FINE WINE * DELICIOUS FOOD * EXCELLENT COMPANY

Last night was very much on my mind as I embraced my mug of coffee and stood as dawn began to break and looked out over at the mountains beyond. It was an evening of fine wine, delicious food and excellent company. We had sat down in the Dining Room of Le Chateau and commenced with a mouthwatering starter of sauté mushrooms, fois gras with caramelised onions and set off beautifully by a reduced sauce of Bonne Maman Cassis jelly. A bottle of Jurançon Moelluex, a speciality wine from the Jura mountains was declared first rate. Beautifully sweet it was voted as better than the traditional accompaniment of Sauternes. There was a sense of jubilation however amongst the guests as the said variety of wine was available at a local supermarket and is apparently unavailable in North America.

His Lordship and I sat there and congratulated ourselves on having the good fortune to have met so many diverse and wonderful people this year. That's right, you read it right, sat. You see we were guests of the guests. As jobs go at times it doesn't get any jammier or more enjoyable.

Lest I become unbearable with trumpeting the highs we have only been too acutely aware this week of the financial crisis. Laptops and blackberries have been feverishly clutched and a lone figure has sat hunched under the Olive tree over a computer screen avidly scanning figures. A scientific genius by all accounts who suddenly appears to have a rather jaunty spring in his step. 'Good day' ? I enquire. I'm having to keep it light on account of nearly causing him to have a seizure when repeating the news on the Dow Jones. It's the way you phrase it I daresay but I wasn't taking any more risks.

'It's the magic of Le Chateau' I inform him fixing him with a serious look. He appears unconvinced but I'm a great believer in karma.

To be on the safe side though I give his arm a congratulatory type of squeeze in case some of his genius and magic rubs off on me.

Without wishing to tempt fate, it just might.