Sologne
La Sologne is not really a wine region of France. It is a hunting region.
But according to Jean-Claude (JC), Menetou-Salon could be considered a wine of the region. Wines grown here are white made entirely from Sauvignon Blanc, and red and rose made from Pinot Noir. The well-known Sancerre is its immediate north-eastern neighbour.
For his part, JC is a keen hunter. But he is an ethical hunter, meaning that he limits his hunting to that required for his household food consumption. He decries people who hunt and kill just for the fun of it. Ethical hunting is part of the regional culture.
When we arrived, JC served us a delicious terrine made from a wild boar that he had hunted. Enjoyed with some cheese and salad, it was a perfect way to start our visit.
The peaceful calm of the Solognac country air meant that a little siesta was unavoidable. But we couldn’t waste the whole afternoon in bed.
So JC took Lory, June and I for a walk around their beautiful property.
Lory, JC’s wife, is an old friend of June. She started a diplomatic career, studied the French language and then made her life in France.
So as we walked around, there was much chatter. June and Lory had much to catch up on. While JC kindly responded to my interminable questions about life in Sologne.
For much of our jaunt, “Max”, a friendly and ill-tempered pheasant, joined us.
Dinner was also a sheer delight, as JC had prepared a dish of pheasant which he had hunted.
After breakfast, another walk around the wonderful property. JC and Lory had so many stories to share about their country life and local history.
For example, apparently Napoleon slept one night in their beautiful old home as he was returning to France after 10 months exile on the Italian island of Elba (1814 to 1815).
Before our departure, we enjoyed an omelette for lunch. Lory feeds and looks after the egg-laying chickens. And since she feeds the chickens well, the omelette was delicious.
JC and Lori are fully and joyfully employed maintaining their beautiful property. It is difficult to not feel seduced by the peace and harmony of country life in Sologne. But for me, that will have to await a future life.