The Cotes-to-Gascoigne is a Vin de Pays zone occurring in the same soil as the Armagnac region in the Southwest of France. This was the decree of September 13th 1968 which gave birth to the wine country, distinguishing them from table wines. A decree of specific wines of Cotes de Gascoigne was published in the Official Journal on January 25th 1982. It defines the production conditions for obtaining approval. This soil is characterized Read More ...
There’s no doubt as a nation we’ve become obsessed with wine. From drinking it, to talking about it, to even collecting it. For many of us, le vin is one of our greatest passions. In fact, did you realise that collectively we spend £11.5 billion on wine each year, with around one billion bottles sold annually? In this webTV show we will learn from Colin Deane the finer art of Read More ...
The French have long been renowned for their fashion sense and French lingerie is just one more way in which the French have shown that they understand how to be sexy and alluring. The world of French lingerie includes many sexy and luxury items that make the wearer feel very confident, sensual, and sexier. Since the French first invented lingerie back in the 1600s there are now a huge number Read More ...
When we think about cooking with cheese we tend to think of using parmesan in our pasta, or some mature cheddar topped on toast, but there are a lot of different recipes out there involving cheese and similarly there are a lot of different cheeses. In fact in France alone, there are over 1,000 different kinds of cheeses made, that range from Camembert to Époisses and of course the well Read More ...
The Centre Pompidou is holding an exhibition of the unique work of Lucian Freud. Opening on March 10th, the retrospective will present an overview of Freud’s output including his almost obsessive treatment of his portraits and the nude being drawn, and his desire to make his paintings to look like flesh. in addition to aboutabout 50 large works of art, visitors will also be able to peruse photos of the Read More ...
Going abroad is when many people take the opportunity to try new gourmet food – sampling a gorgeous new drop of red or a new type of cured ham, so it’s no wonder if you haven’t taken a trip this year you may be feeling like you are missing out on the experience. Whether you stayed at home or travelled to Europe and have the post holiday blues, worry not Read More ...
November sees the launch of our fabulous Gastro Academy for 2010 – the only residential holiday cookery school of its kind and calibre in South West France. The French House Party is a listed Top Retreat in the National Geographic book, The 100 Best Worldwide Vacations to Enrich Your Life and we now have an enormous, brand-new kitchen, designed specifically for group cookery classes. We’re thrilled to welcome award-winning French Read More ...
While the smaller towns in France, like small towns anywhere, may not be known for their nightlife, the big cities certainly come to life after dark. For the best nightlife, there is nowhere more exciting than Paris. Parisians are known for their very full after-work lifestyle. They meet friends at a cafe, go out for dinner or to a show, then end the night with a quick trip to a Read More ...
France is home to a large numbers of festivals, held throughout the year. Many are religious in nature celebrating Saints’ days, etc. Visiting festivals and joining in with the fun and excitement can add a lot to a visitor’s travel experience. So if you are in Calais or Lyon and there is a festival happening nearby, go and see what all the excitement is about. The Carnival of Nice, held Read More ...
The French have a long tradition of personal liberty and freedom, including religious freedom. About 50% of the French people describe themselves as Catholic. Life, both in Paris and in the smaller towns and rural villages, is based around the family. Yet that family life in recent years has been changing. Today, nearly one-third of homes are occupied by a single person living alone. The numbers of single parents, childless Read More ...
