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Previous Newsletters :
March 2010
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Our last month in Japan! Many "sayonara's" to say to people who have been more than kind to both of us during the last 4 years. Some tears and some very special memories.
Oh, yes, Combebelle - well the weather has turned out to be rather "extreme" this month with snow and freezing temperatures in the middle of March which is unheard of here in the South of France! Has climate change finally made its impact on us here and are we looking at a future of long, cold winters...? for more information > |
February 2010
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A busy month with many changes that will affect us in the future. Finally our move to Sweden has been agreed and we can start to think about life in Europe rather than across two continents! for more information > |
January 2010
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Bitterly cold days, harsh northerly winds and in between some glorious sunny days! This is a typical January in the South of France, or more accurately - Combebelle. The most important "job" this month was to prepare the rosé for bottling and ensure we did not encounter the same disaster as last year with tartrate! for more information > |
December 2009
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Winter is setting in and the vines are shutting down, the newly fermented wines are going into hibernation as the temperatures dip towards freezing.... for more information > |
November 2009
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The wines were coming to the end their first fermentation, the weather was starting to cool down and the leaves were starting to fall off the vines heralding the start of autumn at Combebelle. for more information > |
October 2009 - Vintage Report
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The start of the harvest is almost like an anti-climax as the long wait is finally over and the "fruits of your labour" from the last 9 months is finally in. The weather could not have been better - an Indian Summer - unseasonably warm for the year (we were still in shorts & T-shirts!).
for more information > |
September 2009
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An Indian Summer continued thoughout the month of September with gorgeous warm sunny days. The grapes were happily ripening and taking their time about it, too! for more information > |
August 2009
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The quietest month of the year - a chance to recharge the batteries before harvest and to start planning for 2010. for more information > |
July 2009
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The temperatures keep rising, the vines keep sprouting and we start to wish for rain! Actually, this reminds me of the song "Summertime" performed by Ella Fitzgerald! We are literally sizzling here in the South of France - thank goodness we have a pool to cool us down!!
for more information > |
June 2009
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It was a case of all hands on deck to get the work finished on time. With the rainfall from previous months and the warm sunny conditions since the middle of May, the vines had really started to sprout and it was hard to keep up with the work so that when Frederic needed to go in and plough or spray he could access the vineyards without causing any damage to the shoots, particularly in the newly grafted plot of Grenache. for more information > |
May 2009
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After more inclement weather, things started warming up towards the middle of May and you could sense that Summer was just around the corner.................... for more information > |
April 2009
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April showers! The first day of April started off with heavy rain and this continued pretty much for the whole month with the odd day of warm sunshine! More than 120mm of rain fell in this region which is a record!
for more information > |
March 2009
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We started the month off with the fantastic news that our 2008 rose had won a GOLD medal at the Concours General Agricole in Paris. This was music to our ears after all the problems we have had with the wine since bottling in December. The race was then on to get the medal stickers delivered in time for the re-bottling in the middle of the month! for more information > |
February 2009
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The challenges of running a vineyard and trying to have a relationship with someone special in Japan is difficult especially in this "romantic" month! However, distance does make the heart grow fonder and modern technology means that we are really not that far away from each other............... for more information > |
January 2009
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A New Year! A new start! Fully charged and raring to go!! This year is going to be tough. Not only will we have to tighten our belts like most other businesses, but we have won two more medals for our wines and we will have a new addition to the family in June!! for more information > |
December 2008
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'Tis the season to be jolly, falalalala ................
Yes, I am looking forward to Christmas for a number of reasons. And, yes, I am patting myself on the back as the rosé is tasting extremely well, looking great and I am confident that we shall win medals for this wine and sell out before the Summer! for more information > |
November 2008
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Time to relax and reflect on the vintage. Have we made any mistakes? Will the wines turn out OK, in particular the rosé? November is a month when you catch your breath and look back on the past year and wonder if all the hard work has really paid off. for more information > |
October 2008
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In the midst of a global financial melt down, we started our harvest with excitment and anticipation. Being our third full year here at Combebelle, we now getting to understand the "style" components of each vineyard plot and also have the courage to wait for the grapes to be fully mature before picking. for more information > |
Vintage Report (2008) – Now the hard work begins!
