Rural France Summer Festival & Market

Canal du Midi in France and Overview of this Week—

Summer Festival in France—

On Sunday I drove to a typical French summer festival, held in the town of Saint Nazaire. It was a local affair where vendors sold food, wine, beer and where a few young musicians played keyboard and sang. This is a typical French gathering that emphasizes community, quality products and local entertainment.

WSJ Article on Wine and Business Skills—

Check out this article from the Wall Street Journal. It tells how knowing about wine can enhance your business networking. I recommended it to friends, and two lovely American and European ladies I worked with in Pakistan have now requested that I provide them with a Master Class in wine! Which I shall . . .

(If anyone else is interested, let me know!)

Free Recipe from The Winemakers' Cooking Companion Cookbook

I compiled the cookbook titled The Winemakers' Cooking Companion over a ten year period. It includes 108 recipes from 18 countries—contributed by winemakers, winery chefs and winery owners. A book launch dinner will take place on September 16th in my village in southern France at La Cantine du Curé wine bar/restaurant when winemakers from two wineries and chefs from three restaurants cook up a storm of recipes. There will also be an event at the Green Cat art gallery this autumn.

Recipe—

This recipe is one of many from Canada in the cookbook, and is a celebration of warm days and fresh fruit.

More Free Chapters From The Book Vino Voices: Wine, Work, Travel, Life

I'm continuing to provide all chapters from my book Vino Voices: Wine, Work, Travel, Life for free here during the coming months. Originally written over a decade ago, this book has been revised and is available as an e-book. It is 230 pages long and includes interviews with more than 45 professionals in a dozen countries who work in the world of wine, and explain why they love their work. It includes more than 100 photographs.

Click below to download chapters nineteen and twenty, about a family that makes wine barrels in northern Italy, and about a restored winery (from pre-Prohibition times) in the state of Missouri, USA.