The Palace de Menthon obliging pushed back our checkout so we could once more indulge ourselves with an open water swim in Lake Annecy before we left on the next leg of our ” Grand Tour Du Vin”. One of the shallower alpine lakes, although still on average at least 50m deep in places, this has the advantage in keeping the lake waters at a more ambient yet still refreshing temperature than other lakes such as Maggiore or Como in Italy.

As we opted for a room only rate at the Palace de Menthon we stopped off for a pain au chocolat and a cafe au lait to go from a delightful little boulangerie called Tweedle Tea in the centre of Menthon. 

It was just a little too early in the day for anything more than this but if you are in Menthon anytime  below is just a teaser of what they really excel at in the typical French tradition of La Patisierre

With the bit firmly between our teeth and a tank full of gas Gillian pointed the Merc towards the autoroute du Soleil and we set off en route towards Lyon our next planned destination La Cadiere D’Azur in Provence.

As we joined the Lyon ring road Gillian surprised me by saying ” let’s take a detour via Tain L’Hermitage and St. Peray! As there’s some great wines there and it is probably your favourite area!”
We swung off the Autoroute Du Soleil and entered the town where I really fell in love with French wine. I owe its discovery to a good friend and life long wine lover who told me it was a must visit on our inaugural wine tour several years ago. I still find it magical with the negociants hoardings emblazoned on the concrete walls holding back the precious terroir of this feted appellation.
  

If you are going to visit one caveau in Tain then I reckon that Chapoutier is really the one you shouldn’t miss! I pre arranged a full 2 hour degustion and walk amongst the vines last time I was here 2 years ago. This was arranged with Lison Rodet, the head Sommelier by email. However, I did end up spending a small fortune on some amazing wines and also some everyday wines at affordable prices. My favourite still is the minerally 100% Marsanne Chante Aloute Hermitage.

I really like the detail of this place for example they even have a section of the caveau devoted to showing you the different types of terroir. A bit geeky I know but right up my street!
On this trip as time was not on our side I settled for a degustion of the 2013 White Crozes Hermitage. If you aren’t able to book a tasting or they are closed ( everyday from 12:30pm to 2pm) you can walk down to the spot where I took the photo above  by going to the station, turn left and right under the railway bridge. If you’re feeling energetic you can even walk to the Chapelle at the summit! 
Now if wine and chocolate can be considered two of the greatest pleasures in life then what’s the chance of finding not only a premier wine producer but the godfather of chocolate in my same favourite Rhone town? Tain is also home to Valrhona Chocolate City and its wonderful chocolate tasting boutique next door. 

There is an admission charge to Chocolate City and because we were on limited time we didn’t go in but each time we’ve been to Tain we always go for a sampling of chocolate at the shop. It really is a chocoholics paradise with no limit on how much you taste! 

Just make sure you avoid visiting though when there’s a coach load of American septuagenarians on their Viking river cruise as the place will be mobbed!

Fuelled up with chocolate and on a high from my unscheduled stop in Tain L’Hermitage we crossed the Rhone and headed south to the lesser known AOC of St Peray passing its more famous neighbour Cornas on route.

Two years before we had stayed 2 nights at the Domaine de Clairefontaine a superb hotel nearb Vienne and a great base for exploring the Rhone valley. They serve St. Peray sparking wines there and the sommelier told me about a fantastic producer of both these and still wines Stephan Chaboud. We turned up unannounced at his domaine and in my improving French we took part in a degustion in his caveau. 

So it went without saying that we had to drop in on Stephan this time sampling both his cremant and his 100% Rousanne with his boxer dogs for company. The Rousanne was light with a little spice and would partner both white meats and creamy cheese like a Brillat-Savarin.

Our final stop needed no introduction , Chateauneuf du Pape is a must on any wine tour of the Rhone. It’s AOC allows for a blend of up to 13 different grape varieties so there is a huge variation in taste a quality. One of my favourites is Domaine Chante Cigale. Their white is a clean blend of 25% each of White Grenache, Clairette, Bourboulenc and Rousanne and is rich with ripe pear fruit with a peachy finish. My favourite wine with a grilled Goats cheese salad!

 
After a swift degustion and purchase at Chante Cigale it was burning rubber on tarmac time as we hit the Autoroute du Soleil for the last 90 mins journey to our next stop La Cadiere D’Azur just 15 mins from the Mediterranean sailing mecca of Bandol and also the name of the greatest AOC in Provence! 

As we arrived at the Palace de Menthon as dusk was falling we didn’t really appreciate the aspect or position of this grand old lady of a hotel. We would have to wait until the alpine sun burst through our curtains before we were rewarded with this view the next morning.

Slightly weary from our days travels we were greeted warmly at reception and told that we were just in time for last orders in the hotels restaurant. In the summer this decamps next to the lake in a huge Morocan tent with open sides complete with colourful red and gold moorish furnishings. I’d call it semi al fresco dining and the standard of food was also very good. An example of which was this tasty starter of Burrata, sweet nectarines, rocket and prosciutto.

