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Anthony Peregrine in the Telegraph provides an up-to-date guide on what to see, where to stay and eat in Aix-en-Provence (13 Bouches-du-Rhone, Provence).
He does however not say much about the local wines - Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence AC where some excellent reds are produced, dominated by the Grenache and Cinsault grapes with Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon gradually replacing Carignan in the blend.. The rosé wines are soft and fruity with a bit more body than those from the Cotes de Provence which is further east and south.. You will still find some recent vintages of wines from the west of the region which are now classified as Les Baux de Provence AC - e.g the superb rosé from Mas Sainte Berthe at Les Baux. Perhaps the best of the Cotes d'Aix-en-Provence producers is Chateau Vignelaure at Rians (83 Var, Provence) - see map

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It has always struck me as strange that a lot of British History has been brought to life for me when travelling through France. Much of England's history between 1154 and 1453 was bound up with events in the Southwest France and the Dordogne, including Henry II's ownership and subsequent loss of Aquitaine and his marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine. Not to mention the English claim to Calais and innumerable battles on French territory over the centuries.

Another thread of our history is manifested in the Route de Richard, Coeur du Lion, better known as Richard the Lionheart or Richard I. Much of his reign was spent on the Crusades to the Holy Land, however the "Route" is not connected with the Crusades, but more with a less consequential tussle with Philip of France, which ultimately led to his death in the Limousin.

The route runs through pleasant and little-visited countryside in an area bounded by Angouleme(16 Charente, Poitou-Charentes), Limoges (87 Haut Vienne, Poitou-Charentes) and Perigueux(24 Dordogne, Aquitaine) and focuses on 15 medieval castles most of which are open to the public, Many of them are impressive structures with rounded turrets and moats, the most impressive being Chateau de Jumilhac le Grand (24 Dordogne, Aquitaine). The most poignant is probably the Chateau de Chalus-Chabrol where Richard met an untimely death.
The castles on the route are:-
Chateau de Rochebrune
Chateau de Rocheouart
Chateau de Brie
Chateau de Montbron
Chateau de Chalus-Chabrol
Chateau des Cars
Chateau de Lastours
Chateau de Neron
le Chalard
Chateau de Jumilhac-le-Grand
Cite de Saint Yreix-le-Perche (how do you pronounce that!?)
Chateau de Coussac-Bonneval
Cite de Segur
Chateau d'Arnac-Pompadour

The route is well sgn-posted throughout its 180km length, and provides a good way of passing a few days wandering through the gentle countryside of the Limousin, off the main north-south traffic routes - and get some history. Regrettably, wine is not one of the highlights of the region - you need to go north, south or west of the region for decent wines. But it is a rich fruit and chestnut producing area - so your trip can be healthy and abstemious as well!

For more info see www.visitorama.com

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This coming weekend Bordeaux Fete le Vin - Bordeaux celebrates wine (29 June - 2 July) when more than 300,000 visitors descend on the city to sample and enjoy its prime assets and see wine workshops, concerts, firework displays, processions and conferences - see www.bordeaux-fete-le-vin.com.

However, one by-product of the festival and the business of wine is the production of wine posters, one of which will be available for purchase in limited edition numbers at the Festival. Usually in a retro-style, wine (and other) companies can commission posters to promote their products - the sample above being commissioned by the owners of "Malesan" from a talented artist Jean-Pierre Got, who is an "Affichiste" in Bordeaux. The image is (loosely) based on the bronze horses in the Quinconces Plaza fountain in central Bordeaux - entitled "Les Chevaux Girondins" - where one obviously frisky horse is trying to seduce another with a bottle of the said wine. For more of his work see http://jeanpierregot.online.fr/

The fountains and statues were built to honour local delegates to the 1789 Revolutionary Assembly who were later purged by Robespierre as being too soft! During World War II, the Resistance dismantled it piece by piece and hid it from the Germans in a barn in the Médoc for the duration of the war.
Malesan is a decent Bordeaux brand, blended from various vineyards and is usually a mix of 60% Merlot 30% Cabernet Sauvignon 10% Cabernet Franc - and tends to be reliable and value for money - see www.malesan.fr.
The wine is also available in the UK from Oddbins

