Vestniek: A Little French Wine to Remember

Saturday, October 3 -- We have many fond memories of France, and the wine is one of them. So, it seems appropriate to memorialize the bottles we encountered during our travels in Burgundy and Alsace.

These are not all the wines we tasted, but they are the ones of which I took photographs while we were confronting them.

September 20 lunch in Beaune

September 21 lunch - a good white Domaine St. David,

September 22, 2015

Between Dijon and Santenay one can take La Route Touristique des Grands Crus and discover the classic Burgundy wines with their aromatic richness and their purple or golden color. This legendary itinerary passes through 31 typically Bourguignon towns and villages, and opens the way to a world-renowned winegrowing region.

September 23, 2015 in Puligny-Montrachet
As soon as you leave Dijon, you are on the Côte de Nuits with its gently sloping plots. This is the cradle for many Grand and Premier Cru wines. Nicknamed the Champs-Elysées of the Bourgogne region, in parts, it is no more than 300 meters wide, and brings together a host of world-famous climats. The word does not refer to meteorology but in this part of France is used to describe the Burgundian vineyard terrior.

To the south of Ladoix-Serrigny, the trail continues on the Côte de Beaune, with its gentle slopes and Bourgogne traditions. Take the time to visit some cellars or maisons de négoce – all year-round the winemakers are willing to share their expertise and lore about the Bourgogne lands with you. If you are lucky, they will invite you to taste their wines too.

September 25 at Chateaux Chassagne-Montrachet

During a trip along La Route des Grands Crus the Vignobles and Decouvertes label will guide you to the region’s must-see places.

In Dijon, for example, we found that you can follow the Owl Trail (marked with brass owls in the sidewalks) which will lead you on a walking tour through 22 of the city’s most historic sites.

September 25 at Chateaux Chassagne-Montrachet

In Nuits-Saint-Georges, you can visit the Imaginarium, an exhibition space for the whole family. It offers two exhibitions that reveal all the mysteries of wine production, both still and sparkling.

Over 23 kilometers between Beaune and Santenay, a well-marked véloroute will lead you through Burgundian countryside. Or you can travel La Route des Grands Crus on horseback, by little train, on a Solex or a gyropod (a small one-man electric vehicle on which one stands upright).

September 25 at Chateaux Chassagne-Montrachet

Or, why not fly overhead in a hot-air balloon or take a helicopter ride? Along this exceptional path, the locals will also delight in sharing their festivities with you. All year round, from village to village, there is much to savor along these wine soaked roads.

Tasting Room at Chateaux Chassagne-Montrachet

With Delphine at La Domaine de Pommard

Eguisheim Wine Festival

On to Alsace, where our first stop is a village new wine festival on a Saturday in Egusheim. Riesling is the wine of choice up here in northern France near the German border.

Wine tourism is a tradition that has long existed in Alsace, and many villages along the region's famous wine route celebrate the end of the grape harvest with wine festivals throughout October – there are very good ones in Eguisheim and Turckheim.

September 27 at Hugel in Riquewihr

In Riquewihr's main street is Hugel et Fils’s friendly tasting room in the family’s historic winery and home in the heart of Riquewihr. A famous name in Alsace, the Hugel family was the driving force behind the formalization of the vendanges tardives and sélection de grains nobles wine categories in 1984. The Gewurztraminers—in both of these styles—remain benchmarks.

September 27 at Hugel in Riquewihr

September 28 lunch in Bergheim

The history of the Beyer family dates back to 1580. Although the Beyers have a modern winery at the edge of town, tastings take place in ancient cellars housed in what was once a medieval coach inn right by the main square. Be prepared for a marathon session as the Beyers, like many Alsace estates, have around 30 different wines on their list. There will only be one red grape, the distinctive pinot noir, but whites range from fruity sylvaner, pinot blanc and pinot gris, the surprising dry muscat, to a stellar riesling, followed by the archetypical aromatic gewürztraminer.

September 29 in Trimbach at Ribeauville

La Route des Vins d'Alsace (The Alsace Wine Route) is a pure wine exploration of the best places to visit in this eastern corner of France. Starting at Thann, south of Colmar and near EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg, it casually follows the Rhine River north to Marlenheim, close to Strasbourg, the capital of Alsace. Hugging the western slopes and remaining in the rain shadow of the Vosges Mountains, the approximately 108-mile route flits in and out of more than 100 wine villages.

The very good stuff,

September 29 in Trimbach at Ribeauville

In Ribeauvillé, we visited Trimbach, where the family produces Clos Saint Hune Riesling, one of the legendary wines of Alsace. We had by now figured out that the French rieslings are dry and clean tasting, unlike the sweeter German riesling wines. The Trimbach winery is open weekdays, with Saturday visits only possible by appointment.