France
A South American winemaker told me the story of his wine touring experience in France. He arranged a tour of a chateau. The ‘visit girl’ showed him round and then ushered him to a door. He thought “aha, now the tasting!” and stepped through the door, which shut behind him. He was back in the street.
Of course not all chateaux are like that, and although this story could be apocryphal, the unfortunate thing is, that is actually true. And it is also true that after the New World and compared to other parts of Europe, wine touring in France can be perfunctory and the producers who are easy to visit are often not the ones that you would like to visit. Also when they are, you need to be sure that are going to be well looked after.
How things are done does vary considerably region by region. Most importantly, if you are a known buyer, have a good introduction, meet a vigneron who decides he likes you, stumble on a great event, or if you are on a proper escorted wine tour, wine touring in France can more that live up to expectations.
France produces many of the greatest wines on the planet. Take small villages like Sancerre in the Loire or Morey-St Denis in Burgundy, and think of the wealth of fantastic small producers, of the wine-makers with an enormous understanding of their terroir, their vines and their grapes and with the talent to express this in superb wine. Of those wines that completely took your breath away, left you stunned and amazed or just occasionally made your body shimmer, how many were French? – The answer is probably a reasonably high proportion.
If it was none at all, I’m sorry but you need to spend more! (Or drink the wine at the right time with the right food). Actually, away from the upper end of the market, France doesn’t perform that well. And what is more it never did; French Vin de Table was dreadful, and those Country wines that have largely disappeared from international markets, did so because they just couldn’t compete with Australia, California, Chile and South Africa or even with Spain and Italy.
So does that mean that it’s only worth wine touring in the great appellations of Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhone and then visiting only the top producers? Well, if you are on an A&C wine tour you won’t go wrong if you do. You might get to taste wines that completely take your breath away, or leave you stunned and amazed. However but you would miss out; what about Alsace? Bandol? Gigondas? St Bris and the other Chablis satellites? Vouvray? Fronsac? Minervois?
Sometimes it is these bourgeois appellations that are the most fun to visit. It is in them that we have stumbled on great hospitality and wines that positively shriek of their place. Provencal, southern Rhone wines like Gigondas that seem to smell of the maquis herbs or an Alsace Gewurz that just couldn’t come from anywhere else.
Another of France’s glories is the cuisine, which remains intensely regional. Pairing wine with food is not treated as scientifically as it is in the New World nor is it treated as an art as it is by the Italians, except by a handful of great chefs. Pairin happens systemically. The regional food is what you get in each region with the regional wines. The two have evolved together, so mostly the marriages are good and quite often they are really sensational: - Sauternes with Fois Gras, dry Alsace Riesling with river trout, a great Bordeaux with duck, a top Rhone with a Daube Provençal, a white Rhone or Bandol with Bouillabaise and Champagne or Chablis with Oysters….. Well, they do ship them in fresh daily, and that’s the thing, these regional dishes and combinations really are the daily fare, and that, is awesome.
So please do look at our whole French programme. - The Reserve Collection Bordeaux tours that stay at great chateaux or in Burgundy visit the great estates; the Champagne Weekends; the short wine breaks to give you a bite at the Rhone, Chablis or Bordeaux; the longer ‘Classic’ tours by coach or train. Finally the Walking Tours in the vineyards – Alsace, Chablis, Burgundy and Beaujolais crus where you immerse yourself in the French countryside. We hope that you find a tour that suits your style and we look forward to you wine touring with us.
Explore the destinations below or Types of tours.
Mostly Cloudy, 2C, Bordeaux
Ultimate Champagne
15 - 19 March 2010, 6 - 10 September 2010
Spring Champagne Weekend
20 - 22 March 2010
Rhone Reserve
22 - 26 March 2010
Bordeaux Wine & City
22 - 25 April 2010, 9 - 12 September 2010, 4 - 7 November 2010
May Champagne Extra
1 - 3 May 2010