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Sunday 2 July 2006 is the day to be in Noyon (60 Oise,Picardie) - northeast of Paris roughly halfway between Reims and Amiens and not to be confused with Nyons!. (see map). For this is the day of the 19th annual MARCHE DES FRUITS ROUGES by the Cathedral when local producers arrive with masses of red fruit including strawberries, raspberries, red, white and blackcurrants, loganberries and cherries.(OK, so whitecurrants and blackcurrants are not technically red!). A prize is awarded for the best display,

So you can wander, taste, smell and purchase fresh fruit, jams, syrups, fruit coulis and compotes, and enjoy the street musicians and artists who lend a real atmosphere to the event.

As with a many small French towns, Noyon boasts an impressive 12th Century Gothic cathedral which is worth a detour anyway.

Keywords: France, event,Oise,Noyon

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It is always thus - we speed down the motorway to get to our destination as fast as possible, and yet on the way miss and dismiss many other areas and attractions en route.
One such is the "Sologne" a vast area of unspoilt nature teeming with ponds, heathland and forest in the loop of the Loire river south of Orleans. If you take the A71 autoroute south from Orleans towards Bourges, Clermont-Ferrand or Limoges and Cahors, you pass through the Sologne, and as so often a landscape that is not particularly dramatic becomes a bore - just more time between you and your destination,
It starts in the west around Romorantin-Lanthenay (not for from Cheverny and stretches east and south towards Sancerre and Vierzon.
Romorantin-Lanthenay is well-known as a gastronomic centre, and gives its name to the local aromatic Romorantin grape. Otherwise. the main towns (and there really aren't many) are on the N20 and include Lamothe-Beuvron (home of the Tarte Tatin the upside-down Apple Pie - see www.tarte-tatin.com and La Ferte-St-Aubin. But the main joys of the area have to be the solitude and the nature - ideal walking, hiking, cycling, fishiing and hunting country, bird- and nature-watching.
Best of all the area is quiet, uncrowded and less than 90 minutes from Paris.
Although no wine is grown within the area, there are plenty of local wines to choose from - Cheverny and Cour-Cheverny in the west, Coteaux du Giennois, Pouilly-sur-Loire and Sancerre to the east and Menetou-Salon, Quincy and Reuilly to the South.
For more info on the Sologne see www.sologne-france.com

Keywords: France, Loire, Centre, Sologne,wine,nature,parc,

Posted by frenchduck at 7:49 AM | Permalink

FrenchDuck's turn to do the Blog Carnival of France a round-up of latest postings on and about France this week, which I hope will help you to find some gems amongst the blogs and web offerings "a la francaise".

Being marooned in the English Midlands for most of the summer, I look forward to my regular "fix" of France, and one of the best is Julian Merrow Smith's Postcard from Provence - every day a new picture, usually a landscape or a still life capturing the essence of rural Provence.
A little less consistent, but always interesting is the French section of TrekEarth where some excellent photos from all corners of France can be found.
My background is in French wine, so I am always seeking interesting wine sites, and the most enjoyable and innovative I have come across is the video blog of the amiable Benoit Tarlant at Champagne Tarlant. Using podcast and video he provides a fascinating insight into the process of making Champagne (all in French though) - and certainly demolishes the rather pompous image of many Champagne makers.
For something in English, the Kitcheners at Domaine de Lauroux keep a vineyard diary as they develop a vineyard in deepest Gascony - most recently collaborating with an Australian wine maker.
WIth many Brits soon to depart for French destinations This French Life has some useful tips for driving in France, taking account of the tougher approach of the gendarmerie in recent years, whilst those already living in (or planning to live in) the Languedoc can find everything they need to know at Creme-de-Languedoc where you can also find out about local events such as the Montpellier Dance Festival which is currently running.
For travel to and within France, I do find the ViaMichelin website really useful, as it calculates your route, notes any problems you will find en-route with road works etc on the day chosen - and even provides details of the locations of speed cameras!!
Whilst we go Wimbledon crazy in the UK, the French go Tour de France crazy for the first 3 weeks of July, and for a non-French slant on the race plus all the latest updates on the teams, politics, drug scandals etc see the TDFBlog. On France for Visitors Kelby Carr has lots of info on the tour - and you can vote for the 2006 Tour city you would most want to visit from the choice of Paris, Strasbourg, Bordeaux. Carcassonne. Beziers or Pau - I voted for Carcassonne which is simply unique and spectacular - is in the warm south, has wines (Minervois, Corbieres, Limoux, Cotes de Malepere, history (lots of Cathar links locally), the Canal du Midi and is quintessentially French!

