Welcome to 'France et Moi' where I'm talking to author Caro Feely about what France means to her.
Caro is author of Grape Expectations: A Family's Vineyard Adventure in France
and also runs an organic vineyard and wine tour company in France with her husband. You can read my review of her book here.
and also runs an organic vineyard and wine tour company in France with her husband. You can read my review of her book here.
First question, I think France is a special place and it is
famed for many things including its cheese, wine and diverse holiday locations
plus, dare I say it strikes and dog poo littered streets. What do you think makes France
so very unique and ‘French’?
Caro: The wine (of
course!) and food and the fascinating history that we see all around us in the
buildings 'la patrimoine'.
2) What is your first memory of a trip to France?
Caro: An incredible
visit to the Loire Valley where our passion to move to France to grow organic
wine truly started. It is the first passage of Grape Expectations (the book and
our wines can be viewed and ordered online) and where our dream was born: a beautiful cellar cave in Bourgueil.
3) What is your favourite holiday location in France?
Caro: I can't pick
one. Truly memorable holidays include the chateaux and wines of the Loire, the
wild atlantic beaches near Arcachon, hiking in the Pyrenees, hiking and
canoeing in Languedoc, exploring markets in Provence, winetasting in Alsace and
Burgundy not to forget the fabulous canoeing, castles, gardens and wine and
food of our local area in the Dordogne that we enjoy for day trips in the long
summer holidays. We don't get to holiday much now as our holiday accommodation
(www.luxurydordognegites.com) and the wine tours we offer
(www.frenchwineadventures.com) keep us here in season and the vines keep us
busy all year round.
4) Having lived in France and spoken French for many years
do you have any top
tips for my readers on how to learn French?
Caro: Top tip is no
English TV: only have the French channels with subtitles in French to help you
recognise the sounds, try to read French books rather than english and buy a
french newspaper.
5) Do you have any embarrassing language mishaps you are
happy to share?
Caro: Definitely the
worst was calling a puppy (chiot) a vulgar term for a toilet: shithole
(chiotte) at a fancy soiree at a nearby chateau. Close second was asking a
neighbouring winegrower how many condoms were in his wine...full story here.
6) Imagine you are sitting outside a French café at 10.00am
on a sunny morning watching the world go by, what do you order from the waiter?
Caro: Noisette. I
love capucino but it is very hit and miss and this shot of expresso with a dash
of frothy milk is always good.
7) Quick poll – English chocolate éclair with whipped cream
filling or French éclair au chocolat with crème patisserie filling?
Caro: French.
8) What is your favourite regional French dish?
Caro: Magret de
canard: duck breast in a wine reduction sauce. For quick wow starters three cheesy
favourites are camembert with rosemary baked in its box (with barrel aged
semillon), roquefort and fig (with saussignac dessert wine or red if you dont
want to start with sweet wine), and goats cheese grilled on large brown mushrooms
(with sauvignon blanc). Other wine pairing ideas and recipes can be found here.
9) France has many different cheeses, a silly question, but
which French cheese
are you? A hard and mature Tome, a soft, fresh and lively
goat cheese, the
creamy and rich Camembert or maybe the salty and serious
Roquefort?
Caro: organic fresh
goats cheese.
10) Can you explain ‘terroir’?
11) France has some beautiful cities and there are a few
that constantly battle to be my favourite, what is your favourite French city
and why?
Caro: I prefer the
countryside but I do love Bordeaux for its magnificent quay area, wine bars and
of course Paris is a city that has so many international icons one cannot pass
it by. Both are great cities for walking.
Finally, do you have any current projects you would like to
tell my readers about?
Caro: As a writer I
am working on the sequel to Grape Expectations. I am motivated and excited
about it - getting up at 6am everyday to write for two hours before the demands
of work and family consume my day. For the wine tours new projects include
Stargazer tours for those who want to know more about the sky and biodynamics
(www.FrenchWineAdventures.com). The new vintage wines include a few surprises
and new names too. To keep up to date on news readers can subscribe to the
newsletter at www.FeelyWines.com or email me at caro@feelywines.com.
Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions about
France and you.
Caro: Thank you for
asking me. I love reading French Village Diaries.
You can read my reviews of Caro’s memoirs here:
Vineyard Confessions (previously known as Glass Half Full)
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