Here, read the latest tales of tinkering and quaffing in the sunny south of France...

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23 February 2008 - revving up for another new summer

I'm writing to you from the office in my warehouse up in the Alps. It's a glorious sunny day out there, but warehouses for wine don't tend to have many windows, so it could be peeing with rain or snow for all I care.

Winter has been a hectic time over here. I cleared out of St Andre at the end of October to get set up for the winter season in Chamonix. It's been a manic few months - mainly on the wine front. My business has taken off this year and we're on course to sell more than 130,000 bottles + 40,000 litres in bag-in-box to chalet operators across the French Alps. That's a lot of boxes and a serious logistical challenge (esp when it's snowed non-stop for 2 days and you've got to get 200 boxes of wine 2000m up a mountain).

I'd say the winter is somewhat less stressful for Rosie the puss. In Chamonix, she rarely goes out much - it's far too cold and snowy for a soft southern cat like her... The major dilemmas revolve around whether to curl up on this or that chair, this or that bed, this or that lap. What a blissful existence.

In the meantime, it's only a few weeks until our first guests arrive at Les Beaux Terroirs. I've been down south most of this week - spending time at the Vinisud wine trade show in Montpellier, as well as popping my head round the door in St Andre. The weather was glorious on Thu/Fri - we had lunch outside on the terrace. There's that real whiff of spring in the air - the sun is brighter, the days are longer, you feel hot in your jumper and the blossom has started to appear. I even saw a few irises out already, which seems extraordinarily early.

I can't wait for summer. Despite choosing to be in Chamonix half the year, I'll always be a summer bunny. And I think Mar/April/May/June is my favourite period, when everything bursts out and you're full of anticipation for the summer ahead. It also gives you the perfect excuse to leap into a few bottles of the new season's rosé...

We've got a fair bit of space here throughout spring and early summer, so we're doing deals to put bums on seats: 25% off our listed prices during April, May & June. I really think it is the most glorious time to be here: everything is so colourful and lush, nowhere is horribly busy and - best of all for you - the prices are much lower than in high season! That's even more true with the extra 25% discount. Don't dally if you want to get on down here.

I'm in Chamonix for most of March, before heading off to Australia with Elissa and the girls on 26 Mar to hang out with her family. Can't wait for that - never been there before. We get back mid-April and from then onwards, I'll be bouncing around between St Andre, Chamonix and the UK for the summer. Should be fun.

Look forward to seeing you in France sometime this year.

Toodlepip for now,

Sam

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29 October 2007 - new pics on the website

I'm not much of a hotshot with a camera. In fact, I don't even own one. That's why the pics on this website are not updated as often as they should be. So I scrounge off guests and visiting mates, begging them to take some pics and send them to me.

At last, you can now see the result.

Today, I've uploaded lots of new photos throughout the website, though the Photo gallery is obviously the best place to see most of them. Our guests generally tell us on arrival that the website pics don't begin to do justice to the beauty of this place. I still don't think they do (there's only one way for you to check that...!), but they're certainly an improvement on the previous lot.

The new pool pics show the lovely stone paving that was laid in spring 07, as well as our fancy new wooden sun lounger thingies - the result of a bet a friend made with me over the French presidential elections in May.

Meanwhile, the external shots of the gardens and general views show how the plants have flourished here since we planted many of them in 2005.

Anyway, have a nose around and tell me what you think.

I'm heading off to Chamonix tomorrow with Rosie and all my gear. It's been a lovely few days since I got back from the UK, with lots of sunshine. But winter is definitely just around the corner and that means it's mountain-time. We'll catch up with you soon.

Bye for now,

Sam & Rosie the travelling cat

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Sat 22 Sep 2007 - There goes summer again...

Have been slacking on this update lark. You might think I should have all the time in the world to scribble gibberish on this website, slurping rosie by the pool, swinging in the hammock, watching the sun come up & go down, come up & go down...

