A Euro Wine Club Adventure
One of the most amazing things about wine is that it can take you around the world. For me, travel and adventure is exactly what I need to broaden my knowledge, and build my wine confidence. Along the way, my wine travels have taught me so much about the people, culture, and history of each place that I have been. Building your wine confidence is quite the task, and to determine your preferences, it is important to taste wines from all over the world to have a global context around wine. While you can certainly learn a lot from home, there is simply no better way to broaden your horizons than to take off and see the world in the name of research – and of course, drinking good wine along the way!
This year, a romantic European getaway was on the top of my list – so in June 2011, my euro wine adventure began with a 10-day trip to Italy, followed by a 10-day road trip through France and here are some of my stories..
Tuscany, Italy
I arrived in Rome and spent the next ten days exploring the Tuscany region, including the historic cities of Lucca, Florence, and Pisa, and stopping through wineries in Chianti, Montecarlo and Montalcino. With a fully packed itinerary I learned so much about the wines, the people and the land – and thoroughly enjoyed sipping Sangiovese, indulging in Super Tuscans, and learning about Vin Santo. Tuscany really is as beautiful as the postcards have led us to believe – with rolling vineyards, warm sunshine, friendly people and fantastic wines. My best piece of advice would be to “just go”, as words really cannot describe the full experience.
To inspire your adventure, here are a couple quick notes from my time in Tuscany:
- Brunello is the name of the local Sangiovese grape variety that is grown in and around the village of Montalcino, hence ‘Brunello di Montalcino’ (wine/grape of Montalcino)
- Chianti Classico and Chianti are both Tuscan regions. The main grape varietal used to produce this well-known wine is ‘Sangiovese’.
- Vin Santo is Italy’s delicious dessert wine that is gold in colour, and made with white grape varieties.
- Hire a tour guide to drive and show you around Tuscany’s wine country. It is worth every penny. My recommend is www.frontierwinetours.com – the founders are Canadian expats who speak both English and Italian. Not only are they very familiar with the region, wineries and culture – they have a passion for wine and will make your visit to the region truly memorable.
- Stay in a winery villa where there is a pool. What else could you possibly ask for: wine, food, ultimate relaxation, and a million dollar view!
The South of France
After spending time in Italy, I flew to the South of France and spent some time in Bandol and Cassis (better known as Provence/the French Riviera). I can honestly say that that I drank pink wine every single day, and fell in love with the rose from Provence – to this day, I still have cravings that are simply unquenchable. We were lucky enough to taste a 1993 Rose from Terrebrune winery, which was unbelieveable! (mind you, so was their entire lineup). We also had the opportunity to visit several other Kermit Lynch Wineries, including Domaine du Gros Noir, Domaine Tempier, and Clos st. Magdeleine in Cassis. If you are considering a trip to the South of France, I can say that it is absolutely stunning – especially if you go with someone you love, and at a great time of year!
Bordeaux, France
After four days in the South of France, we made our way up to Bordeaux wine country. Of all regions in France, Bordeaux is among the most well known. Bottles of wine produced in the region are marked “Bordeaux” (or have Bordeaux sub-regions on the label), however it is important to note that this references the region, and is not the actual name of the varietal of the wine. This is common practice in France – think of Chablis, Burgundy, Champagne, etc. We rented a car so we traveled through wineries on both the Right and Left Bank, and also visited smaller wine sub-regions including Sauternes (which makes sweeter table wine), Saint-Émilion, Médoc, Haut-Médoc, Cotes de Francs, and Entre Deux Mers. This region was filled with great wines, fantastic people and beautiful Châteaus that took my breath away.
One of my favourite experiences from our French wine travels was when Frederic Marque from Château Puyfromage Winery went into his family cellar and took out a 1982 and 1981 bottle of Château Puyfromage and shared them with us. Not only was 1982 a stellar year for Bordeaux, but it is also the year I was born – what a memory!
Here are a couple things you might not know about Bordeaux wines and the region:
- Bordeaux wines (white and red) are both blended with different varietals.
- The Right Bank of Bordeaux produces mostly Merlot based blends.
- The Left Bank blends are predominately Cabernet Sauvignon based blends.
- The Sauternes region produces a sweet dessert-like wine, which is made with Semillion, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle grapes.
After wandering through cellars and vineyards and tasting wine all day long, our evenings were spent in the city of Bordeaux – and after massive restoration and construction to the city, it is a must-see destination (and also a UNESCO World Heritage site). There are many great places to dine – while sipping on fantastic wine and enjoying a picturesque sunset. Hopefully you can also stumble across the carousel located in the middle of the city, I thought that was a pretty cool sight to see! If you have a chance (and the money) check out the amazing Michelin Restaurant in the city called Le Pressoir d’Argent at the Regent Hotel – wow is all I can say about that.
Champagne, France
Next was Champagne! And the drive fro Bordeaux was definitely a beautiful one. Along the miles of French countryside, we passed grazing cows, breathtaking sunsets, and many historic stops and sites, which made for a truly enjoyable drive.
Now, I had heard people talk about the Champagne caves, but I was really excited to see them in person and understand what everyone always talking about. Once we were in Champagne, we were lucky enough to visit amazing houses including Tattinger, Veuve Cliquot, Vilmart, and Moet and Chandon. The underground caves remained after the Romans dug for chalk and became the perfect place to store champagne – as the sponge-like quality of the chalk soaked up the humidity, and provided a dark place for the wine to age to perfection. Some Champagne houses have caves that run for miles upon miles and have a depth between 25 and 40 feet. One interesting fact is that if you work for Veuve for 40 or more years, you are given the honour of having your name placed on a plaque in a cave, and that is forever known as your cave. … I wonder if they are hiring!
It was here that I learned that some champagne houses are choosing to age their chardonnay in oak barrels or casks before bottling, to add texture and body to the champagne. After tasting a few such phenomenal wines at Vilmart, I can understand why this works. I found that the process adds a fantastic dimension to the wine, and I personally loved it!
We stayed in Reims Centre in Champagne and it had great restaurants, cool shopping and lots of fun places to sip on great champagne (and beer too!)! The French must love their carousels – since there is another one in the city centre here! We saw gorgeous sunsets and the weather was absolutely perfect – and If you love wine as much as I do, France is definitely a must visit place on the map!
Next, my wine travels will take me to Germany and Argentina, so I am looking forward to more adventures to come! Looking forward to the coming year, I already have it in my head to return to France and Italy – and in fact, will be designing a Tuscan Wine Club trip in June or July of 2012. So if you are looking for a great group of people to head to wine country with, keep an eye out for our all-inclusive itinerary to come, at www.iyellowwineclub.com.
Cheers,
Ange