The next morning we decided to head off to Annecy but rather than battle against the traffic on the busy lakeside single carriageway road that skirts the lake we decided to take the more relaxing option of the boat shuttle which weaves its route around the lake on a less than frequent basis. After an early morning dip in the lake, reputedly the cleanest in France and potentially Europe we sauntered off to take the 10:30am boat. Details of the services here Annecy Lake Shuttle.

It takes the best part of an hour to make the journey to Annecy so not great if you are pressed for time but a brilliant way to see all the diverse villages and recreational activities going on along and around the lake. A must for thrill seekers and adrenalin junkies who can indulge in launching themselves off the surrounding peaks to glide on the thermals down to the lake shore, you get some fantastic views of these paragliders from the boat.

Arriving in Annecy the boat drops you off conveniently by the old town where you can stroll with the crowds amongst the canals and medieval buildings.

You can escape the crowds by walking along the canals away from the lake , we found a charming little restaurant , Auberge Du Lyonnais , with white table cloths and tables overlooking the canal. Looking for a light lunch we went a la francaise and ordered the plat du jour with a glass of Pouilly Fume. As it happened the plat du jour was a triumph! A trio of pan fried salmon and sea bass fillets and fresh scallops with wild mushrooms, fresh alpine herbs and a buttery foam and with the creamiest and silkiest pomme purée I’ve had in a long while. 

Refreshed and with our appetites saited we continued our stroll around the old town and built to a crescendo with some stunning views from the chateau at the top of the hill surrounding Annecy. We just caught the 4pm shuttle back to Menthon St. Bernard in time for a pre dinner swim in the cooling and refreshing waters of the lake before heading off to meet Natasha and Stephen who we had met the night before in Courban and were regular visitors to Lake Annecy. Natasha has been coming to Lake Annecy for several decades so she recommended dinner at The Cottage Bise in Talloires with pre dinner drinks with them before at The Abbaye D’Talloires. Both of which were highly endorsable recommendations and I would go as far as saying that I think the Abbaye has just been added to my bucket list of places to stay.

Having throughly enjoyed our stopover at the heavenly Château Courban First Nights Stop we headed off on the next leg of our fourth food and wine tour. The first couple of hours are fairly unremarkable as you pick up the autoroute and head south east along on the A5 and then south on the A31 towards Dijon. 

Being a wine tour this was never going to be about getting from A to B by the quickest route more an opportunity to deviate from that route if the opportunity arises to visit an interesting wine area or town. The scenery started to become more interesting as we picked up the A39 just south east of Dijon and we realised that we were only about 30 mins away from Arbois in the Jura mountains.  Arbois the First AOC wine in the World link will tell you more about the wines of the area which we sampled on a tasting in the town.

I really would recommend allowing more time here as we had left Courban later than planned and so only had an hour and a half for this important stop over. In addition to the wine tasting at Domaine Jacques Tissot we also had time to take a refreshment stop at Chocolat Hirsinger which is on the opposite side of the square to Domaine Jacques Tissot. 

As well as being a fine chocolatier, these guys also excel in French patisserie. So we indulged in 2 cafe au laits a divine caramelised pecan nut praline tart and a courgette and Gruyere mini quiche. A really nice touch and probably a great marketing ploy is that they serve you one of their rich chocolate ganache truffles complimentary with your coffee. OMG they were probably one of the best chocolates I have ever tasted! Rich and silky smooth on the inside with a harder exterior that hold the soft filling together and with an intensity that you can savour long after you’ve swallowed! 

If it hadn’t been for the high temparature in the car then we’d have definitely indulged in a box to take away!

With Lake Annecy in our sights and with our plan to arrive in time for dinner we set off from Arbois with a definite plan to return on another tour and spend more time there. At this point we had the option to just pick up the autoroute again and get to Annecy about half an hour quicker or switch the sat nav to most direct route and head straight over the top of the Jura towards Lake Geneva! I’m guessing you probably know which route we took! 

What a drive, the roads were quiet, there were no tolls and we were rewarded with some of the most stunning alpine views, at some points we drove along single track roads with only the sound of cow bells in a nearby field as our soundtrack.

We passed through the ski resorts which seemed almost in reverse hibernation waiting to spring to life at the falling of the first snow and then through Morbier famous for its cheese of the same name which has a distinctive layer of ash in the middle. Shortly afterwards we hit the Swiss border and the architecture changes dramatically as you pass through the customs point.

Whilst you see a few Swiss style chalets in the ski resorts on the French side as you head to the border, once in Switzerland they are the rule! Driving through picture box villages we headed east down the mointain and were rewarded yet again with stunning views of Lake Geneva.

