Club Arnage

Tres Hombres number seven this year in three cars, none of which are big enough to get a fridge and generator in. Teensy problemmetto then as your truly has been given the unenviable task of finding a way to keep the beer cold.
Apart from nipping off to the supermarket in Arnage every 10 minutes, after eleven trips to Maison Blanche I still haven't cracked this one.

Prize (unspecified at this stage) for the person who comes up with the most ingenious (and practical) solution to this most irritating of problems.

There's some useful info here

http://www.clubarnage.com/yabbse/index.php?board=2;action=display;threadid=2845

If you can wade through the insane ramblings!

Get there in time to get a plug in to one of the "golden triangle" power supplies and get Gilles to obtain you a second hand "disposable" fridge.

What is the golden triangle?

An area of unknown happenings in the centre of Maison Blanche. A bit like the Bermuda Triangle, people who walk through there have strange things happen to them.

I walked through it last year at about 11am one day and came out the other side at about 1pm half pissed!!!

JP

In you role as professional beer and wine sampler, have you come across a decent sancerre or pouilly fume for a reasonable cost in France (and assuming of course that you do drink things apart from JPC!)

Yours toffily
Colonel Spot

You are spoilt for choice robspot!

That said, I couldn't tell you which ones I'd recommend by name/producer as it tends to be that I recognise them by label!! I therefore have to ensure that I shop for them at the same time each year to ensure that the level of blurred vision is the same as the previous year so that they look similar. On site we do tend to stick to JP Chenet, mainly because after the second bottle we wouldn't taste the difference between a Premier Cru Puligny-Montrachet and a Muscadet. ;)

JP Chenet isn't the best wine in the world (or Le Mans for that matter) but it's quaffable, and it's incredibly good value for money (6 bottle for about £10)

It's a bit like holidaying abroad. I can drink Raki, Ouzo and Retsina when I'm in Crete, but the stuff tastes awful when you try it at home!

Bit worried JP I can still drink all that stuff when I get home ::)

Ah, but there is a difference in being able to drink it, and how it tastes.

I remember one night staying at a mates house several years ago and after a lock in at his local we headed back to crash at his place and decided a night cap was in order. We were met with a choice of Advocaat or Creme De Menthe, both of which looked, by the depth of the layer of dust on them, as though they had been at the abck of the cupboard for at least a decade. They didn't mix together very well, but the Creme De Menthe was quite refreshing.

A mate brought back some Metaxa once (greek brandy). With the benefit of hindsight he probably shouldn't have come home at all.

As LM is not to far from the Loir Valley, there is a good range in most of the supermarkets.  Look for on the label "bottled by the produce" or "bottled in the chataue" (in french obviously).
But as there is always a problem keeping beer & wine cold, and I like my Sancerre very very cold, I find that Chablis is a better bet, OK so its Burgundy, but hey. But if you are looking for reds, look for Chinnon, but pay maybe a euro more than you would for the whites.

Not that I now anything about french wines, I only import Italian wines.......... ;)

Do have a spiffing time dear chap, happy quaffing!

So what should I be looking out for when I go to Rome next weekend Bobblehat??

As Italy is the 2nd largest wine producing nation, to give you an idea how big Scilly produces more wine than Australia! plus over 700 differant grape verieties growing in its vineyards. So there is a lot of wine to chose from!!!!

As Rome is in the Lazio region most of the wine will be from Frascati plus a few other regions a lot of them, well know for white wines. Est Est Est is another. There should be some good 2004 whites avalible. Try to find the smaller producers

If you get the chance look out for sighns "Enoteca" these are wine shop/wine bars.

Two Lazio producers to look out for "Piero Costantini , Villa Simone"  and " Cantina Cerqueta" both make good wines the Piero Costantini make more the top end wines. As for reds most will be made from Sangiovese. If you like a few bubbles try some Prosecco.

I have a rule of thumb in resturants that I will spend the same amout on wine as in the UK, say 15/16 then I will get a cracker in Italy.

I know itas a blatent plug but have a look at

www.i-love-wine.co.uk

Have fun, oh and mind the vespas.

Thanks Bobblehat, I'll let you know how I get on.  Thanks for the tips, we'll be certain to try some!!!

So....which one are you on the web site???

Your graciousness nice to see that you are still about !! and that your LM court has grown to 7 number.

The simplest way to overcome keeping your beer cold is................not to drink beer at all and drink cocktails.  Then all you need is a couple of bags of ice from Carrefour and you're away.  Then by the time you are arsed and fancy a beer you won't really care if its on the warmish side of cold !!

