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Loire festival adds British twist
The UK will be guest of honour at an annual food and wine festival due to take place in the Loire next month.
Saumur. Photo credit: Martin Falbisoner
Les Grandes Tablées de Saumur-Champigny takes place on the evenings of 5 and 6 August with around 10,000 visitors expected, including French Agriculture Minister Stéphane Le Foll, 6,000 meals served and more than 4,000 bottles of the appellation’s wine opened.
For each of the 15 years this festival has been held, one export market has been selected as a special guest. The 2015 UK spotlight will see traditional British dishes and “popular” music feature during the two-day event.
Meanwhile local winemakers will present a statue of Richard III to nearby Fontevraud Abbey, where several of the 15th century English monarch’s ancestors are buried. Visitors will also be able to put their name down to buy a Richard III of Fontevraud special cuvée, which is yet to be bottled.
Four other special cuvées will be served during the festival banquet, each representing different vintages of a “Cuvée des 100 Vignerons”, which sees local winemakers each contribute 15 kilograms of grapes to the blend.
Starting at 7pm each evening, Les Grandes Tablées de Saumur-Champigny is held in Saumur’s Place de la République. Tickets are available from the town’s tourist office and cost €5 for a tasting glass only or €12 for a meal and engraved tasting glass.