Lambs’ tails

One of the many signs of the mild winter, that is until recently, is the abundance of hazel catkins or lambs tails in our woodlands. I never think of them as flowers but that is what they really are: hundreds of tiny male flowers around a central stem that release their pollen into the wind looking for female flowers to pollinate.
This evening was the first meeting of 2024 of Mystere wine club. We tasted nine wines from Domaine du Pelican in the Jura, a relatively new producer who originates from nearby Burgundy and is already gaining a reputation for distinctive fine wines. I must admit that I was unfamiliar with Jura wines, the smallest of France’s wine regions. It was an interesting and educational experience and it made me want to try some more in the future.