If only.

It's been another full-on busy summer in St Andre. With guests coming & going since the middle of March, Florence the 'Queen of Clean' has rarely been without mop and feather duster for more than a few hours. We've had quite a few returners like the Martin and O'Leary families, who both booked exactly the same periods as last year. We've had a lot of southern hemisphere guests (though mostly before the Rugby World Cup - did they get their timing wrong?!?) and even a couple of French groups. Don't usually see many of them around here - can't imagine why...

I've had some Kiwi mates helping out a bit when I'm not around. Bex has since headed onto S America, while Terry & Jane are here for another few days yet.

I've been up in the Alps a fair bit, as well as over in the UK with the missus. We're cranking things up on the wine business front (www.verregourmand.com) and have succeeded in landing big contracts with some of the major tour operators. That's meant hiring a proper warehouse (and maybe even a white van soon). It's all very exciting.

Not long now until winter comes around again and I'll be back up to Chamonix. Can someone tell me where the 'slow' button is? I say this every year, but it just seems ridiculous how quickly this summer has flown by.

Come and see us in the mountains this winter. Rosie the cat will be back in the chalet and happy to sit on your lap or sleep on your pillow. Or get planning for next summer, because we've already sold some of the big weeks to returners.

Raise a glass of the pink stuff, wherever you are.

Bye for now,

Sam

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Fri 23 Feb 2007 - Bit of a gap since the last entry...

Blimey, that's 10 months tomorrow since I last pulled my finger out and wrote you something smug and irritating about how blissful and fab life is down here. "What's been happening since?", you've no doubt been chanting as you try to get to sleep (perhaps you should get out more if this is the case). Alors, where do I start???

The summer season of 2006 was a roaring success. We had guests from early April right through to the start of Nov and were pretty much chocca for the big 2-3 month high season period from mid-June to mid-Sept. Everyone has loved the place; most began planning their next visit as soon as they'd pulled the cork on their first bottle of rosé. [Take it as read that there weren't many people who stopped at just the one bottle.]

We had all sorts of people to stay, from families to groups of sharers, from old to young, Brits to French, Aussies to Irish - you name it, we had 'em. Some were already on their second visit, others combined a stay with some time up in the chalet in Chamonix - taking advantage of the twin-centre trips we advertise. They're top fun if you're thinking about your own plans for summer 07...

Doing our bit for French viticulture

Between me, my visiting friends and our guests, we went straight to Number One in terms of rosé purchases from one of the best local producers - an impressive result from a standing start, I thought. In doing so, we almost singlehandedly rescued the French wine industry from its self-diagnosed (and largely self-induced) state of 'crise' and paralysis. OK, so I exaggerate a tad, but we're doing our bit to help.

Talking of the French wine 'crise', you must have heard something about it?

All those bottles of Australian Jacob's Waz and Wolf Balls clogging up the shelves of Tesco mean French bottles AREN'T occupying that space. And on the home front, the average French drinker has finally admitted defeat to the drink-drive legislators, started listening to the occasional health commentator and stopped drinking 3 gallons of lightish red wine for breakfast. OK, there are still some people doing the latter, but their noses are now so big they can't see round them and their livers are popping out of their earholes. 

I'm in two minds about the whole thing.

I'm not a big fan of the anonymous, chemically-produced, Ribena-style branded wines of the New World. Gallo should be sent to the gallows, if you get my drift (Ernest, long may you rest in peace). I don't really drink them myself and it's a shame that so many consumers' wine purchasing habits extend no further. But at least these wines don't cause people to gag and reach for the puke bag. They're relatively harmless concoctions, designed not to offend. With a bit of luck, they get people into drinking wine and eventually experimenting with other stuff.

The same could not be said about large amounts of old-style French production. 10-20-30 years ago, you could open all manner of bottles and virtually guarantee a renewed acquaintance with the contents of your stomach inside 10 seconds (unless you had asbestos-lined guts). Sadly, too much of this stuff is still being churned out today and no-one wants to drink it any more. Consumers' tastes in Britain, America AND France have changed.

