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Nov 18

France’s Wine Regions and Terroir

One of the best (and most fun!) ways of getting to know France is through learning about its terroirs. Terroir is a French loanword in English that you might already be familiar with — especially if you are an oenophile — that loosely translates to a “sense of place”. In other words, terroir is the special characteristics of a particular place that allows it to produce agricultural products like wine, cheese, tea, coffee, etc.

Of course, the term terroir isn’t only applicable to France. But France’s various terroirs are so distinct from one another and so culturally rich that understanding all of its geographical and agricultural diversity will only make you fall more in love with the country.

French Wine, Cle France

Image From Uncalno Tekno at Flickr.com 

So today, I’ll be taking you on an introductory tour of some of the most important terroirs in France. And, as an oenophile myself, we will be focusing on the different appellations, or controlled regions, for wine production.

1. Languedoc and Roussillon

These two beautiful regions are on the Mediterranean coast and extend down to the border between France and Spain. Languedoc and Roussillon have been important winemaking centers for centuries, and the region has three times the area of vineyards in Bordeaux! In fact, there is evidence of grapevines in the region that date to the prehistoric era. This region is most famous for its reds and rosés and Roussillon in particular is known for its fortified sweet wines from areas such as Rivesaltes and Banyuls.

Property for sale in Languedoc Roussillon

2. Alsace

Unlike in most other regions in France, wines made in Alsace (on France’s eastern border with Germany) do have the grape on the label rather than just the region. The most famous grapes in the region are Muscat, Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Gewurtztraminer. Most of the grapes grown in this region are white, although there is some delicious Pinot Noir.

Property for sale near the Alsace region

3. Rhone

This region is situated in the Rhone River valley in southern France and is divided into the Northern Rhône and the Southern Rhone. Syrah is the grape of choice in the Northern Rhone, while the sunny Southern Rhone section is more about blends of grapes, usually including Grenache. If you’ve heard of the appellations Châteauneuf-du-Pape or Hermitage, these are both in the Rhone region.

Property for sale in Rhone Alpes

4. Champagne

Need I say more? Not all sparkling wine is Champagne, only the sparkling wine produced in the region of Champagne in the northeast of France. Winemakers in this region use the traditional method, called la methode champenoise, that is pretty labor intense and uses two fermentation processes to create delicious Champagne.

Property for sale near Champagne

5. Loire

The Loire region follows the Loire River from Nantes on the Atlantic coast to Orléans in northcentral France. Near Nantes, Muscadet is the star of the show, a refreshing white wine. The Central Vineyards of the region are known for their Sauvignon Blanc and Sancerre is the most well-known and expensive appellation in the region.

Property for sale in Pays de la Loire

6. Burgundy

To make it simple: “Red Burgundy” means Pinot Noir and “White Burgundy” means Chardonnay. Burgundy has had vineyards for centuries and the label on a bottle of Burgundy is inextricably linked with a particular piece of land in the region. This means that the land is split up into tiny parcels, owned by separate producers, and that this is reflected in the various labels of Burgundy.

Property for sale in Burgundy

7. Bordeaux

Did I save the best for last? Perhaps. The Bordeaux region  is known for producing the fanciest, most expensive, and (yes) most tasty wines in France (although this is debatable to some!). Why? Because Bordeaux first started classifying its wine estates in the region back in 1855 and all “growths” are tied back to this historical moment. This means that the grapevines in Burgundy are old…and expensive. Wine from Bordeaux is almost always made of blends of grapes including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec.

Property for sale in Bordeaux region

"Be a champion, Drink Responsibly"

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Blog submitted by: Alex at The French Property Network - Cle France.

This blog was originally posted on The French Language Blog pages.

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Nov 14

Pound Sterling pushes to 6 Month Highs

It was more of a nudge than a surge…

But the Pound has crept up to 6-month highs against the Euro this week.

With Nigel Farage ‘gifting’ the Tories some seats, it has increased the chances of a clear election win for the Conservative Party.

This news is perceived as positive for the Pound because it reduces the risks of further Brexit uncertainty.

At present, the election and Brexit are overshadowing economic news. However, we note that Moody’s (the debt rating agency) downgraded the UK’s outlook to negative and there is talk that the Bank of England might need to cut interest rates.

Both of these factors could drive the Pound down once the market sees beyond the immediate events.

If you would like to some guidance on market trends, exchange rates or currency purchasing strategies, please get in touch.

Click here for a Free quote.

Cle France and Key Currency

Thanks For Reading, What Next?

Have a great day, Geoff Lambourne - Direct Dial me on 0044 (0)1872 487 470.

Current rates: 

Thursday 14th November 2019 at 10:30

£1.00 GBP = 1.1689 EURO

£1.00 GBP = 1.2859 USD

£1.00 GBP = 1.8928 AUD

£1.00 GBP = 2.0118 NZD

£1.00 GBP = 1.7055 CAD

£1.00 GBP = 19.0812 ZAR

Cle France Currency Guide link

Need to Send Money Abroad?

