Category Archives: France

France, Wines

Wine Notes: Appellation Saint Joseph

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What I Learned

Three great appellations begin about 15 miles south of Lyons. They range along the right bank of the Rhone and are, from north to south: the famous Cote Rotie, Condrieu, and St Joseph. In two of the three appellations, the Syrah varietal reigns supreme.

The Saint Joseph appellation is the largest. Its vineyards line the steep banks of the Rhone for about 60 kilometers, or 37 miles, and includes 26 villages and towns, mostly located along its shores. The vineyard soils are predominantly granitic.

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France, Hiking, Nutshell

Sentier des Vignobles a Chavanay: Trail in a Nutshell

Trail Name: Sentier des Vignobles a Chavanay

Trail Type: Medium distance circuit; partly paved, some hard-packed path, some sandy and rocky stretches, fairly well maintained, and fairly well-marked albeit not with the trail name as stated above.

Length:  12 kilometers/circa 8 miles

Convenient to: Vienne, France

Marking:

White and yellow rectangular stripes, sometimes painted or sometimes on a board, sometimes with the words “Chavanay 1”, (vice Sentier des Vignobles a Chavanay). Also see the typical trail signpost, above.

Chavanay 1 Sentier des Vignobles Trail Marking
Chavanay 1 Sentier des Vignobles Trail Marking

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France, Hiking

Beaujolais and the Giant Trail

Gargantua is a literary character developed by Francois Rabelais, a 16th century French writer. Gargantua is known as an epicurean giant of awesome adventures, son of a wine estate-owning nobleman. The adjectival form has become synonymous with humungous. And it was also the name of a trail I recently hiked. So, I wondered as I hiked, does the name refer to the big-name Beaujolais wines from here enjoyed by epicureans world-wide, or does it refer to epic adventures to be found along the 16-kilometer route, or the size of some of the hills the trail traverses?

It certainly did not refer to the size of Moulin a Vent, the Wind Mill, an iconic landmark, as well as a renowned wine appellation, in the Beaujolais region. It is often easier said than seen for hikers in this very hilly landscape. But that was my start point and my end point on this circuit trail to discover two great crus of Beaujolais.

Moulin a Vent - The Windmill
Moulin a Vent – The Windmill

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France, Wines

Wine Notes: Beaujolais Crus

What I Learned:

Beaujolais is a wine region just south of Burgundy. It has three different quality levels: a simple Beaujolais produced in the southern-most reaches of this region; a Beaujolais-Village appellation; and in the northern part of this wine region, ten villages have their own appellations due to their special crus. It is a singular geological area, once part of an ancient sea bed. The hills are often steep and hide valleys between them. Schist and granite soils in the Beaujolais give a distinctive minerality to the wines. The best of these wines, the ten villages/areas of appellation (Brouilly, Chenas, Cote de Brouilly, Chiroubles, Fleurie, Julienas, Morgon, Moulin a Vent, Regnie, Saint-Amour) offer good value for quality wines.

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France, Nutshell

A Gargantuan Trail in a Nutshell

Trail Name: Circuit de Gargantua, also known as Circuit 1 Gargantua

Trail Type: Medium distance circuit; trail surface partly paved, otherwise grass or earthen surface (sandy or compacted); Route mostly marked.

Length:

Total: 16 kilometers/10 miles

Shortened: 9.5 kilometers/6 miles

Convenient to: Lyon, France

Marking: Red squares with stylized grapes and leaves, and white lettering identifying the trail name: “Circuit 1 Gargantua”, the name of the location (example: “Chemin des Bois”), and with white italic lettering below identifying the next destination (example: “En Remont”). An arrow below indicates the direction to follow.

Marking for Circuit de Gargantua
Marking for Circuit de Gargantua

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France, Hiking

Grand Wines, Grand Hike: Sentier Viticole des Grands Crus

Six small villages, nestled unobtrusively amidst the vineyards, hide a secret: some of the best wines in Alsace. The vineyards here aren’t just any sort of vineyards, rather they are Grands Crus; and the wines from these vineyards’ grapes create the highest quality wine in the hierarchy of Alsatian wine. Hiking through this area takes hikers gently past some of these renowned grand cru vineyards, and past the wineries that produce these fantastic wines. The combination of great wines to taste, and a well-laid out hike through the vineyards and associated villages, provides a wine-loving hiker an irresistible opportunity.

Grand Cru Mandelberg
Grand Cru Mandelberg

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France, Wines

Wine Notes: Alsace Haut-Rhin

What I Learned:

Alsace is a fantastic wine country. Alsace’s Haut-Rhin (upper Rhine) area is particularly favored with great terroirs, such as the Mandelberg displayed above. Here, as elsewhere in Alsace, the harvests are primarily white varietals. The soil here is minerally, and complex, resulting in crisp, refreshing and uniquely flavored white wines. The six main white varietals grown in Alsace are Riesling, Sylvaner, Muscat, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris. The only red varietal is Pinot Noir.

Visiting Alsace practically mandates you taste some local wine. First, you will notice the unusually tall wine bottles. You will also notice green-stemmed stemware, with smaller than usual bowls. These two unique items have more in common with German Rhineland traditions than French ones. But like the French tradition, wine producers proudly offer tastes of their product, for wine-making here is an art, and even nowadays, still a family affair.

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France, Hiking, Nutshell

Sentier Viticole des Grands Crus: Trail in a Nutshell

Trail Name: Sentier Viticole des Grands Crus (also known as the Perles du Vignoble)

Trail type: Mid-distance hiking circuit; mostly paved, some hard-packed gravel; very well-maintained and well-marked.

Length: Total – 17 km/10.5 miles

Convenient to: Colmar, Alsace, France

Marking: Mostly gold letters on brown wooden background

Grands Crus Trail Marking
Grands Crus Trail Marking

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France, Hiking

Hiking Around Hautvillers

I made a pilgrimage to Hautvillers. Champagne was born there, as anyone who loves sparkling wines as much as I do will know. Sooner or later, serious champagne aficionados will want to visit to pay their respects to the life’s work of Dom Perignon, a monk dedicated to studying and producing good local wines.

Hautvillers and its Abbey
Hautvillers and its Abbey

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France, Wines

Wine Notes: Champagne

What I Learned:

 Champagne can only come from Champagne, the region, about 90 miles from Paris. In spite of its proximity to “gay Paris,” champagne did not enjoy great fame until fairly recently. Although grapes were cultivated in the region as early as Roman times, the often cold, foggy climate worked to ensure that grape ripening was not consistent from year to year. Hence the wine was not always good, or plentiful.

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