I recently had ocassion to provide an updated translation of a French wine website, but the vigneronne and I both agreed that her English and my French were about the same level of amateur competence. Hence, I was dellighted to come across French-Word-a-Day which is much better than it sounds, as it is essentially a French cafe blog (with some good authentic photos of French life) and some gentle help with French vocabulary and verbs - written in a lively style by Arizonan Kristin Espinasse - entertaining and instructive. Hence, I now discover (rather disappointingly) that the "boudoir" is better translated as a "pouting" or "sulking" room than some exotic female lair!

This is part of the Blog Carnival of France.

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Throughout the summer the town of Bourges(18 Cher, Centre) is all lit up in the evenings! This great little town with its magnificent Gothic Cathedral (the best flying buttresses I have seen) and medieval town centre is a convenient stop on the trip south (now just off the A71 autoroute south towards Clermont Ferrand and also convenient for the new A20 autoroute south to Limoges, Cahors & Toulouse). The town will be illuminated on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights in June, July and September - and every night in August.
But this is not just a matter of floodlighting the buildings - there is a lamplit circuit through the heart of the Old Town "Guided by the blue halo of the lamplights, the visitor threads his way around the luminescent jewel of the Cathedral and through the winding streets, stopping here and there to admire details bathed in a soft glow of light : the elegant carving of a porch, a gargoyle learing from a doorway, or a timber-framed house silhouetted against the night sky."
Furthermore in Friday 30 June, Saturday 29 June and Friday 18 July there is also a wine fair in the town - an opportunity to taste the wines of the region, especially the Sauvignon Blancs from Menetou-Salon, Sancerre, Quincy and Reuilly,
For more info see www.bourgestourisme.com

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Emergency assistance call from an old friend touring the Loire Valley who needed to find a nice hotel with a decent restaurant not far from Blois - No problem!
As part of our wine-buying trips we frequently traversed the Loire Valley, both as a destination in its own right, and also as a conveniently placed last night stay before heading for the Channel ports and home.
One of our "discoveries" was the Cheverny appellation - well, actually it is 2 appellations Cheverny and Cour-Cheverny AOC. We had never heard of it back in the 1980s - and many still have yet to stumble upon it. Using our trusty "Guide Hachette des Vins de France" we had booked a visit to a winery, only to fail to discover it!! Road names and signposting in France can be notoriously difficult, and in those days our French was not so good - and mobile phones an expensive and heavy luxury! After about an hour of seemingly going round in circles, we gave up and started to head north - only to find a sign to another Domaine off the road towards Blois. So by serendipity we arrived at the Domaine des Huards to a fantastic tasting of wines served by Michel and Jocylene Gendrier. I particularly liked the Cour-Cheverny AC Cuvee Francois I - 100% Romorantin grape from old vines - very dry, very aromatic with hints of lime and honey!

Our discovery of Les Trois Marchands (The Three Merchants) was a recommendation from Michel Gendrier - and we have been back at least half-a-dozen times since. As a hotel it falls into the OK category - neither luxurious nor spartan - comfortable, affordable en-suite rooms in the French style (although heavy flock wallpaper is absent!). It is the restaurant that (as usual) is the main attraction - especially if you feel up to tacking the Menu Gastronomique! Always good food - with a wide range of choice - excellent local wines and friendly service. We have never had a bad meal there - even when turning up late and unannounced with a party of 8!!
But wait - that is not all. For some culture you can visit the nearby Chateau de Cheverny - an impressive Renaissance chateau within walking distance of the hotel.
And a little further south you can try the excellent Sauvignon Blancs at Domaine Octavie at Oisly in the Touraine (they also produce good red, rose and sparkling wines)

