under the village halle and starts at 18h30. On Friday there is a farmers market in Besse this one starting at 19h.
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ENJOY the opportunity to discover a glass of wine, or taste some local farm produce, at a Foire aux Vins in Saint-Cernin-de-l'Herm on Tuesday 1 May.
The village salle des fêtes will be hosting the event throughout the day, with a chance to have a bite to eat at lunchtime, and it is free entry to all.
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OUR Georgian and Victorian ancestors probably celebrated Christmas with more modest wine consumption than we do today – if the size of their wine glasses are anything to go by.
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have found that the capacity of wine glasses has increased seven-fold over the past 300 years, and most steeply in the last two decades as wine consumption rose.
Through a combination of online searches and discussions with experts in antique glassware, including museum curators, the researchers obtained measurements of 411 glasses from 1700 to modern day.
They found that wine glass capacity increased from 66 ml in the 1700s to 417ml in the 2000s, with the mean wine glass size in 2016-17 being 449ml.
"Our findings suggest that the capacity of wine glasses in England increased significantly over the past 300 years," said the report's author Dr Zorana Zupan.
"For the most part, this was gradual, but since the 1990s, the size has increased rapidly. Whether this led to the rise in wine consumption in England, we can’t say for certain, but a wine glass 300 years ago would only have held about a half of today’s small measure. On top of this, we also have some evidence that suggests wine glass size itself influences consumption."
Alongside increased wine glass capacity, the strength of wine sold in the UK since the 1990s has also increased, thereby likely further increasing any impact of larger wine glasses on the amount of pure alcohol being consumed by wine drinkers.
The researchers argue that if the impact of larger wine glasses upon consumption can be proven to be a reliable effect, then local licencing regulations limiting the size of glasses would expand the number of policy options for reducing alcohol consumption out of home.
Reducing the size of wine glasses in licensed premises might also shift the social norm of what a wine glass should look like, with the potential to influence the size of wine glasses people use at home, where most alcohol, including wine, is consumed.
In the final line of their report, the researchers acknowledge the seasonal sensitivity to these suggestions: "We predict - with moderate confidence – that, while there will be some resistance to these suggestions, their palatability will be greater in the month of January than that of December."
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IT was a busy, and profitable, day for those selling the first truffles of the season in Sainte-Alvère yesterday morning.
The small village, found to the west of Le Bugue in the Dordogne, opened its doors to around 50 buyers and those curious to see the sale of the black truffles found in the local area.
France Bleu reports that around 62 kgs of truffle were sold, with the best quality ones selling for between 600 and 750 euros a kilo.
And the demand was strong as the market was over within 15 minutes, but it is hoped that the opening day will herald a good season.
This year is expected to prove a good year for the Dordogne, as truffle producers in the south east of France have not done so well and buyers are expected to head to the region to get their fill of the 'black diamond'.
And if you want to see the truffle market yourself, then Saint Alvère will be hosting a sale every Monday morning until 26 February.
Related: Get set for Lalbenque truffle market
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IF you want a taste of rural France in the summer then look out for a farmers' market close to you.
On the Marchés des Producteurs website you can track down many of the events taking place across France in a couple of clicks.
Every Thursday the popular night market beneath Loubejac's church tower takes place and runs throughout July and August starting at 18h30, remember to bring your plates and cutlery.
There is a farmers market every Tuesday during the summer season in Villefranche-du-Périgord, it takes place under the village halle and starts at 18h30. On Friday there is a farmers market in Besse again starting at 19h.
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AN evening of moules-frites and music is on offer later this month, set beneath the church at Loubéjac.
On Saturday 24 June from 20h, and organised by the comité des fêtes of Loubéjac, you can enjoy the classic French summer dish with a dessert and a drink all included in the price of 12 euros.
Advanced reservations are advised on 06 70 90 35 92, but if you can not make the moules-frites the disco and bar will be open to all after 22h.
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ONE of the growing appeals of chestnut flour is that it is gluten free and many people are choosing to buy breads, biscuits and other delicacies to help their diet.
You can learn more about chestnuts and how it is milled during an open day at Domaine de Rapatel, on the outskirts of Villefranche-du-Périgord, on Sunday 21 May.
Owners, Camille and Serge Vigouroux, will explain to visitors how the chestnut goes from tree, to mill, to shop and why the chestnut has become an important part of the local economy.
Guided tours will be available between 10h and 16h, with the chance to taste and enjoy various chestnut products between 12h and 14h30.
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THE cold snap towards the end of April that damaged the vines of the Bordeaux region looks set to cost wine growers in the region around a billion euros.
Sud Ouest reports that growers have been able to assess the damage and they say around 30% of this year's coming harvest is lost.
Cold spells between 20 and 21 April, as well as 27 and 28 April, hit around 60,000 hectares out of a total of 114,000 hectares across the Médoc and Sauternes appellations.
Few growers have insurance against such icy conditions damaging their vines, and meetings are now being planned between the growers, local authorities and related businesses to try and ensure the wine industry gets through this difficult period.
Image by Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux (CIVB).
Related: Frosty chill poses a risk to growers
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INDULGE your sweet tooth at the fourth Salon du Chocolat in Villefranche-du-Périgord on Sunday 23 October.
A chocolate sculpture will slowly take shape during the day, while you can also marvel, and enjoy, some of the chocolate creations on display.
The fair takes place in the foyer rural, from 10h to 18h, and entry is just one euro and free for the under-12s, with the ticket price also entering you into a prize draw.
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