More industrialised than we imagined we left Lake Geneva behind and set off for the French Border again. As dusk fell we arrived at Lake Annecy and our next stop at the Palace de Menthon in Menthon St.Bernard.

If you are minded to take a stop off in the Jura and discover these unusual wines then there’s no better place to start than Arbois. A medieval picturesque, market town whose most famous son was Louis Pasteur. 

He used the Jura wines in his research into the mysteries of the fermentation of alcohol. He also worked in Arbois and his scientific research is often cited as the birthplace of the modern science of wine. It also has the privilege of its own Apellation Arbois Contrôlée. As you enter the town you’ll be struck how the village is enveloped by the vineyards as this short video shows:
Arbois Vineyards
With limited time available and the need to sample the best that this special place has to offer I headed straight for the number one house on my “hit list”  Domaine Jacques Tissot . Their salon is really easy to find just off the central square in the middle of the town. They offer an extensive “Degustion” at no charge which allows you to try as many or as few wines as you wish.

Being an Arbois virgin I was guided by the charming assistant and we got through the tasting with my limited French!
Arbois Nature 2014. Made from 100% Savagnin. This grape in its aromatic form is Gewurtztraminer and its familial roots come through in the rose like aromas on the nose and flavours of lychee. This wine will partner scallops well.
  
Arbois Chardonnay ” Les Corvees Sous Curon” 2013. Aged in oak but with A degree of minerality. Flavours of brioches and vanilla with a subtle hint of frangipane. Would partner a cheese soufflé , or Poulet de Bresse in a cream and wild mushroom sauce.

  
Arbois Poulsard ” Grand Reserve” 2010. This is an ancient grape variety, also called Ploussard. In the Jura it’s the second most widespread variety after Chardonnay. Flavours of raisin and cherries come through and this is best served chilled with charcuterie.

  
Arbois Trousseau 2010. The Trousseau grape is a rare gem which challenges the vigneron and is harvested late. A native originally of Comte. Has intense peppery flavours and would be an ideally partner to duck.

  
Arbois Savagnin 2010. This wine is aged in oak barrels for 4 years. Would be an ideal partner chicken with morel mushrooms.

  
Chateau Chalon 2003, Vin Jaune. Huge ageing potential and will keep for up to 20 years. The ultimate wine for a fine aged Comte cheese. It’s fair to say that the Vin Jaune, an AOC in its own right, is rightly still the king of the Jura. It undergoes a very defined ageing process under a film of yeast known as the VOILE or veil. After fermentation the wine is left untouched by the vigneron for at least 6 years and three months. Has complex flavours of walnuts and spices. The wine is bottled in a uniquely sized CLAVELIN of 62cl. This is the exact amount of liquid left after the initial one litre of Vin Jaune has been aged. 

  
Vin de Paille 2009. This wine is produced from a combination of the finest Chardonnay, Savagnin, Poulsard and Triusseau grapes which are set aside from their fellow grapes during the harvest. Grape clusters are then hung in a well ventilated room or dried on straw mats for around three months. This process naturally concentrates the sugar after which they are pressed. Then aged in barrels for at least 3 years. This wine has notes of candied fruits and honey and would be an ideal partner to either foie gras or desserts.

  
Macvin du Jura

Is a fortified juice obtained by adding grape juice to heated Eau de Vie Marc. Aged 2 years in oak barrels. It is 17%. Made from Savagnin and Chardonnay grapes and is often served as an aperitif but is probably at its best when served with chocolate or frozen desserts.

  
 A thoroughly pleasurable 1 hour spent tasting some truly unusual and a few remarkable wines. As you can imagine I really had to discipline myself but allowed myself 6 bottles from the selection above and in addition I just couldn’t resist their 100% Chardonnay Cremant too which took the tally to 7 bottles. I’m looking forward to sharing details of the culinary combinations that go with these wines in future Posts. A bientot!!

Drive east from Chablis along the D965 for about an hour and you arrive at the oasis of calm and tranquillity that is the Chateau de Courban.  Situated at the end of a no through road in the tiny idyllic village of Courban in the Cote D’Or this place is a real find.

Restored from a run down Chateau by the current owners who have added to the existing footprint by tastefully landscaping the area and incorporating a pool, Spa and a number of new rooms surrounding the pool area.  What is really special about this Chateaux is that it really feels like a lived in family home rather than a sterile antiquity that begrudgingly has given up her soul to become a hotel.

The Drawing Room is a case in point with its comfy sofas and Grand Piano. It’s this attention to detail that really makes a difference.

This detail also extends to tastefully low level landscape lighting of the gardens at night.  Which  adds to the charm as you walk back to your room from the Restaurant.

We dined in the restaurant as part of a stunning special offer which gave us a 5 course tasting menu with breakfast the following day for 84 Euros for  2 people!!

Heres some of the highlights… See Photos on my next link