Find out why France remains the undisputed king of the vine as Andrew Catchpole takes you on a meandering road trip from Strasbourg to Lyon
From the Teutonic-leaning, vineyard-wrapped villages of Alsace, by way of Burgundy’s hallowed Côtes, to the robust, southern climes of Lyon and the Rhône Valley, the corridor running from the Vosges Mountains to France’s eastern Mediterranean hinterland produces a palate-teasing array of world-class wines. First there are the headily aromatic but bone-dry Rieslings and noble sweet wines of the north. Then come the mineral-rich Chablis, rich white Burgundys of Meursault and Montrachet and sublimely seductive reds of the Côte-d’Or. And after pretty Beaujolais, you finally arrive at the powerful, spicy blockbusters of the northern Rhône.
It’s a route that resembles a trip through the intellectual head, sumptuous heart and heady stomach of this gastronomic land – a journey from northern to southern Europe played out among the vines. With such a wealth of great wine estates, superb restaurants, organised wine routes, cellar-door tasting possibilities, well-stocked wine shops and other pleasing distractions, the only difficulty can be in deciding where to go, what to try and what to buy.
Alsace
Take the Alsace, a largely overlooked but superb region to tour. Local names and food specialities – such as choucroute Alsacienne (pickled cabbage with bacon) and the pork-rich saucisse de Strasbourg – speak of its Germanic influences, but the counterpoint to this rustic fare is the highest concentration of Michelin-starred restaurants in France. The wines, too – from stunning grand cru Rieslings, Pinot Blancs and spicy Gewürztraminer to the softly sparking Cremant d’Alsace – are all superb food wines, bone dry but difficult to sell because of their confusing, non-Gallic image. Follow the wine route through the vineyards, though, and taste at legendary cellars such as Hugel, Trimbach, ZindHumbrecht, Ostertag and Rolly-Gassmann, and you’ll soon understand why wine connoisseurs prefer to keep this region a secret. Cellar-door prices are good and it’s often possible to have cases shipped home at a reasonable charge.
Burgundy
Next stop on the route south, skirting around the distant foothills of the French Prealps, lies the world’s most eulogised (and confusing) wine region of Burgundy. Here the silky soft Pinot Noir and pliable Chardonnay grapes reach the peak of perfection along the Côte-d’Or – comprising the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune – with Grand and Premier Cru vineyards stretching from just south of Dijon to the environs of Beaune. It’s an entrancing region to explore, where famous villages like Meursault and GevreyChambertin are signposted among a patchwork of vineyards, split between innumerable producers. The fame of small sites such as La Romanée-Conti and Bâtard-Montrachet accounts for single bottle prices into four figures and plots of land worth more per square metre than Manhattan or Tokyo.
To taste the very best of these wines, it’s no good just turning up at the cellar door. But you will find excellent lists at many restaurants and hotels throughout the region. Burgundy is a gourmet paradise, with dishes such as boeuf Bourguignon, coq au vin, escargots (snails) and the superb oeufs en meurette (eggs poached in red wine) standing testament to a rich, bourgeois cuisine. The hum of prosperous Beaune, with its market and medieval layout, make this a great base from which to explore the heart of Burgundy. Try Hôtel Le Cep (tel. +33 (0)3 8022 3548, hotel-cep-beaune.com), a stylish central hotel given over to discreet luxury, and relax over a glass of regional wine at bars like Le Bistro Bourguignon (8 Rue Monge).
The self-drive wine route runs from Dijon down to Mâcon, with a further wine route continuing through the rolling Beaujolais countryside just to the south (where the cru wines with names like St Amour, Fleurie and Moulin à Vent are great value). If you’re looking to spend time tasting and possibly buying wine, a guide such as Touring in Wine Country: Burgundy, by Hubrecht Duijker, contains advice on whom to visit plus dependable restaurant and hotel recommendations. Details of the wine route and similar information can be obtained on France’s official tourist website (franceguide.com) or direct from tourist offices in France. Also worth a look are websites such as wineroutes.co.uk for independent advice on how best to plan a trip.
Fortunately, not all Burgundian producers are inaccessible to the casual visitor and there are good wines at reasonable prices in appellations such as Marsannay, Fixin, Pernand-Vergelesses, Savigny-lès-Beaune, Monthelie, Saint-Aubin, Santenay and under the HautesCôtes de Beaune and Beaune Villages labels, plus the more modestly priced but ever-improving southern stretches of Côte Chalonnaise and the Mâconnais. As anywhere, the producer’s name is key to potential quality. If you’re serious about buying, an expert guide such as Burgundy by Anthony Hanson, or one of the many pocket wine books available, will point you in the right direction.
Rhône Valley
The final stop on the tour comes just after the gastronomic Mecca of cosmopolitan Lyon, with its roster of Michelin-feted restaurants and chefs such as Paul Bocuse, both in the city and neighbouring towns. Immediately to the south, among the steep-sided vineyards of the northern Rhône, is the home of the intense, Syrah-based wines of Côtes Rôtie, Saint-Joseph and Hermitage, plus the apricot-scented white Condrieu; wines demanding rich, gamey food and herby stews with a southern flavour. While not cheap, the great wines here are still more affordable than better-known appellations and repay cellaring with superb, mellowed but still intense results.
