Purefrancenow was asked to organise this wine-tasting event by Meeting Protocol Worldwide for one of their international clients during a major exhibition at the Lyon Congress Centre.

The wines chosen by our award winning sommelier were also specially selected for each course of the evening dinner at the Cour des Loges.

Beautiful surroundings, elegant atmosphere, superb food, top quality wines, and good company – an absolute recipe for success for any company wanting to treat and impress their clients at any time of the year.

Visit our recent pre-editorial on this event at:  Wine Tasting Event by Purefrancenow in Lyon

Purefrancenow specialises in the organisation and arrangement of tailor-made wine and gastronomic events in Lyon and the surrounding region, including the Roannais and the Beaujolais. We will organise unique events for both private and business occasions.

Provide the brief and Purefrancenow will provide a successful solution!

We will also arrange all accommodation and transportation according to your detailed requirements, and we are here to help with creative suggestions, including themes for any event. All fully detailed and very competitively costed in a ‘Purefrancenow Proposal’ document for your assessment and agreement.

Purefrancenow has an office base in the Rhône-Alpes region, near Lyon, so we are on the spot to service any event requirement. We have both English and French-speaking personnel on the ground to assist in all arrangements and project control throughout.

We also have reliable, ‘tried and tested’ event service companies within our ‘service’ portfolio who we use for different aspects of any event, such as transportation (eg coaches and limousines, even planes and helicopters!), variety of entertainment options, design and decoration, accommodation, venues, specialist catering and menu preparation, including, of course, the best French wine sommeliers/oenologists, and more!

Wine-tasting Event by Purefrancenow in Lyon

Sélection John Euvrard

If you wish to discuss an event idea with us, and would like us to provide an initial proposal, please contact us direct:  info@purefrancenow.com

www.purefrancenow.com

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Colline du Colombier never ceases to enthrall. Situated in a countryside idyll in the nearby region of Southern Burgundy (Sud Bourgogne), and close to the beautiful village of Iguerande.

This opportunity for another visit was my wife’s birthday, so we went with great anticipation, and were most definitely not disappointed!

My wife, Lucy, had the ‘Menu en Novembre’

Pisé de saumon et de légumes frais

Truite à peine fumée, à l’oseille

Sablé à la banane et au chocolat

I had ‘Le Menu “Rendezvous” ‘

Salade Carmélite

Le lièvre à la royale

Gratin d’oranges ” Madame France”

Our son, Ellis, had ‘Le Menu pour les enfants’ which consisted of a Charolais beef steak with potatoes, followed by ‘Dariole au Chocolat’ with vanilla ice cream – he loved it!!

Lucy and I started with a white wine kir (flavoured mûre), followed by an exceptional red wine, selected by La Maison Troisgros – Saint Joseph 2007 by Paul Jaboulet.

With the sun shining, amazing surroundings, impeccable food, and efficient, infor,al service, it was a very good birthday celebration !

We’ll be going again, when another good excuse in the calendar occurs !

Take a look at our previous editorials about this delightful restaurant at:

More gastronomic delicacies with the family Troisgros

Troisgros – Their new restaurant, near Roanne, Rhône-Alpes

Lunch at La Colline du Colombier, Iguerande by Brian Franklin

www.purefrancenow.com

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Cour des Loges, Lyon

Purefrancenow has recruited one of the best sommeliers in France to select all the wines and perform the wine-tasting ‘degustation’ and presentation during the evening.

John Euvrard was elected Sommelier of the Year in 2007, and Meilleur Ouvrier de France, after 15 years as head Sommelier for Paul Bocuse;

John Euvrard has been a Sommelier since 1990.

He started his training at the Lycée Professionnel Jacques de Romas in Nérac, and finished at the Relais de la Poste in Magascq on the west coast of France.

Then he joined Paul Bocuse and his team in Collonges au Mont D’Or as a sommelier in 1993, and went on to become his head Sommelier in 1998.

In 2007, after a year long competition, John receives the title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France in the categorie of Sommelier, from the President of the Republic, Mr. Nicolas Sarkosy. During this year, John is also elected Sommelier of the Year by the magazine Le Chef.

In 2008, John launches his own wine tasting company, and organises wine tasting, training sessions and informative events.