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Having done all the picking, we now need to start the winemaking which requires many hours of pumping juice over the skins each day. for more information > |
Vintage Report (2008) – The Harvest!
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The first week started off rather tense in anticipation although we had already decided on October 1st for “V-Day” (or should this be “Combebelle Day”?). for more information > |
Vintage Report (2008) – Week 1 (29th September)
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Well, the waiting is finally nearly over. Having spent the last four weeks inspecting the vineyards, taking grape samples to assess the maturity and preparing the winery (which is so clean you can almost eat off the floor!), we can finally plan the first day of picking – October 1st 2008 is now V-DAY. for more information > |
September 2008
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This is always an exciting and nerve-racking time of the year as the "fruits of all our labours" will hopefully be rewarded by a bountiful harvest. However, when you are dealing with unpredicatble elements such as the weather, anxiety can set in and the addition of at least another 100 grey hairs is inevitable! for more information > |
August 2008
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A relatively quiet month but nonetheless interesting! With the prospect of new tanks and working with Julian, our NZ caviste, things were looking up, or were they...? for more information > |
July 2008
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The warm weather continues - the mad rush to get things done before leaving again takes over everyting else - and, another insurance claim! for more information > |
June 2008
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The importance of family! At last I have managed to persuade my sister, Charlotte, to come and visit with Henry (after which I named our top cuvée in 2006!). And, surprise surprise - Mum & Dad came too! for more information > |
May 2008
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On the hunt for a caviste to work with me during vintage! It is that time of year again when we have to find a caviste to help me during the harvest - preferably someone with commonsense, good discipline and a passion for "alternative" winemaking!! for more information > |
April 2008
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"Sakura" season - the start of Spring is signalled by the advent of the first cherry blossom flowers in Japan. It is a major event and extremely popular in Japan - almost like Beaujolais Nouveau used to be with the race to be the first one to land the new wine! for more information > |
March 2008
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Having had a mild December and January, February & March were much colder and brought some much needed rain (and some snow) to replenish the water table. for more information > |
February 2008
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We attended Vinisud for the first time this year. This is a wine fair dedicated to the wines of the Mediterranean with French wines being bannered under the �Sud de France� campaign. for more information > |
January 2008
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Always look on the brighter side of life! for more information > |
Vendange 2007
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The year started off well with moderately cold temperatures from January through to March when it started to really warm up. for more information > |
Spring - Summer 2007
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«A Dark Cloud » !
I divided my time almost equally between « La Belle France » and Japan during this time and started thinking about the future in terms of what to do with the vineyard and how to improve the quality of the wines. for more information > |
Autumn - Winter 2006
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« Treading Grapes » !
After an eventful few months having to face many challenges on the way, I was finally looking forward to bringing in our first harvest at Combebelle. for more information > |
Vendange 2006
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This is my first harvest at Combebelle so it held a lot of significance for me. for more information > |
Spring Summer 2006
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« A Can of Worms » !
After a great send off at work and with more luggage than Reese Wetherspoon in the film « Legally Blond », I headed off to France with Patrick’s children (Peter and Vivienne & Pete’s girlfriend Laura) for Easter. Patrick’s sister, Anne, her husband, Franck and their son, Aurelien also joined us. for more information > |
Winter 2005
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« The Beginning of a Dream » !
Well we have finally signed all the paperwork and Combebelle is at last ours ! It has been a long and arduous process with delay after delay, telephone calls in the middle of the night from New York and Japan trying to sort things out from afar. for more information > |
Domaine de Combebelle - Combebelle le Haut - 34 360 Villepassans - France - Tél / Fax : +33 (0) 4 67 38 09 86 -
wine@combebelle.com