Wine Trips

A Special Degustation! A Picnic Dijonnaise and A Blow Out Cote de Boeuf!

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We awoke to the warm Burgundian sun creeping through our shutters inviting us to participate in another great wine adventure. After a relaxing swim in the pool we quickly dressed and made our way to le boulangerie . As we strolled out of the impressive entrance of the hotel we looked back across to this stunning view of Meurasult’s village church with its pews of rows vines neatly laid out before it.

Meursault from Chateau de Citeaux La Cueillette

Meursault from Chateau de Citeaux La Cueillette

Our thoughts quickly turned to what took our fancy for le petit déjuner. One thing we’ve learnt on our travels is that indecisiveness in the boulangerie is not tolerated so we loitered outside deliberating our choices before firmly requesting a light and crispy apple turnover and a devilish rich pain au chocolat. 

Checking the time I realised that I only had 15 minutes to get to Domaine Sebastien Magnien and I didn’t want to appear rude by turning up late. After struggling slightly with the house numbering, I arrived just in time to be greeted warmly and taken down to the cellars for the degustation. Little did I realise that I was in for a real treat.

The Sebastien Magnien White Burgundy Degustation

The Sebastien Magnien White Burgundy Degustation

I felt really privileged to be taking part in this tasting even though my body clock was somewhat perturbed by the fact that the first delicious mouth full of Chardonnay passed my lips at something close to 9am GMT!

These are the wines that I tasted!

Bourgogne, Hautes Cotes de Rhônes 2013 drinking well now.

St.Romain, Sous Le Château really needs cellaring for at least 2 years.

Beaunes Premier Cru Les Aigrots, needs at least 2 years of cellaring before opening

2013 Meursault, Les Grands Charrons, this will benefit from keeping although could be drunk now,which will be reflected in the taste and flavour and length of the wine, this is a classic Meursault with a nutty, buttery flavour.

By Contrast, the 2013  Meursault, Les Meix Chavaux, is drinking well now although would also benefit from cellaring for 3-5 years more where the flavours and complexity are likely to develop further.

2013 Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru, Les Folatières, needs to be kept for a minimum for 5 years but has ageing potential of up to 20 years!

I also tried 3 Reds:

2013 Hautes Cotes de Beaunes Clos De La Perrières , A young and fruity wine which is drinking well now.

2013 Beaune Premier Cru Les Aigrots, this wine would suit chicken, veal and lighter meats.

2013 Pommard , Les Perrières, drier, longer finish, will benefit from cellaring, good with Regional Burgundian cheeses, such as Epoisse.

Most of these wines  are available in the UK at the iconic Berry Bros and Rudd in St. James’ London.

With my purchases made I strolled back to the Château de Cîteaux – La Cueillette very satisfied with my morning spent tasting some fabulous wines and very grateful  to the sommelier, Samuel, from Hostellerie Berard who had made the recomendation  to visit Domaine Sébastien Magnien.

Before we packed our bags and loaded up the car we took one last view out across the vines and village of Meursault from our balcony:

View of Meursault from Chateau de Citeaux – La Cueillette

You’ll notice that in the first shot there is a tall free standing structure with a turret which has a fairytale look about it. These are common features of Burgundian village arhitecture and called Pigeonniers or Dovecotes. Sometimes they are incorporated into the structure of a building like a corner turret. They were often seen as a status symbol and a sign of wealth and privilege.

We decided to stop for lunch in Dijon as we were curious to see how the two cities of Beaune and Dijon,  at opposite ends of the Cote D’Or compared and contrasted. We found a lovely spot in the old town, in a little square near the old ducal palace with fountains, to graze on the leftovers from the previous evening’s picnic.

These photos illustrate to some degree the contrast between the two cities.

Dijon

Dijon

Dijon, near the Duke of Burgundy's Palace

Dijon, near the Duke of Burgundy’s Palace

The old part of the city is charming but is really a little enclave of quaint architecture and old Burgundy, which is choked up by a large sprawling city that spreads out over several miles around it, with some fairly unremarkable suburbs.

Beaune, by contrast is a much smaller city, the old town, with most of its city walls in tact is probably no more than a mile in circumference. Its architecture is more splendid and impressive and its size and compactness also make it easy to navigate.

Entrance to the city by the Rue de Faubourg

Entrance to the city by the Rue de Faubourg

Hospices de Beaune or Hotel-Dieu de Beaune. A former charitable which began life as hospital for the poor of Beaune

Hospices de Beaune or Hotel-Dieu de Beaune. A former charitable almshouse which began life as hospital for the poor of Beaune

View across the stream that flow through the city

View across the stream that flows through the city

So you can tell that as far as I’m concerned the score is: Beaune 1 Dijon 0 !

