Chateau de Ferrand

Off we go to our last wine tasting tour in Bordeaux.

Yen, with Joanna Bouissou, one of Global summit of Women’s committee hosts. She’s Polish, married to a French national. They live in Paris where she works as Marketing Officer of HSBC France. Joanna speaks 5 languages, Polish, French, Italian, German, Spanish. She’s one of the friendliest persons I have ever met in my entire life.

After a short drive from St. Emilion, we’re here at the Chateau de Ferrand winery.

I see myself living here, in a chateau like this. Feel na feel!

Oops, she’s the owner. Madame Pauline Bich Chandon – Moet. An ultra-rich lady but surprisingly very accommodating, kind, unassuming and friendly. Her father founded BIC BALLPEN. Her father was part owner of PERRIER (water), and many other companies.
Destiny and love would have it that she married a scion of Moet & Chandon (Champagne).

Pauline and husband Philippe manages the 300 year old chateau.

It was difficult to walk on the tiny lime stones. My feet rolls with the stones.

Pauline’s

One day, her father came home and told her mother that he turned water into wine.
He sold some of his shares in Perrier and bought this 17th century chateau and 48 hectare vineyard. Pauline was 11 years old then.

She graciously let us take a peak into their private estate’s sprawling garden at the back of the main castle.

The trees are more than two hundred years old.

It was a hot sunny day but as soon as we went under the trees, the temperature dropped by several degrees. Biglang ang lamig.

I was the very first kapal muks who immediately spotted this chair and sat down for a photo, pretending that this garden is mine.

Upon seeing me, my companions made gaya-gaya

Ang presko dito. Perfect sana if there’s manikurista.

Sana when my kids were still little eh we had a big garden. Wala, sa kutson lang nag-ta-tumbling si Nyke.

Ilang daang taon na daw nito.

anay look

Next, we were allowed access to their cellar

Cold and fresh smelling

The amount of liquid inside –115 hectoliters

After the looking, comes the tasting

and the eating. We were served the Lemoine original macaroons and cheese.

And bottles of Sainte Anne eau naturelle flat drinking water. Kung ako maging santo, magugunaw ang mundo.

Their Sommelier taught us how to tell the difference between vintage and not so vintage wines without the need to taste it.

Place the wine glasses under direct light and over white paper. The dark red is 2009 while the lighter orangey color is vintage 2000. O ayan ha. We learned something new today so please do not forget that.

Do you see the difference? Do not believe what people say that men are like wine.
Mga DOM lang ang nagsasabi nyan. They’re not the same. They’re actually the opposite. The older the wine, the lighter it gets. Eh ang mga guys, basta nagkaka-edad na, nangingitim na, tingnan mo.

Pauline went to college in the US and she remembers a male classmate of hers from the Philippines. I forgot the name, let me think.

Pauline and her staff waited for us at the front of her Chateau while we were getting off the bus. When we were leaving, despite the heat, she even walked us to where the bus was. Medyo malayo rin. And she didn’t leave till our bus had left. I have never seen such gracious host, most especially that she’s actually a French royal.

What a privilege to be granted time and attention by Pauline. She was unbelievably nice, carrying plastic chairs, glasses, macaroons, serving us wine. She really made us feel special.