Jem

Lord
The WANCs will allow your popeness to put a bottle of Blue Nun in our fridge,so it's well chilled for your special meal of the week,

PM

Jem / Powermite
Good to hear from you esteemed gentlemen again and I'm glad that we've got this thread back on message and away from what was turning into a wine slurpers forum.

Cocktails it is then and PM, can I put my leapordskin posing pouch in your fridge so that it's suitably chilled before the saturday T.W.A.T.S trouser dropping session in the grandstand.

Lord Steve of Darlo

Lord
The pouch can go in the freezer section with the w''king sock
PM

M'Lard, the humble Up North Crew would gladly share our miserly cocktails with you and your merry band should you stoop to calling in at Houx at any time. (and anyother CA'er for that matter)

I'll let you know the pitch numbers once we get the tickets.

Jem

Jem
Thank you for your kind invitation which I am delighted to accept on behalf of my mottley crew (crue?)
Let me know your pitch and we'll find you (and bring vodka if that helps!)

I went to Tescos yesterday and saw JP Chenet for the first time (don't know if its been there before but I've never seen it) so I bought a bottle of sauvignon blanc and bugger me - it's very drinkable.

Went back today and they're selling 3 litre boxes of it for £12.75 so I bought two! By the time June comes around I should be a JP pro.

That's dangerous!!!!!!!  ;)

The same 3 litre box is about £6.50/£7.00 in France!!  :)

They started doing a sparkling JP Chenet last year as well which was very reasonable!

Good, you're starting to think my way.  We've all done beer mountains.

Lets go for a Winebox Piramid.

Will do M'lard as soon as we get the pitch numbers I will post them on here.

I've already dispatched the rookies to purchase a red carpet in anticipation of your visit!!!

Jem

Two Quote JP

 "That's dangerous!!!!!!!  ;)

The same 3 litre box is about £6.50/£7.00 in France!!  :)

They started doing a sparkling JP Chenet last year as well which was very reasonable!"

But as an aside this is the biggest brand in France one bottle shifts of the shelf every 3 seconds (and I dont think its JPC getting them all!). There may be a chance that the wine may of seen a grape, but only on its way, in a tanker past a vineyard on its way to a bottling plant! >:( But hey it does the job right, yeah right!!!! :o

My Lord, pitch numbers are 868 869 and 870.

We had 875 last year so if they keep the same layout our humble abode will be found about 100 yards on the right as you come into Houx from the Houx Annexe end.

Jem

Sparking JP Chenet £4.95 at Tesco.  I was tempted, but managed to resist!  :)

F

Fran, (and indeed any CA'er) Come round to Team JPC on Maison Blanche in about 50 days time and sample some. We'll have plenty and it should be very well chilled!!!  :)

In fact we'll probably be taking a fair supply walkabout with us at the start of the race and I'm sure some will be dragged up to the poo bar on Saturday in our wheel along cool box.

Its a date JPC... tho as the countdown stands at ....
"There are 47 days 20 hours 10 minutes 19 seconds to the start of the 2005 Le Mans 24 Hour race"  (well a bit less since i cut n pasted it) .... i may be there a bit earlier than 50 days!

 :o

F

Hmmm, 6 days left in April, 31 days in May, race starts 18th June. I make that 55!!!!! :-\ ::) :) :-[  Did someone's web site not change from the original advertised dates of 12th/13th June?!?!

We'll be there on the Monday morning (5 days) before!!   :D

Grrr......i thought i was being so smart!

 Anyway - i will be there for the PQ on the 4th ....which is ....err... 30 days has September... etc.... not long now!  

After that i will be off to the coast for some R&R then back on Bleu for the Monday.  

 :D

F

P.S.  Picked up my pushbike today too... TICK!

Err, fran? ;)

Bill

Fran, where are you planning on going to in between PQ's and the main race. If you've not sorted it yet PM me, I can give you a few insights as to where I, and a few of our crew, have been before.

Jem
Thanks for the pitch numbers - we'll find you and will bring supplies!

I'll message you my email in case you're not around when we call.

Steve

get a big ass paddlin pool before you go (cheap outta superdrug and asda), fill it up when you get there and chuck a few blocks of ice in it from the carrefour. should be good for coolin for a day or two. then the water goes a bit funny. either that or someone pissed in it...

Moped boy, this should keep you quite for a while.
Brian ::)

see my thread: BEER!!!!!!!! for beer cooling idea