The best way to truly experience any of these wine regions is through a specialist tour operator, with the contacts to open cellar doors and knowledge to allow you to get the best from these regions. Arblaster & Clarke (arblasterandclarke.com) is one of the most respected companies organising such tours, but there are many options to suit all tastes and budgets. For the active, Walker’s (walkersfrance.com) offers Walking Wine Experiences in several wine regions including Alsace, Burgundy and the Rhône. These combine walking, wine tasting, gastronomy and good hotels with extended tramps through the vines. The really committed can even buy into a rent-a-vine scheme such as 3D Wines (3dwines.com) where, depending on your commitment (both financial and time-wise), you not only get to drink wines made from your leased row of vines, but can also head to your chosen estate and become involved with the harvest, winemaking or simply commune with the vines.
The more frivolous may be content with numerous other possibilities offered locally, including riding, ballooning or simply eating and drinking your way through the great vineyard regions of France. Whatever you chose to do, nothing beats the taste of a wine when you’ve actually stood among the ripening vines. One final word of advice: don’t leave home without the red Michelin restaurant guide.
FR Sur la route du vin
Depuis les villages de vignes d’Alsace, jusqu’aux solides climats des régions du sud, de Lyon et de la Vallée du Rhône, le corridor qui part des montagnes des Vosges jusqu’à l’intérieur du pays de l’Est méditerranéen de la France, produit une sélection de vins de classe internationale.
Prenez l’Alsace, une région souvent oubliée, mais sublime à parcourir. Suivez la route du vin à travers les vignobles et dégustez dans les caves légendaires, les célèbres crus tels que Hugel, Trimbach, Zind-Humbrecht, Ostertag et Rolly-Gassmann.
Sur la route, l’étape suivante est la région viticole de Bourgogne. Ici, les raisins du soyeux et doux Pinot Noir et du souple Chardonnay atteignent des sommets de perfection le long de la Côte d’Or, avec des vignobles de Grand et Premier Cru s’étendant du sud de Dijon jusqu’aux environs de Beaune.
La route du vin serpente de Dijon jusqu’à Mâcon, avec une bifurcation vers une autre route du vin, qui continue à travers la campagne ondulante du Beaujolais en descendant vers le sud. Si vous désirez passer du temps à goûter et éventuellement acheter du vin, un guide tel que Touring in Wine Country: Burgundy, par Hubrecht Duijker, contient des conseils sur les propriétaires à visiter ainsi que des recommandations sur les restaurants et les hôtels dignes de confiance.
La dernière étape du tour vous conduit juste après la ville cosmopolite de Lyon, la mecque en matière de gastronomie. Directement au Sud se trouvent les vins intenses, à base de Syrah des Côtes Rôtie, St Joseph et Hermitage, sans oublier le blanc Condrieu aux parfums d’abricot.
Réserver un circuit via un tour opérateur spécialisé est la meilleure façon d’apprécier pleinement ces régions dédiées au vin. Ces professionnels du tourisme ont tous les contacts pour vous ouvrir les portes des chais ainsi qu’une bonne connaissance de ces régions pour que vous puissiez en profiter totalement. Arblaster & Clarke (arblasterandclarke.com) est l‘une des compagnies les plus réputées, organisatrices de ce type de circuit, mais vous trouverez diverses options adaptées à tous les goûts et à tous les budgets.
Un dernier conseil: ne partez pas sans le guide rouge Michelin des restaurants.
NL Wijn op het spoor
Van de in wijngaarden gehulde Elzasser dorpen tot het robuuste, zuidelijke klimaat van Lyon en de Rhônevallei loopt tussen de bergen van de Vogezen en het Franse oost-mediterrane hinterland, een corridor met een hele waaier wijnen van wereldklasse.
Neem nu de Elzas. Vaak over het hoofd gezien, maar het verkennen waard. Volg de wijnroute door de wijngaarden en proef in legendarische kelders zoals Hugel, Trimbach, Zind-Humbrecht, Ostertag en Rolly-Gassmann.
De volgende stop op onze trip naar het zuiden is de wijnstreek van de Bourgogne. De zijdezachte pinot noir- en de gewillige chardonnaydruiven bereiken aan de Côte d’Or het summum van perfectie, met grand en premier cru-wijngaarden van het zuiden van Dijon tot in de buurt van Beaune.
Onze autorit door de wijngaarden gaat van Dijon naar Mâcon, met een extra wijntocht door het golvende landschap van de Beaujolais even bezuiden. Wil je ook wat wijn proeven en eventueel kopen? Dan vind je in een gids als Touring in Wine Country: Burgundy van Hubrecht Duijker tips over wie je zeker moet bezoeken, naast betrouwbare aanbevelingen voor hotels en restaurants.
Het eindpunt van onze wijnreis ligt net voorbij de gastronomische wereldstad Lyon. Even bezuiden vind je de intense, op syrah gebaseerde wijnen van Côtes Rôtie, St-Joseph en Hermitage, en de naar abrikoos zwemende witte condrieu.
Om deze wijnstreken echt te leren kennen, doe je het best een beroep op een gespecialiseerd reisbureau dat de contacten heeft om kelderdeuren te openen en de kennis om optimaal van deze streken te genieten. Arblaster & Clarke (arblasterandclarke.com) is een van de meest gerespecteerde organisatoren van dergelijke rondreizen, maar er zijn alternatieven voor alle smaken en budgetten.
Een laatste tip: vertrek niet zonder de rode Michelin-restaurantgids.
Text Andrew Catchpole
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