I had heard and seen on the news about the huge snow fall down in the Midi last week

Driving down on Tuesday in 24 degree sunshine just days before, I couldn’t imagine any snow. That was until I passed through Limoux and even in the heat of today, the sides of the roads were piled with snow.

It was very strange indeed and when I stopped to take a look, the snow was like concrete! I later learned that the snow this time had come from the Mediterranean Sea and not the Pyrenees Mountains as normal and apparently, according to JC’s granddad, the flakes of snow from the sea are much larger, heavier and flatter causing much more compact snow – hence why the snow is still on the sides of the road!

I was driving down to the Midi on a bit of a whirlwind tour to check the 2009s, collect samples for our tasting today in Bordeaux and to oversee the safe transportation of the 2008 President XV from Maury to Narbonne and ensure the wine was put into bottle in perfect condition.

After a long day I went back to Maury to stay the night with my good friends Jean-Charles and Celine Duran and they cooked up a superb Bacalao (salted cod) a la Catalana followed by a superb chocolate fondant with a glass of ice cold rancio Maury!

The next morning I was at the Vignerons of Maury to collect samples of the just finished President XV 2009 to send to the prestigious competitions in the UK and France.

Henry was in town so we had arranged to catch up in the evening back in Bordeaux but before heading back I quickly stopped off in Perpignan to get some real special Catalane Sausage.We cooked them to perfection on some old vines. Every time I smell and taste them, it takes me back to my lunch breaks when I was working in the beautiful vineyards of French Catalonia!

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