Must interrupt my reminiscences ...

... for this trip to Paris.

France is giving me a gong! A real medal!

I am about to become a Chevalier du Merit - Agricole. I guess only France rates agriculture so highly. This award rates very high. Probably wouldn't in Britain. If it existed.

Here we are - Barbara, Helene, Yves and moi at the 'Salon Agricole' surrounded by a million farmers.

Yves says all the politicians are always at this show, are here all the time; it’s so important ... not just for the rural vote. ALL the French treasure the tradition and the richness of their food and wine culture. Politicians MUST also show they also value this ... or else.

Anyway, we are waiting for our moment in the hall. When I say 'hall' do not imagine a hallowed, silent place. This hall is heaving. All around the throng is tasting wine, sampling rillettes, saucissons, cheeses, oysters - you name it, they are eating or drinking it. A huge, glorious, annual celebration of 'La Bouffe'. It’s lunchtime, so it’s getting noisier.

We ourselves have just grabbed some Champagne, oysters, smoked trout and a display of charcuterie; all Gold Medal winners. Well, we're only here for the day so seize the chance.

There are to be two ceremonies.

First the awarding of the Lauréats des Prix d'Excellence. These are awarded, one per wine region, and are based on previous medal-winning performance. That makes sense. Wine competitions are not an exact science. You can just get lucky. But if you rack up a good tally of golds and silvers, years in a row, they will consider you for the Laureat. And we - our little Chateau La Clariere Laithwaite - is this year's Laureat for Bordeaux. Quel honneur!

But we've been winning medals here for decades. Yes, but recently we got really good '06 Silver, '07 Gold, '08 Gold (and just announced the '09 Silver ... I think our '09 is our best ever but you can't win 'em all). So ... we got the top Prize. Thanks to Olivier our vigneron, Jean-Marc and Henry our winemakers, Helene who runs the place, and Claudy who ran it for its entire existence until last year.

So what do the wine authorities go and do? They decide to award me the Merit Agricole! Logical?

Henry is doing vintage in Australia. Jean-Marc the same in Chile.

So Helene and I go up to collect the Lauréat. And Helene does a lovely little speech which is such a good selling job she gets two guys asking for a couple pallet’s-worth immediately as she gets off the rostrum!



After a pause it’s the Chef du Cabinet bestowing four Chevaliers du Merit Agricole. He can't pronounce my name but then they never can in France. But at least he doesn't do the kissing thing.

So there I am, chatting with the others over Champagne (Gold Medal) and then it’s a race to the Gare du Nord, the old Eurostar. Yves goes off to develop his photos, Helene heads for Bordeaux with the wine award.

I'd like to keep my medal on - it even impressed the taxi driver - but I mustn’t. Writing this on the train after more Champagne - and crisps. (To get Barbara sufficiently 'relaxed' before we go in the tunnel.)

Then it’s all back to normal. Except I may just wear it in bed tonight.