A Wine Lovers Tour Of France – By Wines!

By Tom Marquardt And Patrick Darr  

Paris, the host city to the summer Olympics, has been in the spotlight this year. Although we cannot imagine going to France without spending a couple of days in the City of Lights, there is much more to France if you’re a wine enthusiast.

We have been traveling to French wine country since the 1980s and have never grown tired of sampling wines in the vineyard and meeting with the legendary icons behind some of the most prestigious labels in the world. Not everyone has the access we enjoy, but most wineries will welcome all visitors with an appointment.

We have been to Bordeaux and Champagne many times, but frankly they are not our favorite destinations. It’s difficult to get into some of the best chateaus and visiting them is quite an ordeal if you are staying in the large port of Bordeaux. Champagne just doesn’t have the charm we find elsewhere. So, here are our favorite stops.

Burgundy

Wines from this region are très chèr, as the French would say, but that should not stop the traveler looking for some of the best wine in the world. Excellent burgundy – focused on chardonnay and pinot noir – is still available at reasonable prices. Look to the minor sub-regions, such as the Bourgogne AOC.  Here, you can find reasonably priced wines from Macon, Lugny, Verze and Fuisse.

We like the rural character of the Cote d’Or’s rolling hills that contrast with the bustling city of Bordeaux. The roads are easy to navigate and the small villages are among the most attractive in France.

Dijon, the heart of Burgundy and its epicurean capital, is a must stop for the food alone. However, Burgundy’s natural beauty is nestled in the hills. Among the most beautiful villages you must see are Vezelay, Beze, Auxerre, Pommard, Noyers-sur-Serein and Beaune.

We’ve been to Beaune more times than we can count and its beguiling nature remains mesmerizing. A walled city, it has more restaurants per capita than any other city in France. To enjoy the nuances of this romantic town you should stay within walking distance. Hotel Le Cep is inside the walled city and Hostellerie Cedre & Spa is just outside the walls. Both are excellent.

The best wine tasting inside the walled city is Maison Louis Jadot. Call or write ahead to customize a tasting experience and schedule a tour of its incredible underground caves.

Alsace

We love this region for its uniqueness – and its crisp, dry white wine.  Bordering on Germany, its neighbor across the Rhine River has invaded the region four times in its history.  The war-time occupation is evident in the architecture: half-timbered facades, stepped gables and steep roofs covered with orange terracotta tiles.

It’s the only region in France that does use an appellation in its name, but instead the grape varieties: riesling, gewurztraminer, and pinot gris among them. These are dry wines as compared to those made from the same grape varieties in Germany. In fact, local lore is that the Germans invaded to confiscate the better, drier version of their wines.

Plan on stopping at Trimbach in Ribeauville and Hugel et Fils in Riquewihr.  These villages are in the heart of Alsace wine country.

Besides the wine, we are drawn to the unique dishes here: kougelhopf, a pastry filled with soaked raisins and almonds, and baeckeoffa, a combination of beef, mutton and pork marinated with onions, carrots, potatoes and herbs. We’re getting hungry just writing about these special dishes.

Strasbourg is the major city here and worth the visit. It is about a two-hour train ride from Paris.  However, we prefer to stay in Comar, which is on the Alsace Wine Trail, and convenient to wineries.

Provence

Southern France is less of a tourist destination than Burgundy and Bordeaux, and that’s why it attracts us. It is where Parisians go for vacation and for good reason: picture yourself with a glass of rose at a cafe on the Mediterranean. Get away from Marseille and drive to Cassis, our favorite, must-stop village to enjoy this rose moment.

If you’re lucky and visit the countryside in the summer, you may see fields of lavender in summer bloom. We have not been lucky. Or you can visit arguably the best French market in Aix-en-Provence. Don’t miss the majestic Pont de Gard, a Roman aqueduct build near Nimes in the first century AD. Trace the footsteps of French painter Vincent Van Gogh who spent 15 months in Arles – sip an espresso at Cafe Terrace that was the subject of his painting “Cafe Terrace at Night.”

Rose is the specialty here and no region makes it better. Our favorites are Domaine Ott, Chateau d’Esclans and Bandol’s Domaine Tempier. The latter also makes extraordinary red wines.

One region on our bucket list is Languedoc-Roussillon.  Its blends of syrah, grenache, cinsault and mouvedre are vastly underrated and ready to be discovered. This region bordering Spain has just as many hilltop villages and wineries eager to pour you wine.

Southern Rhone Valley

Unlike its neighbor Northern Rhone, this region makes more reasonably priced wines and tend to favor blends of syrah, grenache, mourvedre, carignan, cinsault and other grape varieties. It may not have the prestige of, say, Northern Rhone’s Hermitage, but its village wines are juicy and delectable.

Chateauneuf du Pape is a good place to set up your base. Be sure to visit Chateau Beaucastel’s tasting room here.

There are quaint inns in Chateauneuf du Pape and we love spending our mornings strolling down the less-traveled, narrow streets before heading out to picturesque villages like Gigondas and Vacqueyras.

Wines from these areas have earned a major share of our collections. They exceed their quality-price ratio in our book.

Producers to visit: Domaine de la Janasse, Domaine Pierre Usseglio, Chateau Mont Redon, Chateau de la Gardine, Chateau de Saint Cosme.