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Yet another reason to visit (or re-visit) the town of Millau (12 Aveyron, Midi-Pyrenees) this summer - the Millau Jazz Festival runs from 15th - 22nd July 2006, which means that instead of the town ringing to the thunder of long queues of slow-moving heavy traffic as in years gone by, you can now be serenaded (or at least intrigued) by the sound of music throughout the town.
With the opening of Norman Foster's Viaduc de Millau last year, the town has been re-born and is a pleasant provincial town once more - not particularly exciting of itself, but spectacularly situated on the River Tarn with views of the gorge and bridge - and offering the usual mix of decent shops, hotels and restaurants to enjoy.
The bridge is well worth a few hours detour - to view it from below - and to drive over - PLUS the surrounding area is wonderfully unspoilt and (still, for now) largely untouristed!
For more info on Milla Jazz see http://assoc.orange.fr/millau.jazz/infos.htm
For more info on Millau and the bridge see www.ot-millau.fr/

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The Kitcheners at Domaine de Lauroux at Manciet (32 Gers, Midi-Pyrenees) pen a vineyard diary on their website at www.lauroux.com. Having bought a vineyard a year or so back, they are making a good job of coming to terms with the demands of producing good wines in deepest France.
"12th June - I can't believe it is June already and that less than a month ago I was complaining about the rain! The temperatures have now soared into the 30s and the vines are reacting to the moisture and warmth and are growing at an incredible rate. We have almost finished lifting the first set of wires which is fortunate as the wind is very strong. Today Sullivan and I started the first "rogneuse" of the season, cutting back some of the excess leaf growth - as soon as we've finished the rogneuse, the next few days will be taken up with spraying the vines."
In an interesting move they are using the experience of an Australian wine maker for 12 months from Cullen Wines in Margaret River, Western Australia - a 28 ha vineyard certified organic by the Biological Farmers Association of Australia. The Australian's are good at getting great intensity from their wines, so Domaine de Lauroux wines should demonstrate this with the 2006 harvest. But equally the Ozzie will have something to learn from wine making in a less consistent climate than most of Australia enjoys. This crossover of experience and approach is always beneficial and we look forward to the outcome.
Domaine de Lauroux wines are now available in the East Midlands at www.mistralcafe.co.uk where they join an interesting and well-chosen list of wines in Nottingham and Derbyshire.

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Friday 9 June 2006 saw the opening of a major exhibition of the Impressionist Cezanne's work in and of Provence. The recently opened Musee Granet in Aix-en-Provence (13 Bouches-du-Rhone, Provence) is holding the first proper exhibition of the artist's Provencal works.
There has been a peculiar reticence to exhibit Cezanne's work in his native Provence - perhaps because he was in many ways a radical in bridging the gap between classical and modern art and then pushing the boundaries of impressionism. The exhibition is unique in dealing solely with Provence where he was born: "We see how the light and countryside structured Cezanne's paintings. And we see the artist's evolution from his impressionist touch to his more modern, more contemporary touch.". Perhaps we forget that although Provence was a great inspiration for artists especially for its light and landscape, it was very much provincial and traditional France, being suspicious of the new ideas emanating from a very foreign Paris - Van Gogh was also not appreciated at the time in the region which was the subject of much of his most acclaimed work.
The exhibition runs through until September 17 is part of the Cezanne 2006 celebrations marking the centenary of his death. Hopefully the queues will not be as bad as the picture above, taken at the official opening.
See map and website

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The Loire Valley for much of its more popular and accessible stretch is a flat lazy river, especially in summer. Nearer its source high in the Massif Central it is vigorous and dramatic, but by the time it gets to Briare (18 Cher, Centre) it has lost much of its energy and flows gently and sedately towards the Atlantic at St Nazaire, some 480km (300 miles) downstream. This is especially so in summer, but the evidence of some serious flood defences downstream from Tours suggests that it can be rather less benign in winter.
However it is this middle stretch which is best known and visited, especially for its wines and its Chateaux. But the gentleness of the river and its landscape also lends itself to easy exploration on foot, by bike, canoe or horse - of if you must, by car!
The departmental tourist office at www.anjou-tourisme.com has put together a series of signposted routes and maps to follow depending on your mode of transport. By car you can follow the banks of the Loire river or dawdle through the vineyards on the Route Touristique du Vignoble (wine route); There is an excellent cycle route close to the river all the way from Montsoreau to Champtoceaux; and there is the excellent idea of a network of places to stay where they actually welcome cyclists "Accueil vélo"

For walkers/hikers/ramblers there are various GR (Grand Randonnée) signposted long-distance walking route; plus a good number of PR (Petite Randonnée) routes.