In 2010, John launches his brand new enterprise in Lyon : John Euvrard Selection , a meeting place for individuals and professionals, to taste, select and purchase a great variety of different wines.

John’s choice selection of wines for our November Wine-Tasting Event are:

MONDEUSE DE MONTAGNIEU 07 R

ST JOSEPH COURBIS 08 R

BEAUJOLAIS LES GRIOTTES 2011 R

BEAUJOLAIS NUGUES 10 B

ALTESSE DE MONTAGNIEU 09 B

CONDRIEU A. PERRET 2010 B

POUILLY FUISSE VV 09 B

COTE ROTIE BONNEFOND 09 R

John Euvrard- Sommelier Extraordinaire!

www.purefrancenow.com

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The Beaujolais is just 30 minutes drive from Roanne, in fact pre-19th century the Roannais was part of the Beaujolais region.
Here we recently had the opportunity to visit a small, family producer of wonderful red and white wines.

Roger Dumas cultivates a mere 5 hectares of vines and follows generations of his family in growing traditionally and esthetically.

Twice, each year, for a weekend, M. Dumas opens his doors and takes immense pleasure in explaining his methods and ethics to the public.

His is a story of tradition and quality, profit being a bonus when it happens, but certainly not Roger’s priority.
A producer of integrity and humility, who cares for his land with true passion and belief in quality, never willing to sacrifice the latter.

We visited with a good friend, who had joined the group of loyal ‘harvesters’ each year, (in his younger days!) to work hard in the fields, sleep rough in the huge barn and benefit from the fabulous family hospitality each evening. A ‘rites de passage’ for many a young man, (and woman of course!)

The Beaujolais region is notoriously beautiful. Rolling green hillsides dotted with tiny villages, golden in the sunshine.
Though not distracting from this beauty, as in many regions, a change has taken place over recent years. Sadly, you can see where odd fields have been stripped of their vines and turned to more profitable crops, a mark of the decline in France’s dominance of the world wine market, as new countries and big business in particular take over.

Never an option for M. Dumas, who almost takes great delight in describing the 2 years out of the last 10, when due to bad storms in the area, his whole crop was destroyed. Not willing to compromise, and produce an inferior vintage the harvest was abandoned until the following year- c’est la vie!

Back to the visit!
The very humble barn had been opened, and decked with trellis tables.
Along side the open bottles lined up for tasting, were various local delights- huge bowls of cherries from the garden, green olives and oil from a family friend in Spain, who shares M. Dumas’s beliefs in traditional and natural production. There were walnuts and almonds, from the same Spanish farm as well as cured ham, delicious!
The red wines varied in age, each with it’s own distinct character and along with the white, rose and sparkling, offered a variety fit for any occasion.

Also a delight was the locally made goats cheese and honey that was on offer to taste. With their artisan producers, proudly talking about their products, and farms.

We came away, as one does on these occasions, feeling content and at one with the world, happy that in this corner of France, like our own Roannais region, the respect for nature and traditional ways were being upheld against the flow of technology and mass production.

Try our Purefrancenow Gourmet Week-ends with  visit to a vineyard in the marvellous Cote Roannais, complete with wine-tasting, and a sumptious ‘Menu Gourmand’ at the amazing Chateau de Champlong in the Roannais.

www.purefrancenow.com

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Not ones for missing an opportunity, we booked into Château de Champlong for a delightful evening dinner. All the better, because our close friends, Dale and Clare Thompson, were treating us to the whole soiree as a special belated birthday treat for me. What a great idea!

Good company, good food, good wine, in a great environment. It doesn’t get much better than that! And the anticipated occasion did not disappoint.

Château de Champlong, as most places, always look their best on a beautiful, warm, sunny evening. As we drove up the driveway, the chateau and its grounds looked stunning in the evening sunlight.

Dale and Clare had heard about us singing the praises of Olivier and Véronique Boizet’s Chateau restaurant and 4-star hotel many times before. They wanted to experience it and to find out if it was all true. They weren’t  disappointed.

After our excellent meal we returned to the lounge and bar for digestifs, and to all our delights Olivier Boizet arrived and asked if we would like to visit his ancient wine cave beneath the château for another after-dinner drink. We couldn’t say no to this one!