Wine-makers or WHINE-makers?

But instead of listening to consumers and reacting positively to these changes (e.g. by starting to make wines that people DO want to drink), too many producers have simply buried their heads in the sand, accused everyone else of being wrong, carried on churning out crap and then called for state handouts when they can't sell it anywhere. Some of them even think it's fair game to burn lorries bringing in imported wine and have a go at companies involved in selling non-French wine. 

Sorry boys, but what planet are you on? What right do you have to indefinitely create and offer for sale something that no-one wants to buy? If my cottages were unpleasant and unpopular with guests, I would have to change things or go out of business - simple. Why should it be any different in wine??? 

The industry is further handicapped by such mind-bendingly stupid rules as not being allowed to market both appellation name (e.g. St Emilion) and grape type (e.g. Merlot) on the same bottle label! Monsieur le French Wine Administrator, are you completely deranged? Like it or not, the fact is that huge numbers of your potential customers in markets across the world now base buying decisions on grape type, not place of origin. They have never heard of Pouilly-Fume or Cote-Rotie. But they've bloody well heard of Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz/Syrah. So why restrict your potential market by not telling punters what grape was used to make the wine?

It really is a shame, because there are thousands of producers across France who have recognised the changes to their markets and done something about it. Some have started producing wines very much in a New World style - maybe not to the taste of the purist, but hell, if it sells, why not? Others have remained traditional to the core, but seriously upped the ante on a quality front. A third group occupy the space inbetween - embracing some tricks of the New World trade (e.g. accessible wines ready to drink young, better marketing, use of grape type on said labels), while remaining faithful to the French notion of 'terroir' and producing a wine that 'speaks' of the place from which it hails. I say good luck to all of them - at least they're trying.

As for all those producers stuck in the Stone Age, spend a day on the Internet and find out a bit more about what your potential customers are buying these days - in France and abroad. Talk to your customers, walk into some wine shops, look at how bottles are labelled. Yes, you need help - it would be unrealistic for all these people to discover the answer overnight. So France's bodies need to get their act together.

But if you can't figure it out or you're determined to carry on as you always have (just because you always have), I suggest it's time for a change of job, mate.

Meanwhile, back at Les Beaux Terroirs...

Anyway, I'll get down from my soapbox now. Winter 06-07 is on its way out, not that it ever really arrived this year. I've been up in Chamonix since the start of Dec 06 and it's been the warmest year for ages. There was already blossom in some of the trees around St Andre in early Feb - it'll be interesting to see how early the cherry trees flower this year. I've got my money on the first week or two of Mar - a good 2-3 wks ahead of schedule.

We've got our first guests booked in at the middle of March, which is starting earlier than last year. But we've got more space still available during the rest of summer than we had at this stage last year (it seems you're all turning into last-minute bookers!), so do get in touch with us if you'd like to come visit.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Many thanks - bye for now,

Sam

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Mon 24 April 2006: Blossom, irises, warm sunny days, first dip in the pool...

Bonjour tout le monde,

Winter is long gone down here in the sunny south of France. Since the middle of March, the temp has been up into the mid/high teens and low 20s. The trees started budding then, all the blossom came out at the start of April - cherry, apricot, apple, pear and a few others. And the sun's been shining most of the time - it really has been glorious.

It's funny when I drive to and from Chamonix at this time of year. Driving back up into the mountains, it's like heading back 5-6 weeks into late winter. As you head up into the hills, past Grenoble, Chambery, Annecy and finally into the Chamonix valley, every half an hour driven seems to take you back another week into winter. Right now in Cham, the trees are still pretty bare - a complete contrast to the bright, lush, rich colours on display down here. I know where I'm happy to be...