Given that this is one of the closer regions to the UK within 4 hours or so of the Channel ports (or much less by low cost airline) it should have something to offer everyone - and don't forget the wines from Touraine, Chinon, Saumur, Anjou......
For more info on Anjou routes www.anjou-tourisme.com
For some excellent Anjou wines visit our friends at Domaine Leduc-Frouin,
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The French Government has announced the creation of a new "Parc Naturel Regional de Millevaches en Limousin", joining another 44 areas already so designated and protected by law. The Park takes its name from the wide plateau of "Millevaches" literally translated as One Thousand Cows but thought to refer to the many bogs and ponds which are the source of many rivers, some of which contribute to some of France's major rivers including the Vienne, Loire, Dordogne and Vezere. Richly forested and with a gently rolling landscape it is a little explored area lying to the east of Limoges (87 Haut Vienne, Limousin) towards Clermont Ferrand (63 Puy-de-Dome, Auvergne), with few towns of any note - the largest being Meymac, Felletin and Eymoutiers.
This really is deepest France! - and because of the size of the country, their parks tend to be muc larger and more unspoilt than in the UK. However, they may not always be as user-friendly in terms of signposting and pathways - so make sure you get a good map!
There is a good little website at wwwmillevaches.free.fr
There is an official government website at www.parcs-naturels-regionaux.fr but it was not available at the time of writing.
See map

Posted by frenchduck at 7:29 PM | Permalink

Most of the significant wine regions in France have a signposted "route du vin" (see the new wine route in the Cher departement for example), but probably one of the best is the ALSACE WINE ROUTE which runs from just south of Strasbourg (67 Bas-Rhiin, Alsace-Lorraine) southwards to the village of Thann (68 Haut-Rhin, Alsace-Lorraine) by way of all the major wine villages and towns (Obernai, Barr, Bergheim, Ribeauvillé, Riquewihr, Colmar, Pfaffenheim etc).
It is one of the best because a) the route is really pretty, offering copious choice of vineyards and attractive timber-clad village houses and b) it is well-signposted throughout its 170km ( over 100miles) length,
French signposting must be one of the dark arts designed to confuse and dumbfound the visitor - so often it all starts well, only for the signs to virtually disappear after a few kilmotres - they are either missing (through malice or oversight) or obscure placement. However, in Alsace, perhaps due to the Germanic element in their genes, things seem better organised and efficient. These routes are designed and managed by the local Syndicat des Vins, with winemakers contributing to the cost of the signage and other publicity. The local tourist office will have a map of the route with details of the vineyards and opening times for each winemaker. As a general rule look our for signs such as "Degustation" (tastings), "Vins Vrac et Détail" (Wines in bulk and retail) - almost all vineyards welcome visitors, and ask little more than for you to treat them and their wines with a little respect - there is no obligation to buy. In Alsace in particular you should not avoid the co-operative wine cellars - they often produce excellent wines, but the surroundings maybe a little less cosy than at individual growers.
Alsace also scores by extending the Wine Route idea with a series of vineyard walking trails - again well sign-posted and documented - so you can explore particular "terroirs" with a self-guided tour and get up close to the vines (except around harvest time). Most of the walks take about an hour - and there are also regular guided walks which will tell you more about the wines. For more info see www.vinsalsace.com
Particular recommendations for visits would be Mittelbergheim (Vins Boeckel), Ribeauvillé, Riquewihr (some of the very best producers such as Hugel) and Colmar with its canals,

