http://champagnefluteau.over-blog.com/ La vie de tous les jours sur un vignoble en champagne. The trials and tribulations of life on a Champagne vineyard. fr http://fdata.over-blog.net/2/90/16/33/avatar-blog-1096809836-tmpphpwJcLqd.jpeg http://champagnefluteau.over-blog.com/ Wed, 09 May 2012 18:33:52 +0200 Wed, 09 May 2012 18:33:52 +0200 Over-blog.com RSS 2.0 Engine Copyright 2012 champagnefluteau.over-blog.com Culture http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification/ http://champagnefluteau.over-blog.com/article-wine-as-a-lifestyle-en-version-originale-104858644.html
I recently discovered the US sitcom "Cougar Town" on French Television. The relatively recent introduction of Digital television in France has brought us access to US and British shows in their original version, and as a result, I find myself watching all sorts of programs just for the shear[...]]]> Wed, 09 May 2012 10:57:00 +0200 10a04076dc850670fe89d0a956f19004 Divers/Miscellaneous http://champagnefluteau.over-blog.com/article-wine-as-a-lifestyle-en-version-originale-104858644-comments.html#anchorComment http://champagnefluteau.over-blog.com/article-spring-planting-plantations-de-printemps-103575251.html
Thierry a mis en place une politique de remplacement de nos plus vieilles vignes sur 10 ans, donc tous les ans nous arrachons une parcelle pour la replanter au printemps Thierry has implemented a replanting scheme in order to replace our oldest vines over a 10 year period, so every year we[...]]]> Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:38:00 +0200 ef63e71e7bda67c2b137f9958b297d9d Vignes/Vineyards http://champagnefluteau.over-blog.com/article-spring-planting-plantations-de-printemps-103575251-comments.html#anchorComment http://champagnefluteau.over-blog.com/article-frost-scare-menace-de-gel-103344517.html
Working with nature has its ups and downs, and we don't all react to weather patterns in the same way. While city dwellers were crowding the outside cafés terraces and enjoying the sunshine during the warm spell we had in March, here in champagne we were scrambling to finish up pruning and[...]]]> Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:36:00 +0200 2434b2bd3fca91de2770680ac1966e59 Vignes/Vineyards http://champagnefluteau.over-blog.com/article-frost-scare-menace-de-gel-103344517-comments.html#anchorComment http://champagnefluteau.over-blog.com/article-happy-ground-hog-s-day-happy-chandeleur-98458792.html
Nothing to do with champagne, but since today happens to be my birthday, I thought I'd mention that in France February 2nd is the day they celebrate "Chandeleur" a very old Christian feast day, with ties to the pagan cult of the bear, which as everyone knows is also related to Ground Hog's day.[...]]]> Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:21:00 +0100 83c9956b0cec77f0b4790e66a535b94b La vie du village/Life in a small French village http://champagnefluteau.over-blog.com/article-happy-ground-hog-s-day-happy-chandeleur-98458792-comments.html#anchorComment http://champagnefluteau.over-blog.com/article-happy-saint-vincent-s-day-97596391.html
Did you know that Saint Vincent is the patron saint of wine growers? Traditionally in many French wine growing regions a mass is celebrated followed by a "Vin d'honneur"( reception) afterwards, where all the notables make speeches and hand out awards and diplomas. The actual feast day is[...]]]> Sat, 21 Jan 2012 14:41:00 +0100 a418ff5569b603d32611e95642a044cd La vie du village/Life in a small French village http://champagnefluteau.over-blog.com/article-happy-saint-vincent-s-day-97596391-comments.html#anchorComment http://champagnefluteau.over-blog.com/article-eclats-de-glace-88450337.html
Good luck to our friends Hind and Jerome who are launching their cool new product - colored ice cubes ! - this week at the Monaco International Clubbing Show (if you look REAL close, you can see three bottles of our champagne "Blanc de Noirs" in the picture at the top, second to the left)]]> Thu, 10 Nov 2011 18:45:00 +0100 07221f276575ed34395564c7b61aad13 http://champagnefluteau.over-blog.com/article-eclats-de-glace-88450337-comments.html#anchorComment http://champagnefluteau.over-blog.com/article-a-winegrower-s-work-is-never-done-travail-du-dimanche-83334167.html
LIving nextdoor to the winery as we do does have it's benefits - no time wasted on commuting to and from work, for example, but it has disadvantages too. For instance, it's hard to stay away from work, especially at crucial moments like right after the harvest when Thierry has to survey the[...]]]> Sun, 04 Sep 2011 17:46:00 +0200 959a86665ea0760950be7c1bd0086e6e http://champagnefluteau.over-blog.com/article-a-winegrower-s-work-is-never-done-travail-du-dimanche-83334167-comments.html#anchorComment http://champagnefluteau.over-blog.com/article-la-fin-the-end-83173243.html
Ca y est, les vendanges sont terminées. Hier nous avons pressé le dernier marc pour 2011. Bien sûr, ce n'est pas vraiment la fin - Pour la vinification, ce n'est qu'un début - il reste encore à faire pour transformer ces beaux raisins en vin et ensuite en champagne ! De quoi s'occuper encore[...]]]> Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:45:00 +0200 c9038d3df25c029bec30ba03bcd5fa71 http://champagnefluteau.over-blog.com/article-la-fin-the-end-83173243-comments.html#anchorComment http://champagnefluteau.over-blog.com/article-no-news-is-good-news-pas-de-nouvelle-bonne-nouvelle-82888739.html
Nous voilà à mi-vendanges et heureusement, plus de mésaventures. Le pressoir a été réparé rapidement et surtout il fait un temps parfait pour vendanger - ni trop chaud, ni froid et pas de pluie - on croise des doigts pour que cela dure..... On me demande souvent quelle est mon rôle pendant les[...]]]> Tue, 30 Aug 2011 12:46:00 +0200 df0cc74f1512d5174b400443c2fbd884 http://champagnefluteau.over-blog.com/article-no-news-is-good-news-pas-de-nouvelle-bonne-nouvelle-82888739-comments.html#anchorComment http://champagnefluteau.over-blog.com/article-when-it-rains-it-pours-literally-and-figuratively-un-malheur-n-arrive-jamais-seul-82625346.html
It's beginning to feel like we're jinxed ! After another day of rainstorms yesterday, where we once again had to resort to our "chenillard" to get the grapes out of the vineyards, today the wine press has broken down. This is the "Rolls Royce" of grape presses, which we bought just 5 years ago,[...]]]> Sat, 27 Aug 2011 10:36:00 +0200 4889422b54445aad5294be6b52f40a81 http://champagnefluteau.over-blog.com/article-when-it-rains-it-pours-literally-and-figuratively-un-malheur-n-arrive-jamais-seul-82625346-comments.html#anchorComment