Craving the colors and scents of plants in the first blush of bloom, and the warmth of a southern sun, I decided to visit the northernmost part of the largest appellation along the Rhone River, south of Lyon, where some consider the Mediterranean part of France to begin. So I really looked forward to this spring trip after a cold and dreary winter.
Ironically, the northernmost village within this appellation, was also one of the villages offering a promising wine trail. Here, where the Condrieu appellation ends, the agglomerated village of Chavanay and the Saint Joseph appellation begin. This appellation produces both luscious red wines, and aromatic, full-bodied white wines. Ideal for sipping in potentially any kind of weather.
Even before driving out of the Lyon city limits on the famed Autoroute du Soleil, the warmth of the sun made itself felt, and it was only 9 a.m. Parking less than 20 minutes later, I immediately began the hike. It was a good thing I did: After a short walk through the charming, medieval heart of Chavanay, the trail begins a steep incline through even steeper vineyards. Up and up it climbed as the village below grew smaller, and the river glistened under the brilliant sun. As the trail rose higher, so did the temperatures. Fortunately, that was the most physically demanding part of the trail. (By contrast, the corresponding downhill section about 6 kilometers later, while not demanding much stamina, does demand sure-footedness and concentration.)
After the initial rise, the trail follows the contours of the ridgeline with only modest ups and downs. That leaves hikers free to enjoy the expansive scenery, and admire the vineyards and river below. In my case, under a virtually cloud-free sky, the sunlight intensified the bright colors I sought. Dark blue distant ridges, dark evergreens, spring-green leaf cover, magenta, intense yellow and light pink blossoms set against a brilliant blue.
The only thing not in bloom it seemed were the grapevines. I didn’t even notice any bud break as I wandered between different vineyard areas. But the Syrah grape, which grows extensively in this appellation, is a late rather than an early bloomer. That could account for the apparent lack of budding, or it could be that because of the stunning spring color palette, I didn’t notice such subtleties. On this trail, a visual feast for the eyes, mine jumped from color to color, from mountain to river to hillside village, and back again to color. The relatively easy going on a ridgeline covered by vines and meadows, made the viewing while trekking along effortless.
By the time the river section of the trail came along, the sun had burned away any residual morning haze. The photos of the distant far side came out clear and detailed. Under such optimal conditions the camera managed admirably to capture even the unusual blue of the waters of the Rhone.
Hence the enjoyment in this trail was in the viewing, and in the quiet of a relatively undiscovered countryside above the Rhone. A perfect storm of clear and warm weather for hiking, chased away the winter blahs, while providing a taste of summer. Certainly hiking this well-laid out trail, in the fully-sprung spring, was a visual delight to savor, along with its wines.