Provence produces purples in abundance. From the different varietals of red (actually dark purple colored) grapes grown in the region, to the fields of lavender. Color abounds, and not just in the fields! The vibrant blues and yellows of tableware and dining linens, the luscious deep reds of the wines, the green of the olive oils are all visible in markets throughout the region.
What I Learned
There are many wine appellations along or near the Rhone River, as it drains much of central and south -eastern France.
The title appellation, Grignan les Adhemar, was formerly known as Coteaux du Tricastin. But negative associations arising from the nearby Tricastin Nuclear Power Plant disaster in July 2008, resulted in the local vintners applying for an appellation name change. Thus, by late 2010, the appellation forming a triangle from Grignan in the east, and Saint Paul Trois Chateaux and Montelimar in the west became known as Grignan les Adhemar.
Trail Name: Des Vignes et Cabanes
Trail Type: Short-distance circuit (for hiking and biking); well-maintained and almost exclusively paved or hard-packed surfaces; marking on the trail fairly good. See comments below.
Length: 8.95 kilometers/5.5 miles
Convenient to: Montelimar, France
Marking: Either VTT 1, or just 1
In the southern Champagne region, there is a village, composed of three hamlets: Ricey-Bas, Ricey Haut, and Ricey Haute Rive, collectively known as Les Riceys. There are three trails hikers may choose from that meander in and around the village. These three hamlets, and three trails, provide visitors an opportunity to experience rural, agricultural France, in one of the largest (most extensive) vineyard sites in Champagne.
From the starting point in a parking lot, I was struck by the almost 360-degree view of the rather rocky hills of this area. In fact, piles of rock appeared everywhere along the trail, and they were not of just the cadoles. This trail focuses on the vineyard areas and the cadoles, centuries-old, round, dry stone wall huts found nearby. These were formerly used by vintners for storage and as respite from the weather.
What I Learned:
Champagne can only come from Champagne, the wine 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 available.
At the turn of the 20th century, what constituted the champagne producing area of Champagne was a contentious question. And in 1911, it provoked massive riots. At issue was the right of the wine-makers of the southern Champagne region, in the department of Aube, to use the champagne appellation for the sparkling wines made from their grapes. It wasn’t until 1927, that this district, known as the Cote des Bars, finally gained Champagne appellation status.
Trail Name: Entre Vignes et Cadoles (au Depart des Riceys)
Trail Type:
A short-distance circuit; mostly well-maintained and with mostly hard surfaces (hard packed or paved), marking on the trail only occasional.
Length:
Total – 6.6 kilometers/4 miles
Convenient to: Troyes, France
Marking:
Yellow horizontal bars, or blue horizontal bars, sometimes together. (See the sign above.)
Continue reading Entre Vignes et Cadoles: Trail in a Nutshell
It should have been a bike ride with family. But we couldn’t find nearby bikes to rent. Then due to time and impending weather constraints, it had to be right then and there. So, in the end, it had to be a hike of the trail we intended to bike. And as we went along, I realized this circuit trail truly was ideal for bicycling as a family with young children (tweens, at the oldest), or with family members out of shape (or practice) biking.
From the shady parking area at the trailhead, which provided a great spot for a group preparing to embark on an adventure, the trail went along D8, the main road following the around the peninsula that is Anglars-Juillac, as defined by one of many loops created by the Lot River. The Lot River is famous for its sinuous course on its way to the Garonne, and its many twists and turns offer countless perspectives on the river and its landscapes. (If you want to make an easy half-mile detour to see the river, it is best to do so within a half mile of the trail’s start, following D67, before heading away from the water, and into the vineyards covering more than half of this peninsula.)
What I Learned
The Appellation Cahors Controlee is a small appellation in the Lot Department, in southwest France. Specifically, it is in the Lot River Valley, a sinuous river valley leading to the Garonne River further west. Located mostly west of the small town of Cahors, the vineyards, like Cahors, are located on peninsulas created by the Lot’s often extreme bends, which over the millennia, deposited alluvial soils. Amounting to less than 5000 hectares in total, the vineyards are devoted to only three varietals.
This is a red varietal only appellation. The main varietal is a grape of many names. Its most well-known name nowadays (thanks in part to its Argentinian success) is Malbec. In several regions of France, it may be known as Cot (with slight spelling variations), especially in the middle Loire, and in and around the Entre-Deux-Mers area of the Bordeaux wine region. In its home region, Quercy, it is also known as Auxerrois. (Not to be confused with the white varietal known as Auxerrois.)
