Wine, Knives and Chocolate, oh my!

Last week I took the train from Saumur, in the Loire Valley, to Paris, only a 1.5 hour ride.  I rented a car, an automatic, which is double the cost because I still haven't learned to drive a stick, and drove another hour and a half to Vezelay in Burgundy,  through lush countryside, cow pastures and picturesque villages to visit my very good friend Maria Cuny at her farmhouse and vineyards.  I just fall in love with this region every time I drive here, it makes me so happy. 

The family came out of their farmhouse to greet me.  Its so nice to be here, their daughter,  Justine was making an apricot tarte.  She lived in New York so her English is excellent; but neither of her parents speak English to well so its always such a comedy of errors trying to understand each other.  I think they are asking me how my meal is and I answer very good, only to find out through hysterical laughter, they were asking what time Yves was going to go the vineyard. 

I am staying the week to help prepare a budget and financial projections for a renovation of the stonehouse adjacent to their property for a bed and breakfast project.  

Since I am trying to stay in France through the fall,  I also have some ideas to try to  make a living while I am in France.  Yves, Maria's husband, sells knives to chefs in restaurants throughout Paris but he doesn't have the time to do this now because he is working in the vines.  So... on my drive over here, my mind was working non-stop coming up with grand ideas to sell knives to all the English speaking chefs,  there are many American, British and Australian chefs in Paris.  I saw myself developing relationships with new restauranteurs, bringing my groups of ladies to their restaurants or home for something special and also selling them knives, introducing them to Maria's wines and organizing tours of the region.    As soon as I was bold enough to present my ideas, Yves said the chefs in France only buy knives made in Japan, which are more expensive but they think the quality is better.   I have used these knives for a year, and while I'm not a professional, I like them very much!  One would think that knives made in France would be preferred to imported knives,  but I guess not.   

So I came up with another idea....but of course!  I was in Chablis the other day, to pick up some organic fertilizer for the vines.   I walked around this very pretty town, with its quaint little brook that runs through the center and lovely old buildings with lots of wine tasting boutiques.   I stopped by a charcuterie store and bought some pate and then I went to a fruit store and bought some apricots, then to a boulangerie to buy a baguette, and I had a picnic in a park by the brook it was just so nice.  Then I found a chocolate store.  I bought a small package of 9 pieces of chocolate for 7 Euros, about 10 dollars and I was inspired to make chocolate truffles with Maria's pinot noir!  

I was so excited, I told Maria's daughter, Justine, who also thought it was a very good idea, I could be like Juliette Binoche in the movie Chocolat, which was actually filmed in a nearby village in Burgundy.  There is no one selling good chocolates in Vezelay, there is a honey store, lots of wine and cheese and boulangeries and other specialties of the country, but no chocolate....mais, this is France!  So, I bought some chocolate and came back to the farm to make chocolate truffles for desert.  The family loved them and I was pleased, the wine taste was very subtle but it went very well together,  everyone preferred my chocolates the ones from Chablis!  

Tonight, 15 people from Paris are coming to the vineyard for a wine tasting.  Yves asked me to make some chocolates and sell them at the event.  I agreed to make a batch and test it out to see if people like them, then I'll see about making more to sell at the Maria store in Vezelay.  Maria asked me to introduce myself and my tours and chocolates, in French, to the group of 15 Parisians!  Yikes!!     I'll let you know how it all goes.   On va voir.