After lunch we weaved our way out of Dijon and joined the A31 heading north towards Langres and picking up the A5 shortly afterwards heading towards Reims. We arrived in Épernay, at La Villa Eugene at about 5:30pm. This was our third stay here, its either a great way to begin or end your French tour and Epérnay is such a great location for Champagne compared to Reims, a bit like the contrast between Dijon and Beaune!

I can recommend splashing out the extra on one of the ground floor executive rooms which have their own garden area with wicker sofas and are tastefully screened apart by bamboos.

Bedroom at La Villa Eugene

Bedroom at La Villa Eugene

Bathroom at La Villa Eugene

Bathroom at La Villa Eugene

Keen to stretch out, after several hours in the car, we quickly changed and headed to the hotel’s outdoor pool.

Swimming Pool at La Villa Eugene

Swimming Pool at La Villa Eugene

After our little pool workout we both indulged ourselves in a long soak in the bath before getting spruced up for our last night out of the Tour in Épernay. Warning: Do book ahead if you are planning to eat out during August in Épernay. Many of the top recommendations on Tripadvsior, Michelin guide and the Gault-Milleau are all closed!

The one restaurant that was recommended was the La Brasserie La Banque . Last time we went there it was really quiet so we didn’t book this time and when we turned up there that evening it was fully booked and packed! Clearly something has changed since last time!

One place that I can recommend although closed this time is Bistrot Le 7. This is the bistro next door to and run by the 1 Michelin starred, Les Berceaux. The set menu at Bistrot le 7, is always great value with a great range of excellent wines by the glass.

We were running out of options and it was 8:30pm. We walked back towards the theatre and spotted Le Sardaigne, at 1, Place Pierre Mendès France, 51200 Épernay, France.

What caught my eye was the fact that the place was busy (usually a good sign) but still had a few tables and as a bonus they had a wood fired oven for cooking pizza and steak!

We asked for a table outside and were lucky as one had just become available. On looking at the menu it was a no brainer! They had a 1.4kg Côte de Boeuf on at a very reasonable price. We ordered this with fries and green beans cooked rare of course and a side order of Béarnaise which was really good with a subtle tarragon flavour.

This was topped off with a really stunning Red. Now I’m going to surprise you, by going against one of my golden rules ,which is I always try to drink wines that originate from the country that I’m staying in but the French Reds were not that inspiring and then I spotted a 2010 Amarone della Valpolicella from Antonio Castagnedi. It was game over when I saw that it was a modest 40 Euros and so we anticipated the arrival of our steak a wine!

I’ve never had steak cooked before in a wood fired oven but the effect was just as stunning as the results of the bread and pastries that we”d had in Provence! It was a truly amazing last supper to finish our fabulous “Tour du Vin”.

We really appreciated the mile walk  back to our hotel, strolling along the Avenue de Champagne past Möet et Chandon and Perrier-Jouet, with their logos brightly lighting the pavement.

We settled into our comfortable bed, slightly sad that it was the last night of the Tour du Vin but looking forward to tomorrow and our drive around the Côte des Blancs, home to some of the greatest 100% Chardonnay champagnes in the world!

Wine, Wine , Wine! Burgundian Adventure Part 1

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Pool at La Cueillette

Pool at La Cueillette

We knew that we were going to be doing a fair bit of wine tasting today so thought that we’d better get a swim in before breakfast!

We’d already tee’d up a visit to our friends Andrew and Emma Nielsen at Le Grappin in Beaune at 11am, I also wanted to get in a visit to one of my favourite wine stores, Vinoboam, in Beaune. I called up Sebastien Magnien in Meursault following up on Samuel Arsac’s recommendation but had to leave a message ( in French) on the answerphone. I did realise that it was holiday time and put that one down for the next trip not expecting to hear back.

We strolled up to le boulangerie after taking in the spectacular views of our hotel standing proud amongst the surrounding vines in the morning sun!

Chateau de Citeaux - La Cueillete

Chateau de Citeaux – La Cueillete

Next to the boulangerie we found the local Tourist Information Office where the helpful lady gave us a map for the Cycle Vineyard Trail. By a stroke of luck there was a B&B that did cycle hire near our hotel so after breakfast and on our way into Beaune we booked 2 bikes for the afternoon at the bargain price of 7 Euros per person.

This is their Gite website: Bike Hire- Meursault . But you can use this to contact them and book bikes if you need to.

With our afternoon expedition mapped out we parked up in Beaune in one of the free parking areas just outside the city walls, our favourite is by Le Jardin Anglais, near where the Rue du Faubourg meets the D974 Ringroad.

