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John at www.bandb-burgundy.com has offered an excellent choice of things to do in Burgundy, Eastern France and the environs.
As always there are lots of wine fairs and village fetes all over the place, however there is a major festival Fetes de la Vigne in Dijon (21 Cote d;’Or. Burgundy) 1st - 3rd September 2006 in the Autour des Halles, Place Francois Rude. Entry is free but a souvenir glass and tasting tickets cost from €2.00 open from 10:30 - 20:00 each day to sample wines from the fine Burgundy crus - lots of wine-related events around the pedestrianised centre of the town.
Also in Dijon is yet another inland summer beach - Dijon Plage open until 10 September at the intriguingly named Lac Kir!! - see map
Over in the Jura there are things to do. Particularly interesting is a guided wine-tasting through the wines of the Jura in historic Chateau Chalon. Every Tuesday until 29th August 2006, at 20:30, six vignerons bring one example of their work to a tasting evening. A Professor of Wine talks you through the wines of the Jura, their individualities, quirks, and characteristics and how to taste them! How to recognise the alcohol content from swirling the wine around the glass, developing and recognising the aromas, and finally the taste. Once all the theory has been dealt with you get to taste the wines! Much chat with people in the audience being asked their opinion, what can they smell, and or taste in each of six different types of wine. The range of Jura wines is well covered. You’ll start with a Cremant (Sparkling wine), go next to a Red, either Poulsard, Trousseau (you’ve not heard of those have you) or Rubis (Pinot Noir with Trousseau mix). Following that is a Chardonnay, as unlike a Chablis or Californian Chardonnay as is possible to find, thence to a Chardonnay/Savagnin (yes the spelling is correct) mix which starts you off on the typical Jurascian tastes. Next is the classic Chateau Chalon Vin Jaune. A white wine which positively mugs the unaware. Finishing with a Macvin (mix of Marc du Jura and grape juice) the whole evening will take about 2-2½ hours and costs the princely sum of €5.00! (and you get to keep the glass!) Booking is advised from the Tourist Office in Chateau Chalon (infos@hauteseille.com) website: www.hauteseille.com Good French is definitely helpful but not totally necessary.
Add for something completely different - a trip around a brewery! The Rouget de Lisle Brewery in Bletterans (39 Jura, Franche-Comte) has tours during July and August weekdays at 1000 & 1500 and weekends at 1500 only. No booking necessary, just turn up at the time - see www.larougetdelisle.com/. Foreigners had perhaps be on their best behaviour, as Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle was a soldier, engineer, poet and musician who composed “la Marseillaise” - so expect some due reverence to a true French icon.
A perfect base for these visits would be the British owned and run B&B with John & Carolyn Scallan at “Le Bourg” in Sens-sur-Seille (71, Saone et Loire, Bourgogne) - see map - website at www.bandb-burgundy.com
Keywords: France, wine, burgundy,jura,beer,tourism,festival, accommodation
A quick check around the better independent merchants selling French wines in the UK, reveals some good offerings, such as 15% off French wines from Nick Dobson Wines - including Chablis, Burgundy, Macon, and Beaujolais from now until the end of July.
Leon Stolarski has some new Languedoc wines in stock, including some decent Chardonnay and Merlot in 5-litre wine boxes - the same wine that goes is also sold by the bottle - ideal for summer picnics, barbecues etc. I reckon there is scope for more wine boxes to be available - the big brands tend to rip you off with pretty ordinary plonk, whilst most vineyards in France sell quality wines either “en vrac” -. i.e. on draught for your cubitainer or empty Evian bottle - or in vacuum packed “Bag-in-Box” (the french term!) - OK so you will not get the top cuvées which might benefit from bottle age, but as most wines are drunk young that should not be a problem. Sure, the quality will deteriorate if you leave if only 1/3 full for weeks on end, but generally if good wine goes in, good wine come out! Usually I find the problem is that it gets drunk faster than the same quantity in bottle, as it is just too easy to just pour another glass!
Meanwhile Devigne Wines have a range of new wines from Jura and Arbois, including Vin Jaune and Vin de Paille - something you don’t often see in the UK.
Pic Wines have a couple of Rosé discovery cases from the Languedoc available, and on the basis of having recently tasted some other wines on their list, these can be recommended without hesitation. I really do reckon Rosé wines are getting better and better - especially if you remember that they are in fact a style of red wine (from the same grapes) and not some compromise for those who cannot choose between red and white wines. And, although they are ideal for summer, don’t expect these to be light and inconsequential picnic wines - the best rosés are seriously good drinking with real depth of flavour and nuance.
