Toques et Clochers is an annual two-day charitable

gastronomy Gastronomy is the study of the relationship between food and culture, the art of preparing and serving rich or delicate and appetizing food, the cooking styles of particular regions, and the science of good eating. One who is well versed in gastr ...

festival in Aude,

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

dedicated to the celebration of Chardonnay production in the

Limoux wine Limoux wine is produced around the city of Limoux in Languedoc in southwestern France. Limoux wine is produced under four ''Appellation d'origine contrôlée'' (AOC) designations: Blanquette de Limoux, Blanquette méthode ancestrale, Crémant de ...

appellation An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical boun ...

, sponsored by the Sieur d'Arques wine cooperative. The festival has taken place each year since 1991 during the weekend of

Palm Sunday Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in each of the four canonical Gospels. Palm Sunday marks the first day of Hol ...

in the area of

Limoux Limoux (; oc, Limós ) is a commune and subprefecture in the Aude department, a part of the ancient Languedoc province and the present-day Occitanie region in southern France. Its vineyards are famous for being first to produce sparkling w ...

and Saint-Hilaire. Each year a different village in the appellation is chosen to host the festival and the money raised is used to restore the church in that village. On the first day of the festival, the host village holds a celebration for the public, including wine-tasting, art exhibitions and music. On the second day, the Sieur d'Arques cooperative hosts an auction of local wines and a gala dinner. The wine auction is presided over by Michelin starred chefs who also create the gala dinner, while an award-winning

sommelier A sommelier ( or or ; ), or wine steward, is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional, normally working in fine restaurants, who specializes in all aspects of wine service as well as wine and food pairing. The role of the wine steward in fin ...

selects the wines.''Le limouxin'', a newspaper published in Limoux, n°3273, 21 March 2008 In 2008, the auction of wines raised 537,750 euros. The event's name refers to the tall hats worn by chefs (

toque A toque ( or ) is a type of hat with a narrow brim or no brim at all. Toques were popular from the 13th to the 16th century in Europe, especially France. The mode was revived in the 1930s. Now it is primarily known as the traditional headgear ...

s) and bell towers or

steeple In architecture, a steeple is a tall tower on a building, topped by a spire and often incorporating a belfry and other components. Steeples are very common on Christian churches and cathedrals and the use of the term generally connotes a religi ...

s (clochers), since the money raised from the auctions is given to churches to restore their belltowers. In 2018, the first day of the festival, due to be held in the village of Loupia, was cancelled as a mark of respect to those killed a day earlier in an Islamist terror attack in nearby Trebes and Carcassonne.

References

External links

*{{Official website, http://www.toquesetclochers.fr Food and drink festivals in France Festivals in France Wine-related events Aude Wine festivals