We arrived at Le Grappin  a few minutes late with Emma busily working away clearing space for the new harvest that would be coming in shortly. I was first introduced to Le Grappin just over a year ago by a slightly convoluted route. My wife knew Andrew’s cousin from the gym and mentioned that were going to Burgundy and she suggested contacting him for a visit. I sourced a bottle of their Savigny les Beaunes that day and became a fan instantly!  My affection for Andrew and Emma grew the more I got to know about them and their ethos. This is an extract from their web page, which I urge you to read if you’d like to know more.

Andrew Nielsen says “One thing I learned along the way was that special parcels, produce special wine. These parcels don’t have to be famous, they just need to have something to say, and with care and attention in the vineyard and the winery, my job is to let them share their voice.”

Emma took us down to their cellars where we had the privilege of tasting their exciting new wine, a 2014 St.Aubin, another village wine joining their existing stable of  Savigny Les Beaune, A Santenay Premier Cru Les Gravieres and a Côte de Beaunes Premier Cru.

One of the 2 barrels of 2014 St. Aubin at Le Grappin

One of the 2 barrels
of 2014 St. Aubin
at Le Grappin

The St. Aubin has a taste of toasted hazelnuts, I felt really privileged to try this from the barrel and will be definitely be ordering en primeur when released later this year after bottling!

You don’t have to go all the way to Beaune to sample their delicious wines. Here is a list of where you can access their different wines:

Bagnums ( 1.5L of wine in a sealed bag with a tap that ensures they last for several weeks) are on sale at:

London:
Prohibition Wines http://www.prohibitionwines.com
Harringay Local Store http://www.harringaylocalstore.co.uk
General Store http://www.generalsto.re
Hop Burns and Black http://www.hopburnsblack.co.uk
Park and Bridge http://www.parkandbridge.com
Market Row Wines http://www.marketrowwines.co.uk

Further afield:
Wrights Food Emporium http://www.wrightsfood.co.uk
St Andrews Wine Company http://www.standrewswinecompany.com
Friends of Ham http://www.friendsofham.com
Brassica Restaurant http://www.brassicarestaurant.co.uk

Restaurants don’t use Bagnums but several stock these wines in 5L Bag-in-Box which is even more eco-friendly and is excellent for service of by glass or carafe; less storage, wastage and cheaper than bottles. Examples of where you can taste their wines like this are:
Primeur http://www.primeurn5.co.uk
Peckham Refreshment Rooms http://www.peckhamrefreshment.com
Sager & Wilde

They also sell Bagnums and refill bottles from 20L KeyKegs at markets in London although they don’t trade over the harvest period.

Weekly at Brockley Market (www.brockleymarket.com) and Herne Hill Market (except 29 August – 20 September)
Also at these markets (except 29 August – 22 November). Check their Facebook page for schedule: Crystal Palace Food Market, Horniman Farmer’s Market, Alexandra Palace Farmer’s Market, Oval Farmer’s Market and Woolwich Arsenal Market.

Unfortunately their website and blog are very out-dated but they regularly share updates by Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

With a Bagnum of their 100% Gamay Rose under my arm for our picnic later on we bid farewell to Emma and wished her and Andrew “Bon courage” for the harvest!

Next it was off to my favourite Beaune wine merchants , Vinoboam

Vinoboam 4, Rue D'Alsace 21200 Beaune +33 3 80 21 43 58

Vinoboam
4, Rue D’Alsace
21200 Beaune
+33 3 80 21 43 58

Where the proprietor, Gerémy Gateau, took my through a tasting of 6 amazing white Burgundies.

The White Burgundy tasting

The White Burgundy tasting

My favourites:

2014 St Veran, by David Bienfait

2013 Auxey-Duresse, Benjamin Leroux

2010 Meursault Genevrières, Maison Roche Bellene

Loaded up with a mix of six bottles rom the above, we headed back up the Rue Carnot to the car to embark on Part 2 of our Burgundian Adventure.

Coming up in Part 2: The Véloroute; Beaune – Santenay and Another Picnic!

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Tell Me Why? I Do Like Mondays

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I love the sound of drifting off to sleep with just the sound of waves lapping the seashore and I got to fulfil this pleasure last night. It was also probably the best night’s sleep I’d had since we embarked on our ‘Tour Du Vin” and I’m sure in part helped by the clean and fresh sea air.

I excitedly woke up at 06:15, no alarm set, like a child on Christmas morning, and quickly threw on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt so that I could watch the sun rise over the Provençale hills.

This is what I was rewarded with, click; Sunrise Ile de Benedor

Having taken in this beautiful sight I returned to our room to get down to the serious business of the Blog and then a short swim in the cool early morning Mediterranean waters before breakfast which was part of our Demi-Pension. 

