Eggenfelden Market in Carcassonne – Place des Halles

I just attended the Eggenfelden Market (Google Map of Eggenfelden) in Carcassonne.  It’s a new Saturday market positioned in between the markets in the Place Carnot and the permanent shops in Les Halles.  This new market in Eggenfelden is a Farmer’s Market where we are all producers.  So shop direct!

Interesting notes include a dairy farmer who sells raw milk direct.  It’s delicious, and I was just talking to somebody about how you never have opportunities to buy milk direct even though you see dairy cows everywhere.  Well now you can!  Also some delicious meats and breads and wines and EVERYTHING.

I don’t know why these youtube videos keep cutting out short of the end, but whatever. The point is come to the market if you’re in the area. And if you’re not in the area, check out your local markets where ever you may be. Shop direct and have fun!

Thanks to the folks who did come out to market yesterday!

And happy Mother’s Day if you live in France and are a mom!

PS – people keep asking why it’s called Eggenfelden. That doesn’t sound very French. It’s Carcassonne’s sister city in Germany! We named the market after them.

Changer l’Aude en Vin – Avril 26 2010 à Carcassonne

I just got my invite to this year’s Changer l’Aude en Vin (there is a pun here with the French phrase for turning water into wine). I first saw the flier in Jean Baptiste and Charlotte Sénat’s winery and it’s unsurprising that they’re at the heart of this gathering. Fifteen winemakers are gathering in the Cité de Carcassonne for a cool grassroots tasting. At least I’m guessing it’ll be a little more DIY than your average wine salon. The flyers are printed like punk posters and Sénat has a rebellious vibe. I look forward to seeing what happens.

And if 15 hand-picked Aude winemakers isn’t enough to draw you to the event, the pot has been sweetened this year. They’ve invited 5 organic producers from the Marne to show off some of their Chamagnes. Sénat never misses a pun and redubs the event “Changer l’Aube en Vin”. I’m not really sure why they added Champagne this year, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was just for the pun.

So a Love That Languedoc rarity, we’ll be talking champagne.

On a related note, I really wish I had been able to attend the Treloar art expo opening a couple weeks back. Hopefully a few of my readers had a chance to swing by the event and taste some wine and see some art. I like all the winemaker initiatives going on in the region. Gives me a lot of hope!

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Je viens de recevoir mon invitation “Changer l’Aude en Vin 2010″,  un rassemblement sur la Cité de Carcassonne de 15 vignerons Audois, tous certifiés ou en conversion vers l’Agricutlure Biologique. Une réunion qui devrait attirer beaucoup d’attention.

Cela fait du bien de voir des efforts comme celui-ci initiés et organisés pars les vignerons. Entre “Changer l’Aude en Vin”, l’exposition d’art organisée par le Domaine Treloar plus tôt dans l’année, et d’autres évènements, j’ai de grands espoirs pour les vignerons du Languedoc Roussillon.

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Participating producers from Aude:

Domaine l’Arbousier
AOC Corbières

Clos de l’Anhel
AOC Corbières

Domaine Benjamin Taillandier
AOC Minervois

Mas des Caprices
AOC Fitou

Domaine de Cazaban
AOC Cabardès

Domaine Les Enfants Sauvages (is this in Aude?)
VDP Cotes Catalanes

Domaine Ledogar
AOC Corbières

Domaine Les Hautes Terres
AOC Limoux

Domaine Hegarty Chamans
AOC Minervois

Domaine Jean Baptiste Sénat
AOC Minervois

Vignoble du Loup Blanc
AOC Minervois

Domaine Maxime Magnon
AOC Corbières

Le Mas de Mon Père
AOC Malpère

Chateau Pech Redon
AOC La Clape

Domaine Remi Jalliet
AOC Corbières

Invited producers from Marne:

Champagne Benoit Lahaye
Champagne David Léclapart
Champagne Frison de Marne
Champagne Pierre Gerbais
Champagne Vouette-et-Sorbée

Georges Gracia à l’Hôtel de la Cité – Languedoc, je t’aime episode 41

Une visite fantastique à l’Hôtel de la Cité avec Georges Gracia, Maître Sommelier et le Directeur de la Barbacane, restaurant étoilé de la cité medieval de Carcassonne.

