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Try the east for a change? One area well known to British wine drinkers but less well known to Britons is Burgundy. Only 5 - 6 hours from the Channel Ports or 90 minutes from Geneva or Lyon airports this area abounds with small villages, individual cuisine and lots and lots of really fine wines.
“We’re biased. We live in a small village in the extreme east of Burgundy, right on the border with the Jura Department and we love it here” say John & Carolyn Scallon at www.bandb-burgundy.com who offer excellent accommodation (4 individually decorated bedrooms with en-suite facilities) in the heart of south Burgundy at Sens-sur-Seille (71 Saone-et-Loire, Burgundy) east of Chalon-sur-Saone.
They have provided a personalised guide to visiting the vineyards of Burgundy - see http://www.frenchduck.co.uk/B&BBurgundy.html , This is great as Burgundy is one of the wine regions which I know least well, as it did not really fit my focus on “lesser known French wines” in my wine merchant days. So it is good to get advice from someone who knows the region well.
My most memorable Burgundy was imbibed at Nuits-Saint-Georges, where we stayed for a night about 20 years ago. As is usual, we opt for the local wine in the restaurant - a Clos la Marechal from Faiveley, which was smooth and creamy with oaky lush cherry fruit. Sadly every red burgundy since has been a bit of a disappointment, in part because Pinot Noir tends to be a bit tempremental, and Burgundy’s weather can be quite variable. Last time I looked it was about £25.00 a bottle, which is the other problem with Burgundy - it tends to be pricey! However find the right one and you could be in heaven. See Faiveley’s website (under construction)
In the east of France and to the east of Burgundy adjacent to Switzerland, the Ain is probably a little overlooked by most visitors.
With Bourg-en-Bresse as its principal town it is a region of gentle hills and river valleys - which is one of the hidden parts of France.
The departement includes Bugey and the wines of Bugey. These are VDQS wines (Vins Délimité de Qualité Superieure) - a classification between full Appellation Controllee and VIns de Pays. As such there are restrictions on grape varieties used and planting and harvesting techniques - and the grapes must be grown in the designated region. White wines from Chardonnay, Roussette; Rosé wines from Gamay and Poulsard; Reds from Gamay, Pinot and Mondeuse; and sparkling wines from Chardonnay. Seldom seen in the UK.
For an opportunity to taste some of these wines there is an open tasting in Lyon from 25-26 January 2008 - click here for more details
For more on the wines of Bugey see www.vinsdubugey.net
One of the highlights of the year is the celebration of the famous yellow corn-fed chickens from Bourg-en-Bresse - the Glorieuses de Bresse held every December shortly before Christmas (for 2008 it runs from 16-21 December 2008 - in the form of a market and other festivities held in Bourg-en-Bresse, Louhans, Pont de Vaux and Montrevel-en-Bresse - see www.glorieusesdebresse.com
More info - see the Ain Tourism Office
For an English run B&B in the region with a knowledgeable host and guide see B&B Burgundy
The tour now heads into the Alpes running from Bourg-en-Bresse (01 Ain, Rhône-Alpes) to Le Grandd Bornand (74 Haut-Savoie, Rhône-Alpes)
For more info on the Tour de France 2007 see www.letour.fr or UK Eurosport where there are some good interactive maps of the route.
From Semur-en-Auxois (21 Cote d’Or, Burgundy) to Bourg-en-Bresse (01 Ain, Rhône-Alpes) - passing through the heart of the Burgundy vineyards (Givry, Rully) down through the Maconnais and finishing at the Chicken Capital of France (see “The fourth Gastronomic Wonder of the World?”
For more info on the Tour de France 2007 see www.letour.fr or UK Eurosport where there are some good interactive maps of the route.
| February 4, 2006 | to | February 5, 2006 |
Vin Jaune (yellow wine) is a speciality of the Jura (eastern France between Burgundy and Switzerland) which is made exclusively from the Savignin grape - late harvested and then pressed and subjected to a slow fermentation followed by a slow ageing process in small 228litre casks. The process yields a thin layer of yeast on the surface of the wine. The wine is then matured without any racking, filtering or other human intervention.As it evaporates naturally the nature and colour of the wine changes - over 6 years or more - producing a deep yellow dry wine with distinctive and complex aromas of nuts and spices with a long long finish in the mouth. It is bottled in special 62cl “clavelin” bottles.
Every year there is a festival to celebrate and taste the “Vin Jaune” and this year it is to be held in the town of Lons-le-Saunier (01 Ain, Rhone-Alpes) on 4th and 5th February 2006. La Percee du Vin Jaune is a “moveable feast” that changes from one wine village to another each year and celebrates the breaching of the barrels of the Vin Jaune, 6 years and 3 months after being made. It’s a big festival and usually attracts around 30,000 visitors plus over the two days.
For more info see http://www.jura-vins.com/actualites-vins-jura.htm
Nearby (15km) is a good English run B&B in the village of Sens-sur-Seille (71 Saone-et-Loire, Burgundy) -see their website at www.bandb-burgundy.com
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