Our friends John & Carolyn Scallan who run a classy Chambre d’Hote (sounds so much better than a B&B) at www.bandb-burgundy.com have provided us with an excellent introduction to the wines of the Jura, a less well-travelled area of France and one where the wines and grape varieties are even less well-known. To get this sort of insight from people who have the opportunity to get to know the area and its wines so well is worth a lot.
“Now”, in the words of a famous TV programme of yesteryear, “for something completely different”. Wines of the Jura. There will be those who think “They’ve gone barmy. Jura makes excellent Malt Whiskies but wine???” Trust us. The Jurassian wines are, in our opinion, a virtually undiscovered gem. The whole production of the areas vineyards amounts to just less than 1% of the French annual wine production and that means that for the most part even the French remain blissfully unaware of the regions produce.
The Jura has three grape varieties that are grown nowhere else in France. Trousseau and Poulsard (or Ploussard if you’re in the village of Pupillin) produces grapes for red wines, whilst the Savagnin produces grapes for whites and the regions speciality wine, Vin Jaune.
Cotes du Jura is the regions standard. The white is made from the ubiquitous Chardonnay but tastes as unlike a Chablis as you can get. Here you start finding out that Jura wines are different. This wine should be drunk cool, but not cold. Approx 30 minutes in the fridge is enough. L’Etoile (approx 10 miles from here) is high on the list of best areas. The Chateaux at Quintigny, L’Etoile or Arlay will each supply you a tasting with pleasure. The red is made predominantly of the Pinot Noir grape with an addition of Poulsard to give a distinctive colour and slightly lighter body. There is some Pinot Noir made on it’s own and the best we have found is from Chevassu’s vineyard at Menetru Le Vignoble. This can be a strong wine in years of serious sunshine, e.g. 2003 but is also an easy going very fruity wine in other years. Try his 2004, the 2003’s all gone.
Poulsard and Trousseau both produce red wines although in years without a huge amount of sun these reds are more like Rosés they are that pale. Tending to be on the “thin” side they lack the full bodied power of Bordeaux or some Burgundies but are full of flavour and are best kept for about five years, at which point the colour can change again, especially in the Poulsard, to an almost onion skin hue. It is the Savagnin (not Sauvignan) which is the true king of Jura grapes. Blended with Chardonnay in the Caveau des Jacobins Saint Avoye wine it produces a distinctive tasting wine that just hints at the flavours to come. A 100% Savagnin is a wine full of character and strength, again drunk almost at room temperature most people are taken unawares by it’s taste and richness. This wine can easily be kept for 10 years or more, rare in a white wine. Now we get to the masterpiece, the Vin Jaune, the best of which is labelled Chateau-Chalon. Aged for at least 6 years 3 months in oak barrels (bought second hand from Burgundy!) this wine is never topped up to replace the wine that evaporates during this period. As a result the wine ages under a protective layer of yeast which imparts a taste not dissimilar to that of a dry sherry. Again drunk at room temperature the wine comes as a shock to those not expecting something completely different and as a result many don’t like it. We’ve persevered, it was hell but definitely worth it. Served with Comté cheese or smoked sausage the wine takes on yet another flavour and it is a feature in the cooking of many fine recipes. Not cheap by any stretch and sold uniquely in 62cl bottles called “Clavelins” it can keep for up to 100 years. It should be opened at least 12 hours before drinking and once opened will keep for about two months with the cork replaced (but not in the fridge!).
The specialist wines from the Jura are “Cremant du Jura” the local sparkling wine made from Chardonnay grapes. This is at it’s best from Chevassu’s with a slight taste of pineapple cubes (!!!!) but we really advise against “Vin Fou” from Henri Maire, not good at all. Served chilled as an aperitif or dessert wine it is stunning value for money and a really good wine. Macvin is not a wine served at French MacDonalds as some have thought but a fortified wine made by mixing grape juice and Marc du Jura, the spirit made from the pips, skins & stalks of the grapes. Again served as an aperitif or dessert wine. For a real treat try the Vin de Paille. This is made from grapes which have been left to dry for three months in lofts so that they lose 80% of their moisture. The resulting juice is very sweet and smooth. It takes 100 kgs of grapes to make 18 litres of wine which is why it is fearsomely expensive at about 15 Euros, or more for a half bottle! (It is never sold in whole bottles). Serve chilled (or room temperature) as a special occasion wine. We had some last year with the Christmas Pud - superb.