Back down from the mountains

Since our last entry, the winter season in Chamonix has practically drawn to a close. I was up there most of Feb and Mar. There's been more snow this winter than we've had for years, which means lots of fab days out in the powder. I've skied more this winter than last, though still only about 8-9 days in total. They were just about the best days, mind - when you're there all the time, you can afford to be picky!

I popped down to St Andre a couple of times during Feb/Mar to check up on the works to my house. Things progressed smoothly and broadly to schedule, as they did last winter thanks to my builder extraordinaire - Jacques Fasolo. Forget any notions of unreliable French builders: this guy is awesome.

My cousin Simon drove down from the UK on about 23 Mar with my Dad as co-pilot. I joined them a day later. Simon is a fantastic carpenter and helped with a huge amount of the work last year. I wanted him back this year to help finish the work on my new place. Dad is also pretty handy - and rather useful in the garden. He was on a mission to find and plant some seed potatoes, which he found in Mende over in the Lozere (a couple of hours NW of us into the Cevennes). They're now poking through the earth - am looking forward to my first crop in late June.

We had a fun week together before I packed Dad off to visit his brother's place in Italy via an overnight coach from Avignon to Rome. I didn't exactly envy him as I dropped him off (pity would be a more accurate term). The subsequent 24 hours convinced him that in future he would take trains, planes or whatever he could - anything but an overnight international coach service...

Simon then got on with things like fixing in two new sets of stairs, welding ironing railings into place, building cupboards, kitchen units, etc. We've had a couple of mates from Chamonix pop down to give a hand with the painting, as well as my uncle and aunt, who got stuck into the garden. My uncle Nick has now been rechristened 'Oncle Hompeur' after the huge amount of 'humping' he did while here: gravel, stones, earth - you name it, he humped it around the place.

The greenest of green fingers

The garden is now looking absolutely wonderful. Never thought I would ever get excited about gardening, but I've been hooked.

Most of the plants we planted last year have weathered the cold winter exceptionally well and are bounding into their second year chez nous. We've also planted some other stuff over the last fortnight: loads of pots, abricot tree, pear tree, several large shrubs, tomatoes, 6 climbers and a few other bits and pieces. I'm currently hunting down a decent-sized 'prunus pissardi' tree - one with lovely dark purple leaves that look great against the honey-coloured stonework and yellowy render of the cottages.

I've also had a porous pipe system laid around the garden, buried under the topsoil. It makes watering a doddle: all you do is turn on the taps for 1-2 hrs and the water drizzles itself through the pipe walls straight into the earth. I still have to water the pots by hand, but it makes the whole thing a million times more manageable - which means more time for rosé-quaffage as the sun sets...

First happy guests of 2006

We've already had our first two groups of guests - Maria Miller's crew over the Easter weekend (who attacked the local vino with a relish that even impressed me), followed by the extended Bowden family who have been here over the last week. The gods have smiled on both groups and provided glorious weather. Some of the younger Bowden folk have even been into the pool which is now back in operation. Not that you'll catch me in it for a while yet. It was only 11 degs when we took the winter cover off a couple of weeks ago, tho' it's now up close to 20 thanks to the good weather. Think I'll wait another 2-3 degrees before donning my swimshorts...

Busy summer ahead

Looking ahead into the summer, we should have my place finished in the next couple of weeks. I'm heading up to London to bring all my gear over from the house in Greenwich that I've sold. We'll get that in place during the second week of May. We've got a group renting the big house during the first week of May, as well as a couple of other bookings later in the month. But it looks like being a quietish month for business, so I'll take the opportunity to really enjoy being here. Should have a few of our Chamonix mates popping down at various points during the month, so that should be fun.

Drop me a line if you fancy a trip. There's 25% off listed prices during May/June and I've still got a bit of space in Jul/Aug/Sept. You'll love it - of that, I'm certain.

Have fun wherever you are,

Ciao for now,

Sam et Rosie the little cat

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Sun 5 Feb 2006: Spring just around the corner...

