Robert V. Camuto

Sunday in Saumur in the heart of the Loire Valley, the French translation of Corkscrewed titled Un Americain dans les Vignes was awarded the Prix Jean Carmet (named for the late French actor and hedonist) for wine writing......read more...... 

The setting was the 15th annual book and wine fair Livre et du Vin. There was a show at France's national Ecole d'Equitation of horses doing ballet-like moves and jumping over tables with wine glasses in a nearby arena, then lunch that began with oysters and white wine in the old candlelight caves of Bouvet-Ladubay. There was wine, music, roundtable discussions on topics like "L'ivresse amoureuse" (lit. drunkeness in love) with a woman who was once my cinematic heartthrob: Anouk Aimee. Gerard Depardieu made a grande cinematic entrance after arriving in helicopter. 

Et voila! 

When my name was called for the prize, I was fairly stunned-- hardly believing that a book by an American writer on French wine could win its second writing prize. A mic was thrust into my hand and out came Miss Pays de Loire with the loot-- including a magnum of Bouvet Ladubay sparkling limited cuvee OGMIUS and a saber that I fantasized about brandishing on my way back home through Paris. 

Pour les comptes rendus en Francais voir: wine tourism in france ou Laure du Vin. 

PHOTO CREDIT: CHRISTOPHE GAYE LIVE IMAGE