The other 5 bloggers and I were in Bordeaux because we’d written something good about wine at some point. I have to admit that reading everyone else’s entries kind of made me shrink a bit, but that’s just my English inadequacy shining through once again. Obviously we were all there to get stuck into the great wines of the region, taking our photos and making our tasting notes as we went around. From my point of view though, one of the best things about wine is that it’s unescapedly linked with food. Me oh my, the food that week was amazing!
From our first night at Château Fombrauge it was looking pretty special. The private chef who came in to make our food absolutely nailed it, although I think he was a bit miffed that we only ever ate things cold. Serving hot food to 6 bloggers? It needs to be piping hot! Especially as we all take about 10 minutes to take the photos before we tuck in 🙂
And so it progressed. The next day we were lunching at La Grande Maison, Bernard Magrez’s luxury hotel and restaurant. Although Joel Robuchon has now left the set up there, the exquisite food and service was just like an out of body experience. As much as in my old job I used to do these things a bit more, I never got used to it, the novelty is still massive, and I loved every minute. From the butter kebab, to the jaw dropping dessert trolley (pictured above, that easter egg is about 3 foot tall), it was just silly!
Of course we got to eat great food and drink great wines no matter where we went. The press night at Fieuzal to officially open Primeur week was special in that we were sat with the winemakers and Chateaux owners of some of the top places around. Each had brought a couple of bottles of their good stuff and we all heartily tucked in alongside the duck and lamb dishes. The visit to Du Tertre in Margaux the day after saw me lose my nut entirely at the oyster buffet, I just love those slippery little buggers and the Bordeaux region does some of the best!
We also managed to have a bit of grub in town too. Le Petit Commerce is somewhere I’d heard about a lot, so getting to get stuck into the seafood platter there was an absolute joy, even though I ate so many sea snails I think I might have turned a funny shade of green.
People forget Bordeaux is a real foodie area. Don’t forget to pack your stretchy pants if you’re visiting!
Cheers