It was a fascinating place, and a privilege to be invited into the inner sanctum of the château’s high quality wine collection.

It was a great pleasure and lots of fun for all of us. We all went home very happy!!

Very many thanks to Dale and Clare!

For our evening meal we had decided on the ‘Saveurs Festives’ menu with 2 services and wine selected for each course by Champlong’s sommelier. A Perfect combination of flavours!

Château de Champlong

www.purefrancenow.com

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One of the many excellent restaurants in this region that, amazingly, we have never visited. And yet, all our French friends and food connoisseurs have always recommended the place.

In fact, they have often described L’Astrée as second only to the famous Troisgros just down the road from it.

Anyway, we went recently on the invitation of our good friend, Jean Marc Dublé, who treated us to an exceptionally delightful evening dinner.

It did not disappoint.

L’Astrée is a superb rendezvous for gastronomes. Owner-Chef Simon Falcoz has a great creative touch, and his cuisine is innovative. We enjoyed a perfect meal in comfortable, contemporary surroundings, with convivial, professional table service, and overseen by the charming attentiveness of Simons wife, Martine.

The choice of menu was superb, and it was difficult to decide – it all looked very good, of course!

Menu Epicurien was tempting. At 45 euros, it also seemed extremely reasonable. This included hors d’œuvres, entrée, poisson au viande, fromage, dessert.

Entrée

Le duo de foie gras l’un “ cuit au naturel au touchon” compote de figues au Porto, l’autre poêlé au gingembre

Viande

Les ris veau rôtis, dores au sesame, jus simple et réduction de Porto

Wine accompaniment: with our entrée we had St. Nicholas de Bourgueil Domaine du Fondis 2009 (a fresh crisp white), and with our Viande we had Vin de Pays d’Oc Les Creisses 2006 (a full bodied, plummy red). Both excellent choices, and to be recommended.

A most enjoyable fine dining experience with good company – you can’t beat it!

L’Astrée, 17 Bis Cours République, 42300 Roanne, Tel: 04 77 72 74 22:

Menu du déjeuner à 18Euros. 
· Menus à 26 et à 48Euros. 
· À la carte comptez de 30 à 45Euros. 
· Menu enfant à 13Euros. 
· Service de 12h à 13h30 et de 19h30 à 21h. 
· Très belle cave à vins. 
· Accueil charmant de Martine Falcoz. 
· Décoration moderne et mobilier confortable. 
· Réservation indispensable.

www.purefrancenow.com

Roanne Table Ouverte’ – 8th Festival of gastronomy in the Roannais region, during October 2010. (Literally ‘open table’ – a welcome to all the public to enjoy some of the best restaurants in the region)
The gastronomic jewel of Roanne and the Roannais!
It is an opportunity and a pleasure for all the restaurants, producers, and suppliers to open their doors to the public, and to demonstrate their gastronomic talents and artistic presentation.

This highly successful festival harmonises the art of good food with the fun of theatre, music, and entertainment.  These festivities carry on throughout the month of October in the varied and various establishments in the Roannais.
A celebration of good food, wine, successful business partnerships, conviviality and friendship.
It brings the whole community together with one purpose, at least for one whole month!

If you happen to be in the Roannais region during this October, just try one or two of the local restaurants that are supporting this event, and have fun while you enjoy excellent regional cuisine!

Visit www.roannetableouverte.com or telephone for more information on 0033 (0) 477 23 20 57

The quality of gastronomy in the Roannais region is renowned for its excellence – experience it for yourselves this October, or visit the region for your holiday, or for your next business or club event. Visit www.purefrancenow.com for more information on all aspects of Roanne, the Roannais, and the Rhône-Alpes.

Also visit: Fun and Gastronomy in the Roannais !

The Gastronomic Magic of the Roannais

www.purefrancenow.com

The Gastronomic Magic of the Roannais!

This is another ongoing ‘mission’ by Purefrancenow to visit, enjoy, assess, describe, and recommend some of the best food and drink products and producers in the beautiful and varied Roannais region of the Rhône-Alpes.

We do this for our own pleasure, but also to help with your choice and understanding of the quality and wide variety of different food and drink produce available when visiting this sensational region of central France, famous for the exceptional quality of its gastronomic delights.

Whether your visit is for business, leisure, or pure indulgence!

