Larry Goes to Fuengirola. (16) Tuesday 24 May 2022

 Another very pleasant day, much of it spent driving through the South West of France, which is no hardship at all. From the Plateau de Lhers to Villeneuve de Duras is about 4 1/2 hrs according to Mrs Google Maps, but of course that takes no account of stopping at Intermarche or Leclerc (I did both) or taking a wrong turn (did that too). I arrived at my next stop, Domaine du Grand Mayne, about 3pm.

I always ask Google maps to show me the quickest route, and then I tell it to avoid toll roads, and see if it makes it much slower. Usually it makes very little difference and anyway, Larry is just as happy on a long straight D road as he is on an autoroute. You see more of rural France that way, as well. I haven't had to pay a single toll yet on this trip.. not many photographs today, as I've been driving, but that is rather a shame because it has been quite scenic. There are some impressive rivers hereabouts, such as the Garonne, but French drivers really don't like it if you stop in the middle of a bridge, to take a photo. (Don't ask me how I know this :-). Nor do they like you taking photos whilst driving... you can't seem to win.

So now here I am, parked up at Grand Mayne and in bright sunshine, sipping a glass of the 2018 Reserve merlot cabernet, and very nice it is too. I was introduced to Grand Mayne in the mid 1990s by a colleague at work, Alan Derr, and have been a fan ever since. I won't go into the history in detail but it was bought, built up and hugely improved by an English couple, Andrew and Edwina Gordon, and when they retired it went through a bit of a sticky patch. Now under new, Dutch ownership, it looks as if it might be on the up again. With the discount I get as a former shareholder it is good value. I have bought a respectable quantity, and we shall see what customs make of it all. 

Tomorrow I shall leave the van here, and go for a walk somewhere. Then on Thursday morning, off to Chateau Feely. Two vineyards could not be more different... but more about that tomorrow, perhaps.

 

You do get some good toys to play with, as a winegrower..

Larry, settled in a corner of Grand Mayne and surrounded by vines

Grand Mayne has about 100,000 vines over 35Ha, about 86 acres. Producing about 250,000 bottles of wine ..