I’m always impressed when I see great care being taken of beaches and on the Île de Benedor it’s no different, with a small crew sweeping up, cleaning and raking the sand on the beach and clearing seaweed from the shoreline, ready for another day’s visitors and residents.

Breakfast is impressive on so many levels! Firstly it’s served on the terrace, with stunning views.

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Secondly, there is a range of fruits, yoghurts and cold meats and cheeses. Then there’s a full range of pastries including the usual pain au raisin and pain au chocolat but also a crêpe station. Finally, there’s a full cooked breakfast offering creamy scrambled eggs, grilled cherry tomatoes on the vine, spicy toulouse sausages and sauté potatoes! There is also a fresh orange electric juicer, a large bowl of juicing oranges and a chopping board and knife. Nothing beats freshly squeezed OJ and it’s even better when you don’t have to clean the machine afterwards!!

Fuelled up from our breakfast and with a long day ahead of us we jumped on the 09:40am Bandol ferry and were back at the  Pool Area at Hostellerie Berard  (short video) by 10:30am for a final swim before we set off and said Au Revoir to La Cadiere D’Azur and the Hostellerie Berard which had been our home for the last 5 days.

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We wasted no time in getting to our next stop, our final Bandol vineyard, Chateau de Pibarnon and probably the most spectacular as this short video clip illustrates:

Vineyards at Chateau de Pibarnon

The approach is no less impressive as the dirt track twists and turns as it snakes its way to the vineyard. On arrival we parked promptly as we knew that we had just under 30 minutes before they closed for lunch. I rang the bell and we were invited into the cellars to join another English couple who were already enjoying a tasting.

We skipped the White as we had enjoyed a whole bottle with our Gourmet dinner at La Hostellerie Berard and so went for the Pibarnon Red and Rose.

Red: I got to taste 2 reds from the 2012 vintage. The first made with approximately 30% Grenache and 70% Mourvèdre which is drinking well now and is soft with berry fruits. The second red had for this vintage 95% Mourvèdre from their old vines which gave it a much drier more tannic flavour and was really suited more to ageing than  immediate consumption.

2014 Rose: Made with 60% Mourvèdre and 40% Cinsault. This was a real gem with a wonderful bouquet and fruitiness. However, with space at a premium I had to hold back on purchasing this one.

Finally, I was able to taste a 22 year old Marc de Bandol, a wonderful spirit made from 100% Mourvèdre with a dark colour and the character of a fine aged malt whiskey.

I purchased 2 bottles of the white as these were more for immediate consumption whilst the Reds were really more suited to laying down and I’m trying to be more disciplined about buying wine that I can’t store properly.

What was really noticeable this year was that Le Vendage is starting early in many areas because of the exceptionally good summer weather, Pibarnon was no exception with it due to start around 24th to 30th August. 

As we were leaving, the gates to the estate had already been closed and we were stopped by a French car trying to enter. The driver was an Englishman, Norman and his wife Julia who were staying locally at St.Cyr-sur-Mer and were on a wine tour. We shared with them a few of our discoveries and also discovered that their son, Dan Fancett, is a talented chef who is currently working at the  The Nags Head, Walthamstow Village, E17 after spells in San Sebastien, and at Odette’s with Bryn Williams and prior The Galvin Brothers. I’m definitely going to be heading up to East 17 when I get the chance!

We hit the road again just after 1:15pm and what should have been a 3 hour drive up to Burgundy turned out to be a 6 hour slog with the first bit of the drive to Lyon taking nearly 3 hours because of high volumes of traffic and queues at the Péage!

Just after 7:15pm we arrived at our next destination the pretty and quaint Burgundian village of Meursault. Our hotel the stunning Chateau de Citeaux – La Cueilette is located just 10 minutes walk from the centre of the village and within walking distance of many of the major vigneron.

We hadn’t booked into the restaurant, something we sort of later regretted after visiting the restaurant as we were leaving!

Restaurant at La Cueilette

Restaurant at La Cueilette

So we unloaded the car and checked in; to our surprise they had upgraded us! A really nice touch after our horrendous journey.

Our room had a lovely balcony where we breakfasted each day and had a picnic the following night.

Balcony of Room 12, La Cueilette

Balcony of Room 12, La Cueilette

Room 12, La Cueilette

Room 12, La Cueilette

We had a quick freshen up after our journey and headed up into the village of Meursault. We found a lovely village Hotel/Bar called Hotel Du Centre – Alain Billard, Meursault

They have a formal restaurant with white tablecloths etc or you can sit in the bar with the locals and eat the same menu. Not standing on ceremony and not wanting too much fuss we went for the bar option and the 24 Euro set menu, which was great value and really authentic Burgundian food.