There are many things that people generally associate with French gastronomy – wine, bread, cheese, charcuterie, patisserie, and good cooking, for example. But the essence that binds all these products together in France has to be ‘passion’. Pure and simple!

The French enthusiasm for their food and drink is intoxicating, and they are undeniably good at!

We have great pleasure in leading this Roannais food and gastronomy section with a presentation of the remarkable, and internationally successful, Maison Fromagerie Mons.

www.purefrancenow.com

The Gastronomic Magic of the Roannais

Gourmet Weekends

The Beaujolais is just 30 minutes drive from Roanne, in fact pre-19th century the Roannais was part of the Beaujolais region.
Here we recently had the opportunity to visit a small, family producer of wonderful red and white wines.

Roger Dumas cultivates a mere 5 hectares of vines and follows generations of his family in growing traditionally and esthetically.

Twice, each year, for a weekend, M. Dumas opens his doors and takes immense pleasure in explaining his methods and ethics to the public.
His is a story of tradition and quality, profit being a bonus when it happens, but certainly not Roger’s priority.
A producer of integrity and humility, who cares for his land with true passion and belief in quality, never willing to sacrifice the latter.

We visited with a good friend, who had joined the group of loyal ‘harvesters’ each year, (in his younger days!) to work hard in the fields, sleep rough in the huge barn and benefit from the fabulous family hospitality each evening. A ‘rites de passage’ for many a young man, (and woman of course!)

The Beaujolais region is notoriously beautiful. Rolling green hillsides dotted with tiny villages, golden in the sunshine.
Though not distracting from this beauty, as in many regions, a change has taken place over recent years. Sadly, you can see where odd fields have been stripped of their vines and turned to more profitable crops, a mark of the decline in France’s dominance of the world wine market, as new countries and big business in particular take over.

Never an option for M. Dumas, who almost takes great delight in describing the 2 years out of the last 10, when due to bad storms in the area, his whole crop was destroyed. Not willing to compromise, and produce an inferior vintage the harvest was abandoned until the following year- c’est la vie!

Back to the visit!
The very humble barn had been opened, and decked with trellis tables.
Along side the open bottles lined up for tasting, were various local delights- huge bowls of cherries from the garden, green olives and oil from a family friend in Spain, who shares M. Dumas’s beliefs in traditional and natural production. There were walnuts and almonds, from the same Spanish farm as well as cured ham, delicious!
The red wines varied in age, each with it’s own distinct character and along with the white, rose and sparkling, offered a variety fit for any occasion.

Also a delight was the locally made goats cheese and honey that was on offer to taste. With their artisan producers, proudly talking about their products, and farms.

We came away, as one does on these occasions, feeling content and at one with the world, happy that in this corner of France, like our own Roannais region, the respect for nature and traditional ways were being upheld against the flow of technology and mass production.

Try our Purefrancenow Gourmet Week-ends with  visit to a vineyard in the marvellous Cote Roannais, complete with wine-tasting, and a sumptious ‘Menu Gourmand’ at the amazing Chateau de Champlong.

www.purefrancenow.com

More opportunities to access and buy things French, including books on France – French cooking, recipes, wine and wine-making, along with easy access to buying top quality kitchen products at extremely competitive prices, to help with all those new cooking ideas to come!

With the Purefrancenow Shop they are determined to give you more choice of a wide range of related items, gift ideas, and more, through their partnership with Amazon. This is a great opportunity for people who want quick, easy, reliable access to a wide range of products.

And, of course, backed up with the tried and tested payment security procedures of Amazon.co.uk. You can rest assured that you are fully protected with every purchase.

The Purefrancenow ‘Shopping List’ will be added to every month as they search and find new items of interest for their customers. Watch this space for more announcements via the Purefrancenow Blog, News, and Reviews.

Purefrancenow has included this new service to their website to provide further choices to their customers and their ever-increasing numbers of visitors to www.purefrancenow.com.

Items purchased via the Purefrancenow website do not cost you anymore, but Purefrancenow receives a small commission payment direct from Amazon for every item sold via the Purefrancenow website. This contribution helps towards covering some of the costs of maintaining the Purefrancenow website for the benefit of all who visit.

So, once again, enjoy another new service from Purefrancenow. There’s more to come!