Charity fundraising's no easy task when it involves tasting dozens of wines, and an all-night banquet
Every year, over Palm Sunday weekend, the winemakers of Limoux come together for an elaborate event called Les Toques et Clochers, ostensibly to raise money to preserve the bell towers of 40 or so fortified villages in this corner of southern France but largely to promote the region's Chardonnay.
On the Saturday we visited the village of Digne d'Aval, whose 12th-century bell tower is the latest to be restored. We were joined by about 30,000 other enthusiasts for a raucous street party fuelled by samples of wine handed out in plastic cups. A relatively restrained dinner followed in Limoux.
But we were only warming up for the auction on the Sunday, when, after a morning tasting dozens of Chardonnays, more than 100 winemakers filed into the auction hall, each with a placard from their village. As the auctioneer announced each lot, the winemaker would stand as bids were accepted for his or her wine.
Each wine, good, bad or indifferent, reached at least €3,500 a barrel (300 bottles), with a few stretching to €5,000. A number of Russians demonstrated the weight of their wallets, as did several Canadians, Germans and Dutch, with a few relative bargains towards the end.
By then we had wilted, worn down by the tastings, the endless bidding and an awesome lunch of local specialities. But there was more to come. We retired to prepare for a black-tie dinner. It was lucky we stopped to catch our breath, as we had little opportunity to do so again until 5am, as elaborate course after course, washed down by liberal helpings of the local area's two excellent sparklers, Crémant and Blanquette, appeared on each table.
These are appealing wines. According to Hugh Johnson, this area may have produced France's first sparkling wine, about 200 years before Champagne. The Blanquette, which has a distinct aroma of cider, must be made from 90 per cent Mauzac; the Crémant, with its soft froth, must have 60 per cent Mauzac, with Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay.
And they come in magnums - as was clear when the chefs marked the end of the dinner by marching around the hall holding magnums aloft. This was also the signal for a carnival dance to envelop the crowd with It's a Knockout-style music.
The rest is a little hazy. Peter Dunne of Mitchell & Son wasn't joking when he called Toques et Clochers an event that "everybody should experience once in their life." Once is probably just right. jbreen@irish-times.ie
Joe Breen was a guest of Mitchell & Son Wine Merchant, which sells Clocher de Conilhac 2002 Reserve Chardonnay at €35 and Toques et Clochers Les Hauts Clochers selection 2000 at €14.50