Starter: Gammon Ham in Parsely and Aspic. A Burgundian classic with the parsley balancing out the saltiness of the ham

Mains: Chicken Suprême in a creamy Epoisse sauce with Pomme Purre and French beans. I loved this sauce so much I asked to speak to the chef after service and he gave me the recipe! O Level French has never been more useful!

Cheese: Epoisse. Perfectly ripe and ready to eat

I also had a glass of the delicious 100% Chardonnay méthode traditionelle Cremant de Bourgogne, 2 sublime glass of 2012 Chorey Lès Beaunes and for with coffee a 20 year old Marc de Bourgogne from Joseph Cartron. 

We strolled back to our hotel and again slumped into our bed, probably one of the most comfortable of our tour and slept like the proverbial logs!

SUN Day and the Ile de Benedor Experience Awaits!

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Somewhat jaded from our big night out on the town last night we rose a little later than normal, but still there was a good supply of warm chocolate brioche and pain au raisin at Le Vieux Four not to disappoint.

On our way back from le boulangerie, Gillian spotted a pile of books neatly stacked on a table by the side of the road. Translation revealed that this was part of a national literary initiative to encourage people to stop throwing away books! Basically  it said Swap Them, Borrow Them or Take Them but Never Ever Discard Them!! Gillian spotted a lovely Provençal picnic recipe book in French, of course!  So she swapped out a copy of The Complete Mapp and Lucia: Vol 1. in English. We weren’t entirely sure this was a fair swap but when we passed by in the car later the book had gone!! This is  great initiative and one I have seen here in the UK at railway stations and the like. Anything that encourages free cycling and teaches the value of books at the same time gets the thumbs up from me.

The sun was already starting to burn as we got back to the hotel so we decided to breakfast al fresco at the Le Castellet viewpoint. Mugs of café au lait in hand and with the pastries in a bag under arm we sat down to have breakfast with this wonderful tableau beneath us.

Viewpoint towards Le Castellet vineyards

After breakfast we quickly packed for our overnight stay at the Hotel Le Delos on the île de Benedor and headed straight to Bandol to catch the ferry. We parked easily in the free Le Stade de Ferrari car park located about 500m west of the ferry embarkation point and caught the 10:30am ferry which was free this time as we were staying overnight on the island.

As we passed the pontoons with gleaming white yachts and pristine motor boats we both remarked that although visually this seemed no different to the marinas up and down the Côte D’Azur further east along the coast it had a more chilled and less pretentious atmosphere.

Bandol Marina from the Ile de Benedor Ferry

Although by now the sun was blazing down on us from the azure blue sky above, the cheeky Mistral was blowing up again. Thankfully the crossing was not too choppy as the ferry route is reasonably sheltered by the island.

On a arrival we dropped off our bags at the hotel and were told that they would call us on our mobile when our room was ready. Beach towels in hand we were both in need of a cooling swim in the clear turquoise waters of the Mediterranean.

We had about an hour to spare before the Paul Ricard Museum of Wine and Spirits and the Art Museum housing his collection of paintings and his own artistic creations! He was actually very talented with an eye for both the portrait and landscape subjects and working in both oils and watercolours. With free admission its a must visit.

Shortly afterwards we visited the Wine and Spirits Museum, just inside is this display case showing the brands that make up the Pernod-Ricard Empire. There’s too many to list but if you want more detail, look here: Pernod-Ricard Brands

Its amazing that an empire like like this could have been built out of an aniseed drink that kind of became the French national drink!

Some of the brands that make up Pernod Ricard

Some of the brands that make up Pernod Ricard

Theres also some colourful frescos around the walls with a wine making theme:

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By now it was getting on for 1pm and the islands restaurants were now packed with locals and tourists who had come for lunch. If you want to take a weekend lunch here be sure to pre book.

As we were staying at the Hotel Le Delos, the main hotel on the island we were able to get a table on the terrace as they usually keep some back for guests. This is the spectacular view that we enjoyed from the terrace over lunch.

View from the Terrace at Hotel Le Delos

View from the Terrace at Hotel Le Delos

The lunch here was amazing we just had the colourful Burrata terrine served in a large sundae glass with a cheese course afterwards and knew that we were in for treat for our evening dinner. What’s more you can opt to upgrade to half board for just 40 Euros per person and this gives you access to the 3 course set menu and an amazing buffet breakfast. More about that later.

