Beaujolais New View?

Sunday, March 4th, 2007

In September 2005 I had the great pleasure (?) of driving from Leeds to the Beaujolais region.   Having stayed with family in Essex, passed through the Dover to Calais ferry and spent a night in Epernay (never mind Reims, this is the centre of the champagne universe for me) we arrived in Belleville about 40 hours after we set off.

The reason for the trip?  A 40th birthday present was a “rental” of a number of rows of vines at a Morgon vineyard related to 3D Wines, owned by the absolutely charming Bernard Collonge and his even more charming wife, (who could speak about as much English, as I could French) Christine.

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What’s wrong with hotel restaurants?

Thursday, February 22nd, 2007

Is it just me or is everyone suspicious of hotel restaurants?  I stay in hotels a fair bit and I go out of my way to avoid the restaurant in favour of seeking out a local resto with some atmosphere, food that’s not made by the bland leading the bland, and a decent wine list.

So it was with interest and some trepidation that I found myself on the invitation list for the opening of the Queen’s Grill in Leeds on 15 Feb 07.

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