Bonjour,

Back at the winery, we started with a tasting. The owner gave us a tasting with five wines. He served us three of his Roussette de Savoie wines, which are his white wines. He also served us two of his Mondeuse de Savoie wines which are his red wines. Each time he gave us a tasting, he opened a new bottle, poured us a taste and then left us the whole bottle. At least one of his wines that he served us was made in the acacia barrels and we could distinctly taste the difference from the French oak barrels.

After our tasting, we decided to just stay at the winery and eat lunch. Why not! We lost our owner guide but gained the owner’s wife, who hosted and served us lunch. She too was quite delightful. We enjoyed a great lunch, along with several more bottles of wine.

1. This was our starting courses. We started with a cold pate. It was the size of a giant meatloaf. We cut off slices as we pleased. In the photo, the wooden salad bowl is at the bottom of the table and just above it is the pate. I don’t know how many slices I had but it was absolutely delicious. Salad was lettuce, walnuts, and olive oil. The salad was simple and very good. And of course we were served fresh bread.

2. The sausages were the main course, cooked with white wine, onions, and a secret ingredient. They look fairly normal but they tasted delicious. I guess the French are known for their sausage.

3. We were also served potatoes. My plate is in the lower left of the photo. I scooped out of the sausages what I perceived as a secret ingredient and put it on my plate. QUIZ: What was the secret sausage ingredient.

4. This is the owner’s wife who gave us lots of attention during lunch. Vicky and Jacques are to her right.

5. This was our dessert: fresh cheese, made that morning by the owner’s brother, sitting in fresh cream. WOW!

Voila,

Bill