Go to a local independent wine shop (not a supermarché or local wine co-op) explain the situation and let the proprietor advise you.
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Obvious…buy them a teapot! Or a nice tablecloth from UK.
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waaat! when the Bretons make fine lace…
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I can imagine giving them a teapot.
‘What’s this? A plant pot with a handy watering pipe and a little handle so it can be moved easily?’
Do any of you get told to put an ‘infusion’ on? Being British and having no experience of ‘infusions’ I go and make it 3 times too strong and they make faces at me. I politely drink infusion and don’t get the point of it, while they’re horrified by me putting milk and sugar in black tea.
Thaaaaaat! Is the whole point dear boy!
To remind them of the lady too.
I find whisky has always gone down well. Decent and defo not cheapest and never “own brand”. When Marks & Spencer used to do a gift pack of 6 different miniatures at Christmas I used to buy them and hold them for gifts at other times.
I have also given a special but extremely well liked type of French mustard to someone here, that was only available in the Paris shop of the firm making it. That was 2 jars wrapped in tissue paper and ribbon by the shop placed in their small glossy gift carrier bag by the shop. Went down a treat given to someone locally.
I have also given whisky to a neighbour who came and helped in an emergency, accompanied by some special salt from the UK (that is the equal of any I’ve found in France) for his wife whom I’d never met. That was because a thankyou was needed for help with an animal that had died and I felt that whisky would be welcomed but would be in poor taste alone, so I gave salt “for life” as well and explained why.
You’re right, whiskey is a highly prized gift among the French, they tend to be delighted. I’d forgotten all about it.
Or perhaps in the Dijon shop too? If same well liked mustard! My treat when I visit my specialist in Dijon as you can get smart refillable ceramic jars, and I refill with their current special mustard…
this was a really special one, it waa introduced for 1 season but was so popular they kept it for 2-3 years but it stopped.
Now owned by Unilever
Now you’ve really ruined my day! I was in blissful ignorance, and very happy filling up my pretty pot with chablis and truffle mustard, or provençal rosé, or whatever…full of whimsical ideas of young women in dimity smocks and wicker baskets collecting seeds by hand in local sunshine…
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