Now that I have had some time out of my very busy schedule, the Bize Knees has its own website! This offers Property Maintenance as well as Maintenance for Gites (self catering accommodation). WE have our own team of builders who can undertake all types of renovation and decorating work. Take a look at the website:
http://www.bize-knees.com
This rare little gem of a white wine can be found in the Languedoc, France. Its full name is Picpoul de Pinet. Situated on a limestone plateau, the vineyards of Picpoul overlook the oyster and mussel-farming centre of the Thau lagoon. The white wine is made from a single Piquepoul grape variety and is a light acidic wine, with floral and citrus fruit aromas, which render it an ideal accompaniment to seafood. The AOC Coteaux du Languedoc: Picpoul de Pinet classification applies only to white wines.
Picpoul is a rare, ancient French grape that thrives in the coastal sands near Sète in the Languedoc, by the Mediterranean Sea. Its blend of refreshing acidity and aromatic fruit flavors of citrus and peach, make it a fantastic, full-bodied wine to enjoy with food. It is particularly well suited to seafood because it has more floral flavors than a mineral wine, like a Sancerre. Unlike Voignier, another rare French white grape, Picpoul has not yet been exported much and is consumed almost exclusively by the locals and tourists who vacation in the area.
This clear, light-gold wine breathes appetizing aromas of peaches, juicy and fresh, with a back note of lemon-lime. Crisp and tart, white-fruit flavors and lemon-squirt acidity are fresh and cleansing in a very long finish. Not overly complex but bright and appealing, it's a first-rate seafood wine. It has been called the Muscadet of the south of France. It is the wine that is usually served with oysters that can be found along the coasts of the Languedoc.
Serve very cool between 6 and 8°C to accompany all seafood, shellfish and fish. It can also be served as an aperitif, either alone or with a touch of crème de cassis (blackcurrant) or crème de mûre (blackberry).
Picpoul Blanc (also spelled Piquepoul Blanc) is one of the lesser-known Rhône varietals. It is one of the thirteen permitted varietals in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where it is used primarily as a blending component to take advantage of its acidity. Like the better known Grenache and Pinot, Picpoul has red, white and pink variants, though Picpoul Noir and Picpoul Gris are very rare. Literally translating to “lip stinger”, Picpoul Blanc produces wines known in France for their bright acidity, minerality, and clean lemony flavor.
Most scholars believe Picpoul is native to the Languedoc region of Southern France, where it is still found today. Records from the early 17th century indicate that it was blended with Clairette (another white Rhône varietal) to form the popular sweet Picardan wine (not to be confused with the Chateauneuf du Pape varietal of the same name), which was exported by Dutch wine traders from Languedoc throughout Northern Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. After the phylloxera invasion at the end of the 19th century, Picpoul was not widely replanted. Today it is best known from Picpoul de Pine, the crisp light green wine of the Pinet Region in the Côteaux de Languedoc.
So, when you are next in the Languedoc, or looking for wines in your Wine merchant’s store, take a serious look at wines from Picpoul. You will not be disappointed!
Some other folks who have spoken about this great wine.
Let's stay with the theme of Wednesday's article to talk about yet another good-value favorite that I enjoy rediscovering when each new vintage arrives. This one's white, and it's French: The always appealing, still affordable Hugues Beaulieu Picpoul de Pinet from the Coteaux du Languedoc, now widely available in its 2003 edition.
Another of the offbeat grapes that I love to explore, Picpoul is native to Southern France, from the Languedoc to the Rhone Valley, where it's one of the 13 varieties permitted in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Its name, I'm told, translates as "the lip-stinger" of Pinet, a jocular compliment to the tart, high-acid (and thus decidedly food-friendly) wines that it produces.
Always crisp and citric, it's a classic "summer sipper" that many of my friends use as a seasonal "house wine." As far as I'm concerned, its affinity for seafood - and its price - make it a winner all year 'round. The warmth of the 2003 vintage across Europe shows in this vintage as a peachy, aromatic ripeness, built on a signature lemony citric snap that I've found consistent over many years of enjoying this wine. (European readers should note that "Hugues Beaulieu" is the U.S. label for this wine, sold in Europe as Hugues de Beauvignac.)
