On Friday we officially opened the Chai au Quai;

On Friday we officially opened the Chai au Quai; Laithwaites new French home by the Dordogne in Castillon. I cut the ribbon in front of Le Maire (my old friend and one time rugby captain, Michel Jouanno) and the President of the CIVB; the Conseil Interprofessional des Vins de Bordeaux Alain Vironneau - a great honour for me. (The French do openings the other way round to us; you cut your own ribbon then give the distinguished guests a bit of ribbon to keep).

President Vironneau said I was like Merlot! Because like Merlot, my origins were in this area of Bordeaux, but I have since spread around the whole wine world. I thought he was going on to say that like Merlot I was soft and round! But he didn't. He like many Bordeaux folk was not too impressed when we changed our name to Laithwaites from 'Bordeaux Direct'.

But now, with the opening of this magnificent cellar he felt I had returned to my roots and demonstrated my fidelity to Bordeaux. He hoped all my customers would do likewise! I replied, if I remember rightly, (because I wrote my speech in English but had to speak it in French) that I had a lovely feeling of being amongst old friends - I was, actually. There were friends there I have known for 42 years, fabulous to have them all together for a good 'do'.

As a student I had worked here - even in this very chai - and learnt the history of the Bordeaux wine trade; a thousand years old and once the greatest trade of any kind that the world had ever seen.

This trade was built by the great merchants in their Quayside 'chais' - who still ruled Bordeaux when I came here, but who have since faded, as the 'Chateaux' have grown in numbers and influence. In this Chai, the last - and most magnificent on the Dordogne, we are going to do our best to return to the glory days. Because the region is struggling today. Not perhaps the 'summits' of Bordeaux wine, but certainly the mountain below needs help. Needs new ideas and perhaps new rules. (The very next day the new Minister of Agriculture said she'd be looking at changing a few rules. In Bordeaux you are not allowed to put grape varieties on labels. You cannot make blends between regions, even if that would make a nicer wine. All this and more needs looking at.) I think they’ll get there … they’ve certainly the best raw materials you could hope for.

I like traditions but I pointed out that our customers are no longer inclined to drink wine they don't really enjoy just because of tradition. Then we got the invited crowd inside ten seconds before the heavens opened.

The place was immaculate. Mark and Denis who run the Chai had the assistance of half a dozen English girls and guys from the Theale office. And Brigitte who 'does' for us here had laid on a friend who cultivates oysters at Arcachon, a Dutch friend who makes cheese near here and our amazingly good local baker. With all our Chai wines open (plus a Chilean and Australian just to remind the Bordelais of what they are up against!). And with Jean-Marc doing his wine super-star bit, it was a good 'do'.

The sun came out at the end and the old river looked beautiful enough to make you cry. Emotional day. I would have loved Monsieur and Madam Cassin to see this, and Old Monsieur Appelghem who owned this place and employed me here. A long, long, very long time ago.