Finding truffle with the dog

Found ONE!!!!!

truffle market lalbenque

The snow at merchien!

Merry christmas!

This is the snow at the domain du Merchien on boxing day . Just 3 month ago it was harvest, hard to imagine the change in such a short space of time?? It just gives those of you that visit us in the summer and ask the question whats it like in the winter a taster. We will try and show you the work over the winter period both in the field and the chai to show you a year in a vineyard!!

Just had to show off my first ever cooked HAM!!!
Wiltshire ham can not beet it!! there says a wiltshire lass

Cork not plastic

Forest In A Bottle = Natural World BBC2 8:00pm

As most of you know we only use cork for our bottles and hopefully always will. Our motto is supporting the natural Cork forest of the World and not the petrol chemical industry.

If we do not support the cork producers the forest will die!! cork is renewable .

Please consider this when drinking a bottle of wine with a plastic stopper or screw cap.

David has been saying it for years, use CORK maybe now it will become fashionable and we will all benefit.

Maybe Domaine du Merchien with our little bit of eco-ness will also become fashionable.

Please watch the program if poss. and give us your thought on our BLOG http://merchienwineandbeer.blogspot.com/

David and Sarah
www.merchien.com

Loading the pressed grapes into trailer for the distillery.
After the pressing of the fermented grapes we have to keep all the pressed grape skins and send to a distillery to be made into industrial alcohol, this is a sort of tax we have to pay(yet another one) if we do not arrange for the "marc" to be sent than the customs have a right to come and take finished wine.

This marc is also used to make 'eau de vie' slightly different way of distilling to give a hint of fruit but still very alcholic. In 2001 we sent some marc off to a man in the village to make us some , we still have loads left very good to keep a cold away!! the locals say a tot aday keeps a cold away.

What a Night.............. Wake me in the morning!!