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Gastronomy
Poitou-Charentes has a wealth of extraordinary gastronomic delights, with its wonderful climate allowing for a wealth of natural products which provide a healthy and authentic cuisine. There are a number of superb restaurants locally offering some of the regions finest:
Marennes-Oléron oysters
An alliance of sweet and salty waters along with a sunny climate renders the basin of Marennes-Oléron the leading French site for oyster production.
Goat cheeses
With highly original names : Chabis, Chabichou, often related to the places where they are produced : Lezay, Bougon, Saint-Loup...
Poitou-Charentes lamb
Poitou-Charentes lamb originates in a long tradition of breeding for its meat, whose quality and flavour are unanimously praised.
Mussels
Kept near Fouras, Brouage, Charron, on the islands of Ré, Oléron and in the Bay of the Aiguillon.
The fruits of fishing.
Fish is part and parcel of regional culinary culture.
The Charentes-Poitou butter
Protected Designation of Origin (the French ‘AOC ‘), manufactured on the sole and exclusive basis of pasteurized milk cream.
Cows of the Limousine and Parthenaise breeds.
Limousine and Parthenaise cows result from a long tradition of breeding for their meat, whose quality and flavour are unanimously praised.
Other meats
The varieties of pork from the Frairie result from a long tradition of breeding for the sake of their meat, whose quality and flavour have garnered unanimous recognition.
Haut-Poitou melons
The sunny lands of Poitou-Charentes allow for the culture of high-quality melons.
Desserts
Tourteaux (cheese pies), ‘broyés’ ‘angélique ‘, green liqueur
Wines of Poitou-Charentes
White, rosé and red wines.
Cognac
It is a white wine produced and double distilled into an eau-de-vie. About 90% grapes used are of St.Emillion (Ugni Blanc) kind. The rest are Folle Blanche and Colombard. The grape growing, harvesting and Cognac production is accomplished in a limited and strictly controlled area of South West France. This area is characterized by chalky soil, wet winters and sunny summers and it spreads through two departments of South West France; Charente and Charente Maritime. Two small growth areas are also in the Deux Sevres and the Dordogne departments. The Cognac producing region is divided into six growths areas (crus)
· Grande Champagne; about 13,000 hectares of clay and compact chalk soil
· Petite Champagne; some 16,000 hectares of clay and a more compact chalky layer of soil
· Borderies; only 4,000 hectares of unique soil on the plateau above Charente river. The eau de vie has a slight nutty taste.
· Fins Bois; 37,000 hectares of soil. characterized by quick aging environment. A subtle flowery bouquet characterizes this eau de vie.
· Bon Bois; less chalky but more earthy soil of 16,000 hectares that is well reflected in the eau de vie
· Bois Ordinaires et Bois Communs (Bois a Terroir); 30,000 hectares of soil influenced by the Atlantic climate
Cognac is the result of blending and aging of different eau-de-vie vintages. An unblended, straight vintage Cognac is very rare and available only in small quantities.
Cognac is aged in Limousin oak casks (barrels). It's aging period is between 2 to 50plus years. Once transferred out of the oak wood casks into bottles, Cognac stops aging. To prevent cognac reacting with the cork, its bottles must be stored vertically.
The aging is a very delicate process of interaction between outside air and the alcohol inside of the oak wood cask. This interaction is accomplished through the porosity of the oak. During this process about three percent of Cognac evaporates; this loss is referred to as "the angels share". For example, to obtain 100 liters of Cognac aged over 10 years, you will need to produce about 135 liters of Cognac. Thus the "angels share" contributes to the price of Cognac.
The age is indicated on the labels. It reflects the youngest eau-de-vie used in the Cognac blend. The age is based around the legal limits during which wine is distilled; The distillation period ends at midnight of the 31st March each year. Thus the following age indication applies:
*** and V.S. (Very Special) two and half years old
V.O. (Very Old), V.S.O.P. (Very Superior Old Pale), Réserve must be at least four and half years old
X.O.(eXtra Old), Réserve, Extra, Hors d'Age and Napoleon six and half years or older
These label designations indicate more of a taste and style of a blended Cognac.
Pineau des Charentes
It is a result of a mistake of a wine maker in the town of Burie in 1589. He had put new grape juice into a barrel containing a small quantity of Cognac. And forgot about it. Sometime later, the wine maker tasted it, liked it and that is how Pineau des Charentes was born.
Today, Pineau des Charentes must be made by Pineau producers from the same grapes and in the same region as Cognac. There are two types of Pineau des Charentes;
White which is made of white grapes like St. Emillion, la Folle Blanche and Colombar. Fruity wines are sometimes added (sweat Merlot, white Jurancon, Semilion or Sauvignon)
Rose is made of Malbec, red Merlot, Cabernet franc and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.
Cognac is blended with the new grape juice within hours of grapes pressing to produce Pineau des Charentes. Grapes must be very ripe in order to obtain grape juice that is rich in natural sugars. Pineau des Charentes is the result of stopping the fermentation of the grape juice by adding Cognac which must be at least one year old. Pineau des Charentes must contain between 16.5% to 22% alcohol. Production is strictly controlled to assure high quality through proper blending and ageing.
It's a great drink served cold
Local markets
You can’t visit Poitou-Charente without experiencing the local markets and fairs. They are generally held in the mornings so be prepared for an early start as they tend to close around midday. You will find anything from fruit and vegetables to live or ready to cook poultry, as well as other household wares for sale. We are fortunate to be situated between two pretty market towns, Civray which has a lovely weekly market on a Tuesday and Ruffec, where the market is held on Wednesday and Saturday morning (including small livestock twice a month)
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