Good afternoon to you. Actually I'm not in St Andre as I write this, but in a sunny Chamonix, looking out of the window at the forested valley sides, which got the lightest of snowy dustings last night...

From early Dec, I spend most of the winter up here in the mountains, running my chalet (see www.chaletpt.com). We've been full since before Xmas, so it's a busy time. Rosie the cat has also been up here in Chamonix with me - bit of a jetset cat, you could say! There's a great pic of her below, taken by one of our chalet guests last week (click on it for a larger version).

I've been back in St Andre a few times since then. The main news is the latest phase of renovation work - see the pics below. Jacques, the builder who did the 3 cottages and pool last winter, has been busy getting MY place sorted. It lies next to the rental cottages (click on the right-hand pic below to see where it is), but is completely self-contained and separate.

As with the cottages last winter, it's been pretty much a 'gut it and start from scratch' job.

They started by ripping out the existing first floor and the remains of the second floor. Then they put new concrete first and second floors in, before ripping the roof off (see the middle pic above) and knocking part of the face of the building out on the second floor for the new roof terrace.

That is going to be one of the most spectacular features - the roof terrace. At the highest point of the whole property and facing west twds the setting sun, you get an almost 270-degree view of the valley, the vines, the Ceze Gorges, the forests on the hills and off twds the Cevennes mountains in the distance. You get a bit of an idea of the view from the middle pic above, but I'd need to stick several pics together to really do justice to the amazing panorama. For an evening aperitif as the sun sets, I think it'll be a hard place to beat...

The builders then rebuilt the roof using lovely round timber beams, put in a large Velux roof window above the stairwell and retiled the roof with the original tiles. That's one of the great things I've noticed here: when they redo rooves, they simply put the existing tiles to one side while they rip out the old structure and replace it with the new. Then they relay the old tiles on top of the new structure, so that the roof looks just like it did before (except it doesn't leak any more!). Ingenious, eh?!?

Since then, they've mortared the internal stone walls, built the bedroom and bathroom partition walls, enlarged or shrunk the external window and door openings, fitted new windows/doors. And now the sparky and plumber are busy doing all of their bit. When finished, the ground floor will be an open-plan living/dining/kitchen area, first floor will have my bedroom and bathroom, second floor will be office with a sofabed for visitors. And then there's that roof terrace...

The place should be ready in March, which means I have my place available right from the start of our summer season in April (first guests currently scheduled to arrive on 31 Mar)...

Talking of which, the bookings are flying in. I've sold 13 weeks in the big Gigondas house, 13 in Cote-Rotie and 8 in Chateauneuf-du-Pape - which I'm bloody pleased about, seeing as we're only at the start of Feb. But obviously I'm looking to have them filled for as many weeks as poss, so give me a shout asap if you've got dates you'd like to check availability for! From 29 July to 19 Aug, we're full in all three. But I've got space in one or more cottages at all other times.

I'm back down south in a couple of weeks for Vinisud, a big wine trade fair in Montpellier. My new wine business has had a great start - selling wine to other chalets in Chamonix, as well as some hotels/bars and to friends.

This summer, we're looking to expand our offering to sell to holidaymakers staying in places like Les BT in the south of France. Why buy rubbish from hypermarkets in Calais when you can pick up much nicer stuff from the region you've spent your holiday in???

Spring definitely comes early in the south of France. I think back to last year (which was an exceptionally cold winter) and from mid-March, you can be outside most of the time in shirtsleeves. The cherry trees start blossoming then - it really is a glorious time, I can't wait!

We look forward to seeing you down here during 2006 - you'll absolutely love it.

Ciao for now,

Sam & Rosie the cat

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31 October 2005: "Hello, this is St Andre calling..."

Bonjour world,

Hope you've had a good summer, wherever you were (if you weren't in Chamonix or down south in St Andre, why on earth not?!?).

