Lunch

We decided to celebrate S being asked to write a preface to a book that a Catalan shepherd he knows is writing, by the usual method: lunch at Le Bastion in Lagrasse. It's the first time he's been offered money for something he hasn't written yet! I sometimes wonder why the restaurant stays open over the winter: sadly, we were the only customers for the whole lunch service, and were served by no fewer than three members of staff (one a very nervous trainee). But the food was delicious as always: this is my starter of cauliflower, truffles, caramelised onions, and brioche. Better than it sounds! For me the star of the show was my pear-themed dessert. It wasn't photogenic, but it was absolute perfection: pear poached, semi-dried, and in a sorbet, with crème fraîche, a thin biscuit for crunch, and 4-épices sprinkled over.

We went home to slob out for a couple of hours and then went to a public meeting in Fabrezan about another solar panel project. Except it turned out not to be a meeting, but an exhibition of information panels, with a couple of people from the company on hand to answer questions.

Unlike last week's, this is very much a commercial project, on a large scale with much of the electricity being exported to the grid. They are currently in a consultation phase, having identified a large area between here and Fabrezan that could be suitable. The basic idea is to pull up vines and plant solar panels instead, while compensating the landowners handsomely. Plus the two communes will receive tax from them annually, which would make a big difference to squeezed budgets. The only agricultural activity they plan to incorporate is a herd of sheep which can graze beneath the panels. 

While there we talked to the president of the cave coopérative, and needless to say the growers are quite keen on the idea given the current climate-related crisis. This cooperative is quite small, optimised for a production of 12,000 hectolitres (1.2 m litres) a year . This year's harvest produced only 5,000 hl. Barely viable. But surely if they pull up a few score hectares and replace them with solar panels, production will drop even further. And then the cooperative will be gobbled up by the much bigger one in Fabrezan, which already processes grapes from 33 communes, most of which previously had their own cooperatives. Not necessarily a bad thing I suppose, but a shame when our cooperative has done so much to improve the quality of the wine and diversify the offer. It will certainly change the look of the landscape and my blipportunities.

We're not really sure what to think of it ... more information needed. There will be further presentations and a public meeting, and if approved they're not expected to be functioning till 2029.