L’Hôtel de la Cité vient de fêter son centenaire avec une carte spéciale et quelques vins qui démontrent la grande qualité du Languedoc Roussillon. J’ai eu la joie de déguster ces vins et deux autres qui étaient déjà ouverts. Seul un endroit magique et prestigieux comme la Barbacane peut avoir des bouteilles de trente ans d’âge ouvertes par hasard, le jour de mon interview!

Georges Gracia est l’invité parfait parcequ’il apporte tout un narratif gastronomique au vin. Un grand vin devient divin lorsqu’il est accordé au plat!

Quelle dégustation! Cela nous rappelle que cela fait un moment que le Languedoc produit des grands vins. Bientôt, tout le monde saura garder et viellir les GRANDS vins du Languedoc.

Les vins:
C de Centeilles 2008, Domaine Clos Centeilles, Vin de Pays Côtes du Brian
Clochers Lucien Fanjeau 1991, Limoux (wasn’t an AOC until 1993, domaine hard to determine)
Cuvée 1908 2008, Abbaye de Fontfroide, AOC Corbières (note the vintage is 2008. The name of the wine is 1908)
Domaine du Mas Blanc 1977, Domaine du Mas Blanc, AOC Banyuls

Voir Aussi:
Patricia Domergue – Propriétaire et vigneron Domaine Clos Centeilles, sur le Minervois et Minervois La Liviniere.
Jean Michel Parcé – Propriétaire et vigneron au Domaine du Mas Blanc. Je trouve pas le site mais vous pouvez le contacter par email Jean Michel Parcé
Abbaye de Frontfroide

Les cépages dans le C de Centeilles:
Araignan Blanc
Riveirenc Gris
Riveirenc Blanc
Grenache Gris

Carcassonne Hotel de la Cité Wine Tasting – LOVE That Languedoc Ep. 32

I just did an OUTSTANDING tasting in Carcassonne today at the Hotel de la Cité. Restaurant manager and maitre sommelier, Georges Gracia pulled out all the stops and showed me a sampling of some of the bottles they had open at La Barbacane. This is the hotel where the Queen of England stays and Sting and your rich uncle. It’s located in the middle of medieval castle ramparts. Awesome.

When you see a pristinely preserved Vin Doux Naturel that is older than me… that is why restaurants used to charge 3-5 times wholesale price! Because they kept and cellared the wines perfectly and found a way to present them that was interesting.

The wines:
C de Centeilles 2008, Domaine Clos Centeilles, Vin de Pays Côtes du Brian
Clochers Lucien Fanjeau 1991, Limoux (wasn’t an AOC until 1993, domaine hard to determine)
Cuvée 1908 2008, Abbaye de Fontfroide, AOC Corbières (note the vintage is 2008. The name of the wine is 1908)
Domaine du Mas Blanc 1977, Domaine du Mas Blanc, AOC Banyuls

See also:
Patricia Domergue – Owner and winemaker at Domaine Clos Centeilles, sur le Minervois et Minervois La Liviniere.
Jean Michel Parcé – Owner and winemaker at Domaine du Mas Blanc. I can’t find a website for him or his Domaine, but he is pretty open online and you can email Jean Michel Parcé
Abbaye de Frontfroide – This is a historical site and draws a lot of tourists. They just redid the website and the wine produced there is integrated into the main site. However, I don’t see the wine mentioned in the English version of the site. Sorry :-ç

The varietals in C de Centeilles:
Araignan Blanc
Riveirenc Gris
Riveirenc Blanc
Grenache Gris