Hello from the Loire Valley – since I last wrote the past
two days have been full of driving, adventures, and good times. Where to first?
How about lunch on a goat farm outside the town of
Villandry! L’Etape Gourmande is a small goat farm just past the second field of
vines and the third field of sunflowers on a small D route leading into
Villandry. A bunch of wrought iron tables were assembled in a courtyard of
sorts and a fresh delish simple yet creative menu was on offer.
We each had a poached egg with girolles sautéed in coffee
and red wine with some of their local fresh chevre and a sprinkling of herbs to
add a flavorful aromatic punch. Simple yet refined, inventive and creative yet
not too out of the box. Followed by a classic green salad and of course their
selection of three cheeses – a camembert style cheese, a brin d’amour (the
classic triple cream infused with local herbs), and of course a Selles sur Cher
(an ash ripened, aged goat’s milk cheese true to the region), served with a
homemade pear compote, it was a true French farmstead experience.
Next stop – the manicured gardens of the Chateau de
Villandry of course. Designed and inspired by traditional Renaissance gardens,
the Chateau of Villandry boasts seven different gardens – the love garden, the
woods, the water garden, the sun garden, the maze, the herb garden, and the
vegetable garden. Each more beautiful than the last – it really enforces you to
stop and smell the roses both literally and metaphorically – making you realize
how much work goes into the cultivation of our produce, meals, our surroundings
and really everything. These gardens are a labor of love available for all to
appreciate. What a treat!
Where to next?
How about a few of the local wine producers in Chinon?
Chinon is known for its reds, being the heart of red wine in the Loire Valley.
One tends to find light, mineral forward yet round 100% Cabernet Franc wines, I
think best served slightly chilled. Earthy and chalky yet full of light red
berry notes and a nice round finish. Apart from the reds, we found a few
fabulous roses and some bubbles. But wait till today’s recap when it comes to
wine producers as they truly blew us away.
The day would not be complete with a visit to the local goat
cheese producer, off of the D116, just past the hill of vines, around the next
bend and up and back a few hills and just past the intersection. Le Vazereau
was one of the close region’s only fromagistes and farmers specializing in of
course Saint Maure de Touraine (the ash ripened goat’s milk log known here and
abroad as being one of the top cheeses of the Loire Valley), along with a few
of the other ash ripened goat’s milk cheeses – Selles sur Cher, the soft
ripened Crottin de Chavignol, a few styles of Tomme de Chevre and a Bleu de Chevre.
The Saint Maure blew us away – dainty and light yet bold and flavorful –
chalky, citrusy, tangy, grassy, milky, and all around fantastic. This cheese
bears no resemblance to the cheese of the same name that we are able to buy in
the US. Boy was it spectacular! Perfect with a glass of Domaine Huet’s La Mont
Demi Sec 2011. (More on that visit soon!) Apart from the Saint Maure, the Tomme
de Chevre also wowed – honest and flavorful – with that classic goaty tang, a
nice citrusy, lemongrass-y side with a grassy yet rustic and earthy finish.
Perfect with a glass of local Chinon chilled. Overall – each cheese was out of
this world and the perfect introduction to our visits with local creameries in
the Loire Valley.
Stay tuned for more tomorrow!
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