  • At Clé France / Key Currency, many of our customers have a need for currency exchange.
  • We are pleased to offer our customers favourable exchange rates on international currency transfers.
  • As a Clé France website visitor, you qualify for preferential exchange rates when you transact through Key Currency.

How to Save Money on your foreign currency transfers

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Nov 6

Rate Alert as the Pound flirts with 6 Month Highs

The UK election polls put the Conservatives comfortably in front.

As a result, the Pound is in a ‘happy place’ right now and near to 6-month highs against the Euro.

A Labour win or hung Parliament would create uncertainty – so the Pound is reacting positively to the latest polls.

Further gains from here may be limited as the Pound has already had a strong run over the past few months, and we all know elections can produce unexpected outcomes.

We note the Brexit Party continues to gain ground in the polls. Investors seem fairly complacent to this fact.

Should the Brexit Party find itself holding the balance of power, it could easily derail the recent progress in Brexit and therefore would send the Pound crashing back down.

In short, the election result is a binary bet for exchange rates over the next six weeks.

If you have a currency requirement, you may prefer to minimise the risk inherent with rate volatility.

Please get in touch on 01872 487 500 to discuss market trends and currency purchasing strategies.

To find out the latest exchange rates, click below.

Click here for a Free quote.

Cle France and Key Currency

Thanks For Reading, What Next?

Have a great day, Geoff Lambourne - Direct Dial me on 0044 (0)1872 487 470.

Current rates: 

Wednesday 6th November 2019 at 10:00

£1.00 GBP = 1.1614 EURO

£1.00 GBP = 1.2882 USD

£1.00 GBP = 1.8667 AUD

£1.00 GBP = 2.0189 NZD

£1.00 GBP = 1.6963 CAD

£1.00 GBP = 19.1273 ZAR

Cle France Currency Guide link

Need to Send Money Abroad?

  • At Clé France / Key Currency, many of our customers have a need for currency exchange.
  • We are pleased to offer our customers favourable exchange rates on international currency transfers.
  • As a Clé France website visitor, you qualify for preferential exchange rates when you transact through Key Currency.

How to Save Money on your foreign currency transfers

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Oct 24

Despite all the recent news, not a lot has changed

Pound hovers near 5-month highs

We are still stuck in Brexit stalemate.

It has created a brief period of stability in the Pound exchange rate.

But we know there are plenty of potential events that could unfold at any moment.

Delay?

Election?

New MP vote?

Any one of these events could send Sterling up, down or up and down.

If you prefer certainty over intrigue, then you may wish to secure an exchange rate before the next Brexit twist.

That way, you can carry on with your life plans using a protected budget.

To discuss your currency requirements, please call us on 01872 487 500.

To find out today’s exchange rates, click on the link below.

Click here for a Free quote.

Cle France and Key Currency

Thanks For Reading, What Next?

Have a great day, Geoff Lambourne - Direct Dial me on 0044 (0)1872 487 470.

Current rates: 

Thursday 24th October 2019 at 09:55

£1.00 GBP = 1.1586 EURO

£1.00 GBP = 1.2890 USD

£1.00 GBP = 1.884 AUD

£1.00 GBP = 2.0178 NZD

£1.00 GBP = 1.6868 CAD

£1.00 GBP = 18.8594 ZAR

Cle France Currency Guide link

Need to Send Money Abroad?

  • At Clé France / Key Currency, many of our customers have a need for currency exchange.
  • We are pleased to offer our customers favourable exchange rates on international currency transfers.
  • As a Clé France website visitor, you qualify for preferential exchange rates when you transact through Key Currency.

How to Save Money on your foreign currency transfers

Add CommentViews: 2036
Oct 18

Extended Trading Hours due to Super Saturday

It’s being called ‘Super Saturday’…

For the first time in 37 years, Parliament will have a Saturday sitting.

The last time it happened was for the Falkland Islands invasion in 1982.

Boris Johnson is calling it a ‘do-or-die’ moment.

If the Brexit deal gets approved, the UK will leave the EU in just 2 weeks.

If rejected, the PM may seek approval to leave the EU without a deal in place.

Given the historical significance of these events, we will extend our trading hours on Monday from 7am.

If you would like to secure an exchange rate prior to the crucial vote, please contact us today on 01872 487 500.

To find out current exchange rates, please click on the link below.

Click here for a Free quote.

Thanks For Reading, What Next?

Have a great day, Geoff Lambourne - Direct Dial me on 0044 (0)1872 487 470.

Current rates: 

Friday 18th October 2019 at 09:45

£1.00 GBP = 1.1602 EURO

£1.00 GBP = 1.2909 USD

£1.00 GBP = 1.8879 AUD

£1.00 GBP = 2.0272 NZD

£1.00 GBP = 1.6964 CAD

£1.00 GBP = 19.0804 ZAR

Cle France Currency Guide link

Need to Send Money Abroad?

  • At Clé France / Key Currency, many of our customers have a need for currency exchange.
  • We are pleased to offer our customers favourable exchange rates on international currency transfers.
  • As a Clé France website visitor, you qualify for preferential exchange rates when you transact through Key Currency.

How to Save Money on your foreign currency transfers

Add CommentViews: 2169

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