Horizontal snow, Tramontane blowing a super-gale at -6degC. The wind-chill was off the dial!! But a jolly good time had by all at Gerard Bertrand's warm place up on La Clape, overlooking the Med, near Narbonne.
We'd set up a big tasting-meet at L'Hospitalet with all our Midi suppliers and no weather was going to put anyone off.
Everyone - all 35 - turned up. Even the guy from Fitou who'd just cut off his thumb came (it is pruning time!) Midi people are hard men. And women. Gerard's assistant plays second row for France Feminin. Gerard himself played for France and captained Narbonne and Stade Francais in the old days.
I knew his Dad well. (Why do I always seem to be saying that these days?) Big Georges Bertrand supplied us the wine which - more than any other - caused the creation of The Sunday Times Wine Club - just so popular with readers. I've always owed Georges for that. Sad that we were in the middle of a row at the time of his tragic early death. But Gerard picked up where his father left off, fanatically promoting the Midi as the source of wines that equal any in France.
He is now the Midi's most successful producer, sells to 64 countries, and claims L'Hospitalet is the region's most visited estate. Go there! Google 'L'Hospitalet'. Has a nice hotel, restaurant 3000 barrels and 1000 hectares of wild hillside. But wait 'till the weather improves.
From Tony, snowbound on the A61. "That's the first time I've seen Carcassonne covered in snow."
Visit laithwaites.co.uk
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