As we didn’t have to worry about driving we also got to try the locally produced Embiez Island (also owned by the Paul Ricard estate) wines. All three are excellent;the white is made with a blend of Ugni Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc, the Rose a blend of Cinsault and Grenache and the Red a classic Bordeaux style of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with a little Carignan for seasoning rather than Petit Verdot as you might get in Bordeaux.

By the time lunch was over our room was ready and we were wowed by the view and the standard of the interiors having read some fairly average reviews on Tripadvisor. We also had a balcony and because we were on the second floor the added height added to the amazing aspect towards Bandol and the rest of the island.

We then decided to catch a few rays and a little afternoon nap on the beach before heading out to explore the island in a little more depth. There’s a large number of art installations and sculptures around tastefully set in the surroundings:

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We headed off around the island to the more exposed side that faces away from Bandol and saw the waves crashing onto the rocks as they were wiped up by Le Mistral.

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By about 6:30pm we were back in our room relaxing on the balcony and watching the world go by. Gillian supping on a Margarita and I my new favourite drink, a Ricard with loads of ice and a splash of water!

The highlight of the day was probably the dinner. Served inside due to the winds but still with amazing views off the sea, we did’t deliberate long over the menu as the set menu was stunning!

There’s usually a reason why you get stunning food and sometimes its more obvious than it seems. It was only when talking to the Maitre D’ that he told me that the Head Chef was Nicolas Davouze who had won the prestigious Bocuse D’Or- French Selection

There is absolutely no doubt that this guy is on his way to his first Michelin star, so its always exciting to catch a rising star in their ascendancy!

The Market Menu – 45 euros

Amuse Bouche 

Pasta Risotto with baby clams in a basil couli

Red Tuna Tartare with peppercorns and Sauce Vierge

Ribbons of courgette in a dill dressing with red tuna tartare mixed with a piquant salsa of tomatoes, olives, capers, dill, parsley, red basil and breadcrumbs. I really loved this Provençal take on the Tuna Tartare and is now in my Top 10 favourite dishes.

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Rack of Lamb (cooked pink) with and almond and herb crust with a fine ratatouille of olives

The lamb was pink and cooked to perfection and yet so tender it was like a rare fillet steak. The secret was in the fact that its slow cooked at a low temperature for several hours! Amazing!  This was served with baby garlic new potatoes, turned carrots and a cannelloni made from ribbons of grilled aubergine, instead of pasta and stuffed with a Provençale farci mix of peppers and courgettes.

Chocolate slivers with praline and Salted Caramel Ice Cream

The salted caramel ice cream was divine and rich and worked really well with the chocolate and praline.

We opted for the Embiez White with the starters and the Embiez Red with the lamb which had a hint of blackcurrants on the nose and a tannic dry finish, perfectly suited to the lamb.

Our waitress Madeline who was charming and delightful recommended the Ricard branded Lillet with our dessert , something we’d never tried before which is a blend of 85% Bordeaux white grapes and 15% citrus spirit liquors. The citrus flavours really came through and worked well with the dessert!

Then came these beauties with coffee, Myrtle berries, dipped in chocolate!

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With our bellies full and not quite believing that we’d eaten effectively a 5 course gourmet menu for £30 a head we climbed the stairs back to our room and watched the moon dancing on the Mediterranean waters before we drifted off to sleep….

Ah Le Weekend! Blogging, Swimming and Dining in Gourmet restaurants. I’m in Heaven!!

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We were now settling into a nice little routine waking just after 7:30am in time for a boulangerie run to the Vieux Four, then back to the hotel for a run amongst the vines and then a dip before heading out for the day. Being away for just shy of 2 weeks and trying to travel light we’d pretty much run out of clean clothes so had to make a dash to the laverie in nearby St. Cyr-sur-Mer. Once the 2 drums were laden with our laundry it was off to the square for 30 minutes to enjoy a refreshing Monaco in the square and catch up on some Blogging!

Deux Monaco s'il vous plait

Deux Monaco s’il vous plait

I was first introduced to the Monaco whist staying with JoJo a friend of Gillian’s, in Normandy many years ago! It’s basically a Kronenburg or other lager with a large slug of Grenadine syrup in it. Colourful and refreshing and very French. I limited myself to one but as Gillian had been doing the bulk of the duty driving on the wine visits it was encore de Monaco for her!

The square in St.Cyr has a plethora of cafes and restaurants and would be a great place to lunch if using the nearby beach. However, do be warned that the beach at St. Cyr although extensive gets mobbed as there is a large campsite adjacent to it.

Instead we headed East towards Toulon to a picturesque town called Sanary-sur-Mer. If you are in this neck of the woods it’s a definite must visit for so many reasons. If you are a fan of literature you’ll be drawn by the knowledge that literary giants Thomas Mann, Berthold Brecht and Aldous Huxley all resided here in the 1930s.