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor1/tswa050211.phtml
Have a look at this good blog about the wine…
http://wineslacker.blogspot.com/2006/12/its-out-of-season-for-white-wine.html
Neighbouring Languedoc also produces some great dry white to go with the Mediterranean's vast palette of salads and seafood dishes. With its crisp acidity and bone dry fruit, the little-known Picpoul de Pinet is perfect for washing down oysters and mussels from abundant lagoon of tang de Thau. While most of the Picpoul goes the way of a captive local audience, there are some good value examples that make their way over here, such as the refreshingly zippy, dry and tangy 2005 Chteau de Branger Picpoul de Pinet, Cave Co-op de Pomerols (pounds 4.49, Booths).
Further info on http://www.wine-food-languedoc.com
It is still a very popular area to buy property in the Aude. Prices have increased over the last 5 years, but there are still homes that need a lot of TLC and renovation, that start at around 80 000 euros.
Property prices and trends in the Languedoc
2006/7 has been an interesting year in the Languedoc. The demand for property is still very high, mainly from the British, but also from the Irish, Dutch and, newcomers, the Swedes. The availability of property for sale has been very mixed, with the peak time of summer having very few good properties to sell, but post summer, the market has picked up enormously and there is now a great selection at all budgets.
Selling prices have been quite sensitive too. The boom of 4 years ago has given the taste for sellers to try and price their property at the maximum. The reality this year has been that the asking price was hardly ever reached, with agreed selling prices of about 5-15% off the asking price. This meant that some people took their homes off the market, and are happy to wait until the market picks up.
The British buyers have been less in evidence. Our research shows that this may be due to potential buyers consolidating their debts, over draughts and mortgages rather than spend their money on “luxuries”.
Lets have a look at some of the statistics:
Here we have indications of sold properties in the Narbonne area. These prices are for houses only and are the price per square metre
Price range Variation over 3 months Variation over 6 months Variation on 1 year
Lowest price 2 073,00 € 0,00% +3,23% +0,87%
Highest price 2 769,00 € 0,00% +0,69% -5,92%
Average price 2 395,00 € +1,75% +3,17% +2,05%
Properties sold in Carcassonne area. Once again, price per square metre for houses sold.
Price range Variation over 3 months Variation over 6 months Variation on 1 year
Lowest price 1 600,00 € +29,00% +18,75% +29,00%
Highest price 2 000,00 € -7,50% +6,95% -2,25%
Average price 1 804,00 € +4,60% +6,15% +11,42%
Houses sold in Ginestas . This is a town very popular with British buyers. Once again, price per square metre.
Price range Variation over 3 months Variation over 6 months Variation on 1 year
Lowest price 2 000,00 € 0,00% +36,65% -47,60%
Highest price 2 593,00 € 0,00% -2,85% -28,65%
Average price 2 222,00 € 0,00% +4,10% -41,49%
Let’s focus now on the Languedoc. In 2004 and 2005, this region has shown the highest increase in property prices for the whole of France.
• It is one of the most varied regions
• It has the longest season and the most hours of sunshine
• Served by 4 main airports, with a choice of scheduled and budget airlines using these airports
• A great choice of beaches on the Mediterranean
• Characterful villages
• Huge amount of history (uniquely the Cathars)
• Skiing in Andorra close by as well as the border into Spain
What type of properties are potential buyers looking for?
• The most popular is still the holiday/secondary home. This is usually a minimum of 2 bedrooms, located near shops and in a village. It must have an outside space, usually in the form of a terrace or small courtyard. Easy maintenance and confidence when empty that it will secure.
• Potential of buying a larger home that can produce some income is gaining in popularity. This takes many different forms. B & B (Chambre d’hote) and rental (Gite) properties are proving a good source of income, covering all out goings and, in most cases, showing a yearly profit. The restrictions here seem to be solely what potential purchasers can realisticly afford to buy.
• Many people are leaving their country of origin and starting a new life in the Languedoc. The days of buying a ruin for €10 000 are over. You can find houses/barns that need a complete makeover, with prices starting around €40 000. Depending on the state of this type of property, one can have this renovation work done, to your specifications, for around 2.5 to 3 times the purchase price- but this does vary hugely.