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Throughout France the Fete de St Jean is celebrated with (amongst other things) a bonfire. Ostensibly to mark the summer solstice or longest day (around 23/24 June) this has historically taken the form of a series of hilltop beacons which spread their message across the landscape, but in modern times it is a more localised affair, with individual towns or villages celebrating the date with a big bonfire and other events. At Bazas (33 Gironde, Aquitaine) they combine it with a celebration of the local bulls (taureau) - and St Jean is the town's patron saint (24 June 2006). See www.ville-bazas.fr.
Different traditions cannot even really agree on the date, so it can be anytime between 21 and 25 June.
In Roussillon the fires are started on 23 June - and they claim it as Catalan tradition (including the linked hilltop burning beacons); in Brest the bonfire is accompanied by a flaming torchlit parade!
Our first and best memory of the Fete de St Jean was at St Martin d'Armagnac (32 Gers, Midi-Pyrenees) when we stayed at the Auberge du Bergerayre (see www.frenchduck.co.uk). On our second night we were greeted with an apology that the normal menu was not available, but we could join in the barbecue which was being held for locals. No apology required, as the food was delicious - a huge bonfire was lit by the local pompiers (fire brigade) and was followed by music from a young girl who sang just like Edith Piaf!

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Posted by frenchduck at 6:35 AM | Permalink

David & Sarah Meakin at the Domaine du Merchien at Belfort-du-Quercy (46 Lot, Midi-Pyrenees) have already demostrated their prowess at making some excellent Coteaux du Quercy wines - and are now branching out to produce some English-style beers, including:-
a Porter Stout (bière noire) "a dark and very rich beer with six different types of grain and two types of hops Fuggles and Goldings producing a complex taste - strength 6.5%"
an India Pale Ale (IPA) (bière blonde) "a traditional British beer with a light colour, a strong hop taste - strength 5.4%"
and a Bitter (bière dorée)"Light Bitter or light ale for those long summer days and evenings uses Fuggles, Goldings and Progress hops – strength 4.3%"

It will be interesting to see if the local French population take to these beers - French beer tends to be a light refreshing and fizzy lager style - although in recent years you do see more of some of the stronger and darker beers (Leffe for example, which is Belgian) - and certainly in the north there are an increasing number of micro-breweries. However, initially I suspect the Meakin's market will be the ex-patriates and summer tourists - especially as they plan to sell the beer (and wine) at local Sunday markets in Limogne-en-Quercy(46 Lot, Midi-Pyrenees) and St Antonin-Noble-Val (82 Tarn-et-Garonne, Midi-Pyrenees).

Although a little off the beaten track the Domaine is well worth a visit, situated on the "Causse" the sprawling high moorland south of Cahors, not far off the N20 and new A20 autoroute. Their wines are veru good (forget the local Cahors sytle - these are quite different, using mainly Gamay, Cabernet Franc and Merlot with the more local and tannic Cot (Malbec) and Tannat grapes in supporting roles).

See their website at www.merchien.net/

Posted by frenchduck at 6:24 AM | Permalink

Paris is to see yet another fine museum opening on June 23 2006 (by President Chirac, no less) with the Musée du Quai Branly - dedicated to the arts and civilisations from Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas - bringing together collections from the Louvre and other museums.
Situated on the banks of the Seine in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, the impressive site will include a vertical garden with more than 15.000 plants of 150 different species, on a vertical surface of 800 m².
See the impressive website at www.quaibranly.fr

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Many French vineyards offer either self-catering or B&B, giving you the opportunity to get a closer acquaintance with a working vineyard, which can add an extra dimension to your holiday stay.