Sanary-sur-Mer has one of the highest sunshine records in the South of France, is an active marina town all year round and has an interesting mix of boutiques, ateliers selling paintings and ceramics and specialist food stores. In some respects it reminds us of a warmer, sunnier version of St. Ives in Cornwall. Another similarity with the north Cornish coast but for different reasons is the wind. Sanary does get regularly affected by le Mistral. Although we’d been several time’s before to the pretty Portissol Bay beach we’d never seen it so windy as this clip shows!

Portissol Bay Beach, Sanary-sur-Mer

That still didn’t stop us wading in for a quick swim to get buffeted and tossed around by the waves!

Whilst there you have to just check out Boulangerie Avy. One of their specilaity items is the Tourtiere a Pommes et Amandes. This is made with filo pastry sheets gathered up into a purse shape and filled with apple purée and cinnamon and topped off with toasted almonds. I’m going to try to recreate my own version of this when I’m next in the kitchen at home!

Sanary Marina

Sanary Marina

You can take a boat across to the other Paul Ricard estate owned Embiez islands from here, where they grow their own grapes for their Embiez Red, White and Rose served at the Hotel le Delos on nearby Ile de Benedor. Or you may wish to go slightly further a field to the Porquerolles Islands off Hyeres. Be aware though that it’s not always a brilliant idea to book in advance because the boat trips can be affected by high winds to the Porquerolles.

Another Provencal delicacy that we always stock up on when we go to Sanary is the slightly salty and tangy Creme d’Anchoiade, a seasoned anchovy cream dip with capers, garlic and lemon. This goes perfectly with a plate of crudités of radish, carrots, celery, peppers and broccoli and of course a crisp and chilled Provencal Rose or White wine like one of those purchased yesterday from Lafran-Veyrolles!

After a brilliant afternoon spent in Sanary we headed back to La Cadiere D’Azur to scrub up for our big night gourmet dinner at the one Michelin starred Rene and Jean Francois Berard Restaurant at our hotel the Hostellerie Berard and Spa

Spruced up and ready for dinner we walked the 10 metres from our hotel to the village square where a local band were tuning up for a local concert. Gillian ordered a Monaco and I a local La Cadiere beer and we soaked up the warm and balmy atmosphere of this village like locals!

Stand by for the wow factor! This is the second time I’ve had the pleasure of eating the gourmet tasting menu at this establishment and it rocks! What I really love is the fact that they take the best Provencal ingredients, keep things really simple and let the food speak for itself! The nearest I can describe this in UK Michelin star terms is the wonderful Mr Underhills in Ludlow, Shropshire.

The Hostellerie Berard restaurant also has an amazing panoramic view of the vineyards of Le Castellet.

We had their gourmet tasting menu as follows:

Vision of Summer

Olive Oil Jam with Heritage Tomatoes. The tomatoes are from the kitchen garden and sweetly ripened by the sun.
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Agnoletti with Violet Artichokes and a Chicken Stock with Sage. These little ravioli stuffed with artichoke hearts with served in a dark and rich chicken bouillon reduction that was both shiny and the colour of dark caramel. Awesome!

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Courgette Flower, Stuffed with Marinaded Anchovies, served with Aigo Boullido and Olive Oil. The courgettes were al denote, the anchovy farci light and the perfect contrast to the sweetness of the courgettes. The roulade you can see is made from a courgette ribbon stuffed with anchovy, tomato and basil.

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Seared locally caught Red Mullet, with Fried Baby Squid, Fregola Sarda and Pistou Sauce

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Cheeses: Tonne, St. Nectaire, and one from the Pyrenees whose names escapes me!
Fresh and Refined, served with an assortment of country breads
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A Moonlight Poem on the Red Fruit Theme
Rose Petals, Pistachio Chips and Rose Ice Cream. This was a true triumph of presentation, taste and creativity. Excuding all the sweetness of the fruit and taking you to a higher level of ecstasy with each mouthful, the counterbalance being the lightness of the Rose ice cream which had both the bouquet and colour of the roses we had seen growing amongst the vines.

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We sought the assistance of Samuel Arsac, the Sommelier who is a legend! Not only did he allow me to store a weeks worth of wine purchases in his air conditioned cellar so that I didn’t have to lug them up to our room, he also set up for me to visit a friend of his in Meusault, Sebastien Magnien. On top of this he recommended some great wines for this gourmet feast.