I headed south from Chamonix at the end of April to oversee the final couple of months' renovation work here. A couple of blinks later, the first guests were arriving at the start of July and now here we are, with the leaves falling from the vines and the first snows falling on the hills around Chamonix. Gor blimey geezer, can someone slow the clock down?!?

I've been up to Cham a few times since April, mostly just for 2-3 days at a time - a couple of weddings, to see the accountant (yawn...), get out on a mountain bike. Talking of which, I bought myself a new bike in May. All seemed fine as I used it sometimes to ride around the vines near here. Until I took it up to Chamonix and up its first actual 'mountain'.

500m after getting off the cable car, a whole chunk of the metal gear bits sheared off completely, leaving me with a crippled bike. Needless to say, I was none to impressed: here was a mountain bike that fell apart 2 minutes after hitting its first, er, mountain.

Anyway, we continued our good run of guests in Cham with lovely gangs from the UK, Oz/NZ - also a group of Americans who booked up to take advantage of the discount I ran last autumn before their elections (5% off for voting John Kerry). They were a great bunch.

Meanwhile, back down south, May and June were hectic, as we raced towards getting Les Beaux Terroirs ready in time for first guests in July.

The whole project has been massive. We pretty much smashed the place apart and started again from scratch - knocking down walls/doorways, sticking in new stairs, building new walls, installing new electrics and plumbing throughout, replacing all windows, redoing the roof, building a swimming pool, landscaping the gardens, painting more walls/ceilings than you've had hot dinners and more...

But what a fabulous feeling of satisfaction to get it finished on time, to return a set of beautiful old buildings to a fit state and - most importantly - to hear our guests rave about the place and start planning return visits for next year. Have a look at the Photo gallery if you haven't already checked it out.

One of the best things about being down here is being able to hop in the car and get quickly to so many wonderful wine producers. The village lies in the Ceze Valley (a tributary of the Rhone) which is covered in vineyards. There are some lovely producers in and around the valley, even if they're not as well known as other nearby areas like Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas. I've been able to sniff out some great wines - from cheap everyday 3-4€ a bottle stuff to sensational special occasion wines that cost a few bucks more.

Even when you think you're pushing the boat out and spending 15-20€ on a bottle of mind-blowingly fab Chateauneuf, you have to remember that the same wine would cost about £15-20 in the UK and that you're spending no more than if you bought a fairly standard bottle of wine in most UK restaurants.

It's always fun and fascinating to visits producers on their own turf. Wine producers are invariably interesting, eccentric and slightly mad people. And wine tends to get grown in parts of the world that are coincidentally rather beautiful. So it's win-win-win every time.

This winter, I'm setting up another company with 2 French friends in the wine industry. We'll be selling a range of wines to independent catered chalets in Chamonix, Meribel and Morzine. We'll also be launching a sort of 'wine club' thingy to customers living in France - you buy an annual subscription and receive 3 different wines from us every quarter, which you can then order by the case at direct-from-producer prices. Should be fun.

Things have now more or less finished for the summer season. I've got a couple of groups of mates coming through both places in the next few weeks. Otherwise in Chamonix, it's the time to spruce up the chalet, install an additional hot water tank (lots more hot showers this winter...) and repaint the place. Meanwhile down south, the builders start work again in early November on another part of the property - this time creating a house that will be my own place!

We're looking forward to the start of winter 05-06 in Chamonix. We've already shifted 11 weeks of the season, so if you're keen for some fun 'n games Chalet PT-style this winter, get in touch pronto. See latest availability here.

Les Beaux Terroirs is also open throughout winter and spring, with super-duper-cheap off-season prices. The radiators have gone in, so you'll be lovely and toasty. With Ryanair/BA/Air France flights all year round, beautiful countryside and quiet cities to visit, you'll love it. See prices here.

Enjoy autumn and we look forward to seeing you en France soon.

Toodlepip.

Sam & co