Should you wish we can arrange for tastings at various vignerons cellars. The Caveau des Jacobins is open daily but Chevassu’s needs an appointment (it’s well worth it).
For more info on Jura wines see www.jura-vins.com/
A good UK stockist of these wines is Devigne Wines (Nationwide mail order)
www.bandb-burgundy.com offers excellent B&B with added wine knowledge and advice!!
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If you happen to be in the Jura (i.e. east of Burgundy) you should make a point of going to the Wine Fair in the Place de l’Eglise in Chateau Chalon (39 Jura, Franche-Comté) famous for the “Vin Jaune” (yellow wine).
John and Carolyn Scallon who run a B&B in the region (see at www.bandb-burgundy.com ) write “Aged for at least 6 years 3 months in oak barrels (bought second hand from Burgundy!) this wine is never topped up to replace the wine that evaporates during this period. As a result the wine ages under a protective layer of yeast which imparts a taste not dissimilar to that of a dry sherry. Again drunk at room temperature the wine comes as a shock to those not expecting something completely different and as a result many don’t like it. We’ve persevered, it was hell but definitely worth it. Served with Comté cheese or smoked sausage the wine takes on yet another flavour and it is a feature in the cooking of many fine recipes. Not cheap by any stretch and sold uniquely in 62cl bottles called “Clavelins” it can keep for up to 100 years.”
The Scallons will happily guide you to the best cellars in the region, and they should know as they live there and have the choice of wines from the Jura and from Burgundy.
For more info on the wines of the Jura - see www.jura-vins.com
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Over at Spittoonextra.biz there are these great photos and article on this cheese from Jura close to the Swiss border.. It is a raw cows’ milk cheese (ie. Vacherin from “vache” the French for “cow”) and it is an Appellation Controllee cheese with quite strict rules - namely that the fresh milk must be got to the dairy every day; it may only be coagulated (thickened) with rennet; no artificial rapid heating;and the wrapping in a strap of spruce wood and the wooden box are a requirement (as well as a marketing ploy I suspect!). The wooden box is quite important as the cheese will continue to mature once it has left the dairy.
He should of course have looked to match it with a local wine such as Cotes de Jura, where a grape called the Savignin is used. No relation to Sauvignon, it is thought to come from Austria. It produces bone dry quite aromatic wines, which would cut well against the creaminess of the Vacherin. Savignin is also used for the famous Vin Jaune (Yellow Wine) of the Jura.
Click here to read Spittoonextra’s posting
My main worry about the cheese though is that it looks as though an ordinary knife or cheese knife will not do - going by the picture you need more of an old chisel that’s been languishing in the workshop - although it is a soft cheese - maybe the rind gets a bit tough!
Not far away 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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Keywords: France,wine,cheese,vacherin,doubs,jura
The French are seldom modest when it comes to promoting their products (often with good reason), but the website for the “Poulet de Bresse” does not hold back -
The Queen of Poultry, the Poultry of Kings ”
There are champagnes … and Dom-Pérignon !
There are cars … and Rolls Royces !
There is caviar … and Beluga caviar !
In the same way, there are chickens, and there are “Bresse
Chickens” …
Bresse Poultry is unique ..
In southern Burgundy, around the town of Bourg-en-Bresse (01 Ain, Rhone-Alpes) they rear a specific pure breed of chicken with all white feathers and fine blue feet. Bresse chicken is young poultry that have not yet reached adult age. During the first part of its life, the young Bresse chicken is raised in the open on the farmlands of the Bresse region, where it is free to roam. Thanks to this daily exercising, its flesh becomes more firm.
In order to make the flesh more tender, Bresse poultry farmers confine the animals in a coop. The chicken is placed in semi-darkness, and is then fed exclusively flour mixed with cereals and dairy products. It always carries a “seal” of authenticity as it is an Appellation Controllee product, providing a guarantee of its origin and conformity to the agreed standard.
It is widely acknowledged to be chicken at its best - moist, tender, succulent and tasty - especially when cooked in a cream sauce with morel mushrooms, or roast.
We know of a good English-run bed and breakfast in the region (see www.bandb-burgundy.com). which is an ideal base for visiting the vineyards of the Cote d’Or and Burgundy,the Cotes Challonais and Maconnais (predominantly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay) and a little further south to Beaujolais (Gamay). In the other direction the vineyards of the Jura are within reach and are worth exploring.
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| 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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