• New builds are also popular- with the current build price of €1000 per m2.
To summarise, the Languedoc is a very good area to invest in. It is to be viewed on a medium to long-term investment. The cost of living is cheaper that the UK and the quality of life is far superior. Take a serious look at what is available, affordable and we are sure that you will be pleasantly surprised.
Further info: http://www.propertysolutionslanguedoc.com
Well, as this is my Blog, I am going to do a bit of self-publicising!!!
I have designed and Optimized the following web sites. If you are looking to have a web site built and published and Optimized, get in touch with me.
http://www.propertysolutionslanguedoc.com
http://www.wine-food-languedoc.com
http://www.garden-maintenance-aude.com
http://www.find-gite-aude.com
http://www.bize-knees.com
I will advise you on how to buy a good name, get it hosted,discuss design and content needs, publish it, optimise it (i.e. get all the major search engines aware that you have a great site (sic), et voila!!
It is very affordable as well. I design sites not to win design prizes, but to get the search engine spiders over excited!!
When I bought my house, it came with a fully self-contained Gite (self catering accommodation).. It has been a great success for the last 2 years. It is best suited for the warmer months- i.e. from April through to October. Sleeps 4- has a courtyard for those BBQ's and breakfasts of croissant and coffee... Take a stroll out of the Gite, and 2 minutes later, you can be bathing in the cool, extremely clean waters of the River Cesse.........hmmmmmm
To book our Gite, click on the link below:
http://www.find-gite-aude.com
Monday. Always the busiest day of the week. While I have been enjoying my weekend my inbox has been receiving many requests to see properties. Last weekend, by the way, was the busiest one of the year for my village. Sunday was La fete d’olivier. Only in France, can they decide that the olive tree needs celebrating. Everything linked to olive oil, the wood from the olive tree, and the fruit itself. 200 stalls surround the old walls, and stall holders sell their wares to the 10 000 visitors that amble through. An oddity does occur however. Well 2 actually. The first is a contest held in the main square. It is called Grand concours d’aioli. 12 people of all ages stand behind their bowls made from olive wood. In front of them, they all have the following ingredients: 1 egg, a bottle of olive oil, a head of garlic and salt and pepper. The idea is to mix these ingredients in an aioli (generally used to dip crudités into) in your own, special way and then the judge, armed with slices of baguette, tries them all and declares a winner. Each contestant somehow manages to include their own secret, or not so secret, way of crushing the garlic, the speed and amount of olive oil that is drizzled into the wooden bowl, how it is mixed up and finally, with their finger, they taste it as if sampling a finest Claret.
The second bizarre event is called “The contest of throwing the Beret.” The Beret is the archetypal flat cap, usually black, that is worn by Frenchmen. This contest is to see how far the Beret can be frisbeed. Personal techniques have been developed over the years, ranging from quick flick of the wrist to something that resembles putting the shot. The cap has to land in a chalk marked area to be legal. The judge was a pure comic character. Long white beard, he was sporting an outfit fit for a clown- and of course, a red Beret. The winner flung his cap a total of 29 yards. He won a bottle of first pressed virgin olive oil- of course!
We have 6 people who want to see properties this week, so appointments are made. I have 1 person to show around this afternoon. She is a lady of a certain age, who has been married a few times, and I think has done very well out of her past men. She has given me a budget of 500 000 euro ($630 000) to find a home where she can put up, with great en-suite comfort, her friends and then her family. She needs a small garden, no pool, and in good condition. Well, it sounds a lot of money, but at this time, it is a tough brief. I have selected a handful of properties ranging from a 19th Century renovated church to a very modern, circa 1990 home. She turns up looking like a true Parisienne, haute couture abounding, and of course, a small yapping dog. She rides in my car (sadly the aircon decided not to work , and with an outside temperature nudging 36 C, her coiffure decided to start flattening itself ), and we do the viewings. She is like a whirlwind going through the properties, flinging questions at me, wiping her finger along the top of a Louis XVI sideboard and inspecting her finger to see if it had been recently polished. She declares that she does not find any of the 4 suitable and tells me to find some more to show her. Back to the drawing board.
