NEWS

Wondering how the 3rd edition of Music & Wine in Mauritius was?
 Read on as Georgie Fenn, digital consultant, owner and blogger of Wining Away The Weekend blog retell the event based on her experience.

Was it your first time in Mauritius? How did you find it?
"It was, and hopefully not my last! I had the most magical experience, mostly because of Constance but also because of how friendly all of the people were. From arriving at the airport, the whole experience was seamless! It’s such a beautiful island too, so luscious and green."

Music & Wine is an annual event at Constance Prince Maurice and you were here for the 3rd edition.
Tell us about it.
"I didn’t really know what to expect but I was blown away. Jerome Faure is one of the most entertaining and considerate people I have ever met. Jerome is the Corporate Sommelier at Constance for those who don’t know. I loved the passion amongst the whole team, and there was a real hunger for more wine knowledge which really envigored the whole event. The winemakers also had an infectious enthusiasm that kept all of the Constance resorts alive with such a buzz throughout. And finally, the musicians were just fabulous, particularly Elodie Frege, what a voice and such a character."

Tell us about the wine you tasted during the event.
"I fell in love with all of the wine I tried over the course of the Music & Wine Festival. We started with the Côte du Rhône and wines from Christine Vernay. I learned so much about this region and the expression from her Viognier was like nothing I’ve ever had before, such powerful wines. The next day, we moved on to Burgundy with Christine Dubreuil’s wines, here the Corton-Bressandes Grand Cru 2018 really stood out for me, and was a completely new appellation for me to explore. Then we were treated to Beaujolais from none other than Camille and Marie from Domaine la Pierre! These wines were outstanding and it was great to be able to taste a completely natural wine that was so fresh and precise. My favourite from Domaine la Pierre was the sulfite-free 2019 Morgon, I dream about it often! We were joined by Christine Derenoncourt from Domaine del’A in Bordeaux on the final day of the Music & Wine Festival. All of these reds made me go wow, they were sensational. Super concentrated and just extraordinary."

How was your stay at the hotel?
"Absolutely fantastic. I slept so well, ate well, sipped well, lounged by the pool well. My favourite meal of the day is breakfast as you can sit outside watching the sunrise with pancakes and fresh orange juice, it doesn’t really feel more like a holiday until then, does it? I went snorkeling and saw some beautiful fish, I tried all sorts of glorious food at the many Constance restaurants, I worked my way through the wine list and I actually had a massage too at the spa! All of it was just incredible, I wanted to stay another two weeks."

What do you think of the wine cellar at Constance Prince Maurice?
"The cellars are heaven on earth. You walk in and the structure just takes your breath away, they are so impressive. The wines mounting the impeccable wooden shelving is also out of this world. They are works of art – I’ve never seen anything like them."

How did you find the service and the sommeliers?
"I don’t think it could be improved in any way shape or form, it’s brilliant. I felt that the sommeliers were friends by the end, particularly Shani and Jorald. We enjoyed trying our way through the wine list each lunchtime – we kept saying we’d just have one glass but it never seemed to happen…"

List 5 things you wished you could take back home from your stay at Constance Prince Maurice
"I would rather just never leave than have to take things with me… but if I HAD to go home, I would do so stubbornly and take with me:

The Prince Maurice Cellar & contents
Shani
Jorald
The weather
The sushi"

If you were to come back again for the 4th edition what would you do differently?
"Learn French fluently or at least better than my current grasp of the language so that I could ask the winemakers more questions! And fly direct… it’s quite a long way to go with a transfer over in Paris. But I wouldn’t change anything about my stay with Constance, it was perfect."

Tell us about your #MyConstanceMoment?
"My eyes are welling up with joy just thinking about it. #MyConstanceMoment has to be on the final evening of the Music & Wine Festival at Prince Maurice. After all of Elodie’s magnificent performances, the entire group of musicians and winemakers met in the cellar to sing and dance the rest of the evening away. Magnums of Beaujolais were transported into there, along with some remaining nibbles, it was just sublime. Who knew winemakers had such beautiful singing voices?"

*a ConstanceMoment is a moment spent at Constance hotel which cannot be replicated and lived elsewhere. It’s the little magical touch /memory that you will remember forever.