INSEE, the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies, will begin the next sample census throughout France from Thursday, January 19th with a selection of approximately 9 million of the population.

If you ever had the feeling that you have spent half your working life just paying tax, you are not far wrong, what with income tax, national insurance/social security, capital gains tax, VAT, council tax, excise duties …

Coming from the French word terre for “soil,” the word terroir originally described the special characteristics of a region, or piece of land, which gave different varieties of wine, coffee and tea their individuality. (Soil, climate, position, regional traditions….)