Tuesday. The first of my new clients arrive 15 minutes early. This is a bad start to the day as that first coffee of the day has to be consumed in peace, while feeling that dark, hot liquid going to work in the body. They are dressed as if they were on the beach and smell faintly of coconut oil. They belong to an ever increasing breed of first time buyers that are unrealistic about their budget and want the whole dream, and more if possible, for a handful of cents. They arrive, big and bright eyed, and are ready to be wowed! Sadly, I can’t deliver the wow factor for them- on paper anyhow. I show them the properties we are going to view, and they put on a brave face, but I feel that they are already disappointed. I show them 5 properties- all needing work to be done on them, all in small villages and all that look like an old granny has been living there who entered a time warp 60 years ago and never left it. Damp smells abound, and at 1 property we viewed, the owner showed us around. Bearing in mind that the time was 11 a.m., she greeted us dressed in her dressing gown. There was a chicken in the kitchen clucking around. I looked at this beast to try and decide if it looked concerned that its days were numbered and it was due to enter the large pot of boiling water I saw on the stove. I decided that it was a pet and that the pot of water was for soup made from one of its distant relatives. After the last property we viewed, we went to a local café and discussed our findings. I could tell that they didn’t possess the imagination to see past the rotten beams and chicken droppings and imagine their dream home. I suggested new built homes that we had in their price range. Their little faces lit, and I could feel a collective sigh of relief. No major renovations required and at most, just some light painting and decorating to suit their tastes. I dismissed them for the all important 2 hour lunch break, and told them to come back in the afternoon to see some more properties.
Wednesday. I receive a call from the lady of a certain age. She has changed her mind on one of the properties I showed her, and would like to see it again in 1 hour. Luckily I have the keys and we meet at the property. She leads the charge, opens most of the drawers and cupboards throughout, smiles knowingly when we discover a stash of Vintage Champagne and makes positive noises. She informs me that she will ask her Lawyer to call me the following day. Yesterday’s young couple think they like a very modern, characterless, small home I showed them. They are viewing other properties and may be in touch.
Thursday. 2 of my clients want to put in an offer on the same property. The market is very much a buyers one, with prices being put on high with the knowledge that offers will come in anything between 5 and 15% below the asking price. I advise them both with the same information, and by the end of the conversations, I have 2 offers to put forward to the owners. There is a 3% difference in the offers, but I leave it to the owner to decide who she wishes to go with. 1 offer, the lower, is easy, as there is no chain or mortgage. The higher one is fraught with complications. She goes with the former, but mutters that the English are taking the Mickey on offering too little.
Friday. Our lady of a certain ages’ Lawyer calls me. She wishes to proceed with an offer, wishes to complete the sale within 6 weeks and would like the furniture to be included in the sale. The latter can be quite a common request in France. I spend many hours trying to track down the vendor, who I eventually find on a yatch in Greece. The furniture belongs to his family but he has never liked that heavy, classical style himself. He is more minimal in his tastes. My buyer is very welcome to the furniture, but he will need it to be valued, which takes time. This rings alarm bells in my head, because there now will be no way to complete in 6 weeks. I convey this via the lawyer to her ladyship. We now await the outcome of her reaction. The young couple have gone very quiet so I will nudge them back into life on Monday.
Another “fun” week has ended. I decide to put on my Beret and go into the bar for a Ricard before going home to my crudités and aioli and another fun weekend.
Copyright 2006 Propertysolutionslanguedoc.com
A very personal experience and adventure!
http://www.propertysolutionslanguedoc.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Bowditch
The 8.16 train to London Victoria has been cancelled due to leaves on the line. We apologise for this inconvenience”
A collective groan, with British reserve, reverberated along the station platform. Another normal day in the life of the commuter trying to get into work to earn a heavily taxed crust.
I stood on the station platform and looked around me. That familiar site that had greeted my pollution-reddened eyes for the last 15 years was becoming tainted. The drab colours of ill-fitting and over worn suits, mixed with badly ironed shirts and “racy” ties. Let me tell you about those ties.
