Tag Archives: France,

Biking, France

Finish with a Red

 

At a wine tasting with both red and white wines, organizers usually end the event with the red wine selection. In my most recent bike tour, I began in white wine territory, (albeit one that produces a decent Pinot Noir as well), and finished the trail in an Alsatian village known for its reds. In between, the trail wound through other compact villages with colorful visuals, people and history, and vineyards, lots of vineyards.

So it was with this trail: wonderful, diverse wines, interesting villages, and a bit of history, all in one beautiful day. From the outset in Marlenheim, the trail revealed its rural tendencies. The first ten kilometers or so were along a beautifully maintained bicycle-only trail, set amidst green fields, woods, and past the backs of villages. After Molsheim (home to the first Grand Cru along the trail) and Dorlisheim, another four and a half kilometers of peaceful trail resumes. Be it through fields or vineyards, there were plenty of sights and views to admire. Alsatian countryside is idyllic, the villages beyond charming, and the trail highlighted the opportunities to appreciate these.

Bike Trail near Start
Bike Trail near Start

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France, Wines

Wine Notes: Alsatian Red Wine

 

What I Learned

Alsace wines are varietal wines (excepting the Edelzwickers), and of these, only one is a red wine. That wine is from the Pinot Noir varietal. Alsatian Pinot Noir wines are not generally well known. Alsatian Pinot Noir wines tend to be lighter, but very fruit-forward Pinot Noir wines. They are, of course, different from Burgundian Pinot Noir wines, from which tradition they derive. Early in the 12th century monks from Burgundy headed into Alsace, bringing vine plantings with them. When they arrived around Mont Sainte Odile (site of an early Merovingian foundation), they successfully transplanted their vines on the lower, sunny slopes.

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Biking, France, Nutshell

Veloroute du Vignoble d’Alsace: Trail in a Nutshell

 

Trail Name: Veloroute du Vignoble d’Alsace

Trail Type: Long distance; almost exclusively paved, well maintained, but the route itself is not marked.

Length: Total: 138 kilometers / 85.75 miles

North segment (this post): 62 kilometers / 38.5 miles

South segment: 76 kilometers / 47.25 miles

Convenient to: Strasbourg, Colmar, Mulhouse

Marking: White, stylized grapes with a white bicycle and bicyclist superimposed on a green square background.

Veloroute du Vignoble d'Alsace Signage
Veloroute du Vignoble d’Alsace Signage

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France, Hiking

Cote de Beaune – Up Close

 

I confess – I love this town unconditionally. I have been to Beaune at least five times, and always find something new to learn. Most recently, I came across a series of hiking circuits designed to explore the immediate surroundings of Beaune, namely, its famed vineyards and wines. Reason number 123,456,789 to return.

Conveniently starting at a park at the edge of town (easily accessible from hotels in the historic part of town), I began my hike – after sitting on a bench to savor the most delicious, buttery, almond croissant ever. Sharing the trail for a bit with runners, bikers soon joined in as the trail followed part of the Veloroute Voie des Vignes through the lower (and flatter) reaches of Beaune’s vineyards. They headed south, as I began the modest climb into the vine-covered hills above Beaune. I was not alone though. Not surprisingly many people were in the vineyards tending the vines in mid-April.

Colorful Trees in Spring
Colorful Trees in Spring

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France, Wines

Wine Notes: Burgundy’s Beaune

 

What I Learned:

Beaune, situated at the northern end of the Cote de Beaune, is a capital city. Not in any political sense, but it certainly reigns supreme as the capital city of Burgundy wines. Within the district of Beaune’s 410 hectares (slightly over a thousand acres) of vines there are 42 Premier Cru vineyards. The majority of wines bearing the Beaune appellation are Pinot Noir.

During late medieval times, especially under the powerful Dukes of Burgundy, its wine enjoyed a particularly great reputation in the rest of France and the Low Countries. Over the years, other villages in the Cote de Beaune region have come to enjoy greater reputations for their wines perhaps, but Beaune continues to attract wine-lovers from around the world.

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France, Hiking, Nutshell

Vineyards of Beaune: Trail in a Nutshell

 

Trail Name: Vignoble de Beaune Circuit Series, “Tout le Coteau” Circuit

Trail Type: Mid-distance circuit; varied surfaces to include paved, dirt, stone, and grass, mostly well maintained. Note that the route itself is not marked with signs specific to this particular route, rather signposts indicate the way to the next itinerary point (identified below) this route shares with others.

Length: total: 12 kilometers/ 7.5 miles

Convenient to: Beaune, Burgundy, France

Marking: None specific to this particular circuit. (See above.) Rectangular yellow signs point to the next location on the trail itinerary, and a green band on top of the post indicates current location.

Typical Signpost
Typical Signpost

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France, Hiking

Meursault: A Study in Chardonnay

 

My last trip to Burgundy’s Cote d’Or region focused on the northern part, the Cote de Nuits, and its red wines; therefore, I devoted this trip to the southern part, the Cote de Beaune, and its delicious white wines.

Meursault is a small town that has given its name to some of the best known Burgundy white wines in the world. Its wine makers produce Chardonnay exclusively. To gain familiarity with its Chardonnay terrain, I chose one of 16 trails in the area, the one that took me through Meursault, its vineyards, and nearby villages.

Meursault and its Vineyards
Meursault and its Vineyards

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France, Wines

Wine Notes: Meursault

 

What I Learned:

This post is about Chardonnay, the grape and the wine, and its unique expression in the area around Meursault, in the heart of white Burgundy wine country.

Chardonnay is an adaptable grape. It tolerates a diverse range of soils, and climates. Consider its range: from Washington State to China, and below the equator too, from South Africa to Chile and then Australia. Within Europe, a key northern location is in the cool, rainy Champagne region, where it usually comprises part of a champagne blend, whereas a major southern Chardonnay viticulture center is in hot, dry southern Sicily.

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