La Bernache est ici
Having been told about Bernache by Bengt (the dill munching Viking Preuillacien) last year, I was anxious to try it this year. So when the signs went up at SuperU, I was in like a shot. I may have been there on the first day, but even then about half of their supply had gone. I bought 3 bottles, with the intention of sharing the experiment with Susan when she arrived later in the week.
As an experiment, it went quite well: very refreshing, but with a kick greater than 11% would have you believe. Sitting in the garden with a couple of glasses of bernache may well become a once a year feature of life in Preuilly.As for the details? Bernache is something about which there seems very little information on the interwebby tubes thing, but there are a number of facts which we know to be true:
- Bernache is semi-fermented wine (about 11% alcohol).
- Bernache comes in just about every colour from green, through almost clear, to red.
- It bubbles.
- The bottle does not have a cork, just the plastic cork cover. There is a hole in this, so don't lay the bottle down.
- It has added yeast. Either this, or some of the pomace (grape pulp) gets into each bottle. This causes it to continue fermenting, hence the bubbles. There is definitely solids in the bottom of the bottle.
- It rots your brain. It certainly does affect the stomach. It seems odd that at a time of year when cabbage and beans are the main vegetables the effect should be heightened by a drink, but there you go. (This may qualify as TMI, but it's too late).
- It goes off really quickly. Otherwise why can't you buy it all year round?
Simon
(There is a good post on the Hotel Le Blason blog from Amboise about bernache, in French.)
5 comments:
Is it because it leaves you clinging to almost anything for support...?!
Glad that you finally tasted the liquid of life. This is what life really is about. Or? In german it´s Schorle but the french word slipped my mind. I mix up with the Parnache which is not quite the same :-)
DMVP (I assume it's you?) Panaché is for old ladies ! :-)
Autolycus – good logical thinking. I'll go with that until something better presents itself.
I didn't know that the French know it. I assume it's the thing we call in slovak "burciak" and we drink it from end of september to end of october (this drink is widely spread in central europe - czech republik, austria, slovakia). It's the fermented grape juice with plenty of vitamines and there is no way to conserve it. Once it's more fermented and filtered, it becomes wine. I like it very much, thanks for the idea of french name, i'll try to find it here.
Katarina – it sounds like the same thing to me. I'll ask my French-Slovak friend Edith – I expect she will know.
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