TOUR DE FRANCE… TOUR DE VINS!
Languishing in Languedoc
The Tour includes a rest day in Carcassonne prior to the start of Stage 16 so the riders might want to venture off track and explore the range of very interesting wines made in close proximity to this impressive walled town.
Corbieres, Fitou, Minervois, St Chinian are the names of subregions that have become more prominent in recent years, renowned for producing full bodied, well balanced wines principally from a blend of red grapes. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon will feature in many blends alongside Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Mourvedre.
Whites account for less than 5% of the
total but they are wines of real depth and interest, once again made from a broad palette of grapes – Marsanne, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Rolle, Bourboulenc and Macabeo.
Limoux just south of Carcassone is Limoux
famous for its Crémant sparkling wines, made from Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Mauzac, the last of this trio being the variety specific to this sub-region. These are Champagne Method wines and represent great value compared with some lesser Champagne producers.
Finishing with a Dessert Wine
The last stage of the Tour with a close wine affinity is Bergerac, hosting the end of Stage 19 and the start of Stage 20. Once stage 20 has been completed all that remains of the Tour de France is the final leg culminating in the finish on the Champs Elysees.
At this point the riders have covered just less than 2000 miles on their bikes and climbed goodness knows how many metres but with the end so close I don’t think they’ll be interested in a tasty pudding accompanied by a glass of Monbazillac dessert wine.
Monbazillac lies immediately south of Bergerac and the gentle hills that host the vines make some of the best sweet wines in France. The reason for the specialization in dessert wines is due to the action of Noble Rot (Botrytis Cinerea) on the grapes. Noble Rot is a fungus that flourishes in vineyards in Autumn time as mist from the Dordogne river engulfs the vines and encourages the growth of the fungus on the skins of the grapes. The effect is to cause the skins to shrivel and the natural sugars to rise, hence the sweetness in the finished wine. Grapes grown here are Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle with the resultant wine having an aromatic combination of honey, orange citrus and dried fruits with a richness and sweetness on the palate offset by some very fresh acidity. Perfect in tandem with rich flavoured desserts like Crème Bruleé.
So that’s it. We’ve reached the end of The Tour des Vins along the route of the Tour de France and like all the best meals we finish with a dessert wine.
Nick Chadwick Champs elysees leisureAt your 75
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80