In the Minervois at Laure-Minervois (11 Aude, Languedoc) you can enjoy self-catering or B&B at Chateau Gibalaux-Bonnet, one of the best producers of Minervois wines. In a marvellous setting on the garrigue with kilometres of unpeopled pathways to wander, the family provide a warm welcome and some great wines - our favourite being the oaked red Cuvée Prieuré. For more info on the accommodation see http://www.gibalaux.com/.For more on the wines see www.gibalaux.on-web.fr

In the deepest South West Domaine de Lauroux at Manciet (32 Gers, Midi-Pyrenees) again offers both B&B and self-catering, with the added benefit of English hosts to answer your queries. Plus they produce red, white and rosé Cotes de Gascogne wines AND Floc de Gascogne and Armagnac! - See www.lauroux.com

In the Languedoc, Helene Mir offers a villa with pool to rent amongst the vines of her Clos Montels vineyard near Caux (34 Herault, Languedoc) - For the villa see http://perso.orange.fr/montels/. After running the successful Chateau Belles Eaux, she now produces an excellent Languedoc red from Syrah and Carignan - small quantities but great quality - see www.clos-montels.com - details also on FrenchDuck.co.uk

A little further south and on a larger scale is Chateau Ricardelle at la Clape (11 Aude, Languedoc) near Narbonne. Here there is a choice of self-catering accomodation from a 2-person studio to a house - all on the vineyard which produces some excellent red and white wines - and you are within 5km of the Mediterranean - see www.chateau-ricardelle.com

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Now there are some of you who find the traditional annual cycling Tour de France (le Grand Boucle) a bit of a turn-off - all those sweaty lycra-clad bodies zooming past at silly speeds with the accompanying noise, smell of embrocation, ballyhoo, congestion and closed roads - not an unreasonable response.
Hence you may find the Sailing Tour de France more civilised. Running from 29 June - 29 July 2006 this marathon event starts in Dunkerque and ends in Hyeres in Provence via Normandy (Dieppe, Le Havre), Brittany (Saint-Quay Portrieux, Camaret sur Mer,la Roche Bernard) the Vendee (Talmont-Saint-Hilaire), Aquitaine (Royan) and the Mediterranean (St Cyprien, Marseille, Sainte-Maxime). However, as in the Tour de France, they do cheat a bit - well for the boats they cheat a lot - as the boats are transported by road for the 590km from Royan to the Mediterranean rather than sailing across the Bay of Biscay, down the Portuguese coast, through the Straits of Gibraltar and up the Spanish coast!! - or alternatively using the Canal du Midi!!
The race itself comprises both port-to-port offshore sailing with in-shore races - and is based in each of the hosting ports for several days - so plenty of time to see the boats moored and in racing fettle - and to soak up the atmosphere - or get soaked if the weather is well-suited to sailing.

Posted by frenchduck at 8:44 AM | Permalink

Wine Tastings can be rather serious affairs - lots of sipping, muttering, slurping and sometimes spitting under the eagle eye and ears of the winemaker or wine merchant. But if you are in the Languedoc this summer you can really enjoy a much different experience - an organised 5km circular ramble amongst the vineyards with a stop every kilometre for one course of a 6-course meal, and plenty of wines to sample! It sounds idyllic - even healthy - as long as you don't take advantage of samples of every wine on offer (up to 70) - co-ordination of your legs may prove difficult for the last stages otherwise.
Julie at Pic Wines (based in the Languedoc) volunteered to endure the latest of these excursions in la Clape - Sentiers Gourmands en La Clape. La Clape (11 Aude, Languedoc - see map ) is one of the Languedoc appellations, rightly acclaimed for the quality of its wines. Surrounding a rocky outcrop between Narbonne and the Mediterranean Sea, their wines end to exhibit more mineral depth and complexity than much of the Languedoc, which is surprising given the proximity to the sea and coastal sandy soils. Pic Wines stocks the la Clape wines from Chateau Ricardelle and Château Laquirou - you can find tasting notes on wines from both chateaux at www.spittoon.biz as well as lots more info on the excellent Pic Wines website

You may have missed this year's la Clape trek but there remain two more Languedoc wine, food and walking days:-
Les Vignes Buissonnières en Pic St Loup, 10 June 2006, tel 0467 55 97 47
Circulade Vigneronne des Terrasses du Larzac, 1 July 2006, tel 0467 06 04 36.
More info on Languedoc wines see the website of the AOC Coteaux du Languedoc wines

NB: The Bingley (West Yorkshire) Branch of the Yorkshire Sommelliers is having a tasting of wines from Pic Wines on Monday 3 July 2006 - more details contact Peter Clayton, Chairman on 0113 284 1235.

Posted by frenchduck at 6:55 AM | Permalink