In France the English are affectionately known as ‘Les Rosbifs’, which is probably fair enough, as we often refer to them as the ‘Frogs’. Of course both of these ‘friendly’ nicknames are determined by our respective eating habits – the English love of Roast Beef, and the French love of eating anything that moves (and a lot of things that don’t)! I suppose it could be worse, at least we’re not known as ‘Les Poissons et Frites’…….

Anyway, the subject of my post for today is the New Year treat that I gave myself yesterday, on New Year’s Day. I bought myself a Rib of Beef (which is much easier said than done in this land of ‘ternera’), and cooked it with all the usual English trimmings – crispy roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, a rich dark gravy and a jar of horseradish sauce (that I actually acquired on my recent visit to New York!)

Just to relate this anecdote to the wine business, the gravy was made with just a hint of Madeira, and the whole meal was washed down with a bottle of Chateau Palmer 1986 – yes, you are reading correctly, a 25 year old bottle of Margaux, that was just delicious. (It’s perhaps a bit odd to think that this wine was harvested 5 or 6 years before the birth of our daughter who was sitting at the table with us).

The other English connection is that Chateau Palmer itself was bought and owned by an British Army General, Charles Palmer, in the early 19th century, and since 1938 it has been part-owned by the Sichel family – Bordeaux Merchants for generations, but a family with a very strong English connections. Indeed, it was Charles Sichel who originally gifted me this bottle more than 10 years ago.

And finally, simply allow me to wish everyone visiting our site and/or our blog a very happy and prosperous New Year.

In France the English are affectionately known as ‘Les Rosbifs’, which is probably fair enough, as we often refer to them as the ‘Frogs’. Of course both of these ‘friendly’ nicknames are determined by our respective eating habits – the English love of Roast Beef, and the French love of eating anything that moves (and a lot of things that don’t)! I suppose it could be worse, at least we’re not known as ‘Les Poissons et Frites’…….

Anyway, the subject of my post for today is the New Year treat that I gave myself yesterday, on New Year’s Day. I bought myself a Rib of Beef (which is much easier said than done in this land of ‘ternera’), and cooked it with all the usual English trimmings – crispy roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, a rich dark gravy and a jar of horseradish sauce (that I actually acquired on my recent visit to New York!)

Just to relate this anecdote to the wine business, the gravy was made with just a hint of Madeira, and the whole meal was washed down with a bottle of Chateau Palmer 1986 – yes, you are reading correctly, a 25 year old bottle of Margaux, that was just delicious. (It’s perhaps a bit odd to think that this wine was harvested 5 or 6 years before the birth of our daughter who was sitting at the table with us).

The other English connection is that Chateau Palmer itself was bought and owned by an British Army General, Charles Palmer, in the early 19th century, and since 1938 it has been part-owned by the Sichel family – Bordeaux Merchants for generations, but a family with a very strong English connections. Indeed, it was Charles Sichel who originally gifted me this bottle more than 10 years ago.

And finally, simply allow me to wish everyone visiting our site and/or our blog a very happy and prosperous New Year.