It seems that there is a belief that you can be thoughtless and grey in all of your attire, but when you enter a Gentleman’s outfitters, and head for the section marked “Ties”, you enter into a new world. This one garment can describe and liberate you, verging on being risqué and out of character. Your eyes are attracted to South Park characters, Disney or at worst, a Jackson Pollock reproduction that looks like your scrambled egg missed your mouth. You purchase this tasteless tie, and walk out of the shop, floating on air, like Mary Poppins clutching onto her umbrella.
The weather too- the favourite topic of conversation- never seems to vary. The grey, heavy skies with ever threatening rain, add a dull lustre to everything.
So, while waiting for the next train, that I know will be full, and that we will be treated to an experience that even cattle on the way to market would decline, I had to ask myself a question. What’s it all about? This has been my life for the last 15 years, the quality of my life is being diminished by continuing to be a rodent clone in this rat race, and there must be a better way to exist- even to live happily every day. Is there a way out?
My brother had left England and moved to South West France to start a new life. He was vaguely forced to do this, as he had fallen victim of the 21st Century culture of being far too old at 54 to be considered for new employment. What happened to those values that stated that experience is everything? He bought a ruin of a property in a small village for next to nothing, spent 1 year renovating it, and began a new life. I had been to visit them on a few occasions and discovered a region in France that I had previously not known. The Languedoc-Rousillon is on the West coast of the Mediterranean heading towards the Spanish border. Their home is situated in one of the 6 regions, namely the Aude.
The 5 other regions are; Herault, Tarn, Haute Garonne, Ariege and Pyrenees Orientales. Each one is different, filled with touristic and rural villages, beaches, mountains, waterfalls, history, and variety to quench all tastes. More detailed information on the regions in future articles.
Maybe this is the way out? Sometimes the best solutions are the most obvious and simple. Why not sell my home in London, kiss goodbye to my fellow commuters (maybe not) and buy a property in the Aude and work for myself.
Over a gin and tonic, with plenty of ice, a plan was hatched. I would go and spend 2 weeks with my brother, make appointments with property finders and try and find the dream. I booked my budget ticket and flew out, filled to the brim with expectations. That was short lived as the property finders had not followed my brief at all, and the appointments that they had made for me turned out to be a total waste of time. Estate Agents were not expecting me, then they dug out a handful of properties to show me that missed the mark by many kilometres.
Imagine looking at properties, day after day, that, even with the wildest imagination, one knows that they could never be renovated to any suitable level of comfort or quality. I was looking for a primary residence, not a holiday home, and therein lies a big difference. Holiday home buyers can see things through rose tinted spectacles as their needs are different to purchasers who aim to live permanently in their new home.
At the end of my first week and 27 properties later that all got an emphatic thumbs down, I was walking from my brother’s home to the Boulangerie (a trek of at least 1 minute), when I spotted a hand written notice on a green metal gate. “2 houses for sale, could be made into 1, with other properties. Contact buyer on ****** )
A phone call was made, an appointment set up for later that morning. What lay in wait behind that green gate?
Imagine 300 year old stone which was part of the villages’ ramparts. Originally the total property for sale contained 6 homes, now turned into 4 “spaces”, which included a ground floor apartment that was being used, partly, as a “kitchen” to sell Kebabs through a window to passing trade and a greasy living area. Then we have next door, a commercial property that housed an Estate Agent of unknown origins. Above both of these ground floor properties, there are 2 houses, both containing 2 floors. Lost? So was I when being shown around- trying to imagine the overall picture. After an interesting 3 hours of drinking Ricard and negotiating in typical French style, a deal was struck to purchase all 4 “spaces”, and at the end of my second week, I was a home owner in Bize-Minervois, Aude, Languedoc.
I was now free to make the next bold step and sell up in London and move to the Aude, refurbish the spaces into workable properties, and start the dream. It was no easy move, with many “interesting” experiences. I decided to set up my own Property Finding Services to offer future dream hunters a smoother ride down this worth-while but pot-holed route to leaving the rat race behind.
Copyright 2006 Propertysolutionslanguedoc.com
Purely and honestly from personal experience! http://www.wine-food-languedoc.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=michael_bowditch