His first suggestion which we choose was something Provencal with the meal, the Chateau de Pibarnon, which we were yet to visit;  a blend of 50% Clairette for finesse, 30% Bourboulenc for generosity and 20% “seasoning” from other grapes at the vigneron’s descretion for complexity such as Viognier, Marsanne and Rousanne. This wine has wonderful aromas of white flowers such as jasmine and fruits such as pear and peach.

For the cheese course he recommended a glass of the 2011, Chateau Henri Bonnaud Red, produced by one of the oldest and smallest French wine AOC in the Provence region near Aix-en-Provence. It’s a a blend of Mourvèdre, Grenache and Old Carignan. It had notes of elderberry and red currant on the nose but with  a damson like long finish perfect for cheese.

Finally he recommended a fabulous Corsican dessert wine, Domaine Gentile, a Muscat du Cap Corse, a vin doux naturel from 2013. This was sweet with notes of honey and honeycombe, possessing a fat and long finish with flavours of candied fruits and dried/preserved pineapple.

On a role from our blow out dinner and with the sound of the band echoing around La Cadiere’s narrow streets we headed off to party the night away with the locals. We even drank like locals with Gillian ordering a Kir and I the French national drink of the aniseed like variety Ricard.

As the rhythm of the bands sax got our feet tapping and before we knew where we were we were up joining the locals for a late night boogie!

Baker Street – Provencal Style

As the band wound up their set and the local Cadiereans went off to their homes or another party we fell into our room after another amazing day!

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La Cadiere D’Azur – A Perched Provencale Village and Food Lovers Paradise

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The Provençal sun started filtering through our shutters and enticing us in to a pre breakfast dip in the Hostellerie Berard Hotel and Spa swimming pool at around half past six!

After a refreshing swim we headed for the village bakery to pick up a croissant or similar and boy oh boy were we in for a real treat. When it comes to French Boulangerie the phrase that pays is Pain Cuit Au Feu De Bois , which in English money means bread baked in a wood fired oven. Everything they bake here benefits from this method of cooking. The baguette are crusty on the outside but have a light and doughy centre, the brioche crisply golden on the outside and again soft and doughy in the middle. On our first visit we opted for the brioche buns studded with rich dark chocolate chips and a pain au raisin with a lemon creme patisiere filling. We retuned later that day after the lunchtime baking session to pick up a fresh baguette and a fougasse au olive for our picnic.

Wood Fired Bakers Oven at the Vieux Four

Wood Fired Bakers Oven at the Vieux Four

This in itself is a good enough reason to visit/stay in this village! However, the Vieux Four Boulangerie is just one of many great food discoveries that we made on our first full day in the village which would build into a symphony like crescendo with an amazingly Provençal picnic with all the wonderful ingredients we picked up in the course of the day.

Thursday is market day in the village and in keeping with Provençal tradition the market is a highlight in the weekly Cadieran calendar. Vendors of local foodstuffs, vie for custom with hawkers of other local products like handicrafts, fabrics and beauty products made from the abundance of local herbs and plants. We picked up a selection of local radishes and mis shaped heritage tomatoes but without the UK rip off prices!

We then set off in search of La Basitide Blanch the fabulous white wine we had the night before. After finding the address on the internet we programmed the Sat Nav and headed about 2.5 miles out of the villege to the Domaine. Top tip: it’s always worth ringing ahead to see if they are open and always avoid visiting between 12:30 and 3pm.

We arrived at about 12pm when lunch was just being set up for the family and team at the Domaine! However we were greeted warmly by Neli who took into the cellars for a tasting. We tasted 3 wines from their 2014 range.

Bastide Blanche Rose, my least favourite and too dry for my liking.

Bastide Blanche White, flavours of pears, quince and apple initially with good minerality balanced with acidity in this fat rich wine; delicious!

Bastide Blanche Red. Blackcurrants and jammy fruit in this young Mourvèdre heavy red.

Neli and I tasting in the Cave

Neli and I tasting in the Cave

After thanking Neli for the degustion and purchasing several bottle of the white and one of the red we had some time on on our hands before returning back La Cadiere for our next discovery so we headed down to the nearby beach at St. Cyr sur Mer. With an abundance of cheap parking we found a spot on the crowded beach (there’s a huge campsite nearby, so not one to go to unless for a quick swim) donned our swim wear and sought respite from the scorching 30C mid day sun.

Cooled and refreshed we made our way up into the hills to find the Goats Cheese Farmimage

As we ran out of tarmac and the car started to bounce around on the dirt track I had the feeling that we had got lost and were never going to find this place! Then we spotted another of these signs and we follow the track down a dead end to were there was a couple of old cars , a tractor , 2 barking dogs and a few buildings.

The dogs had alerted Roger and Christine Magnaldi the farmers to our arrival. They spoke no English so this was a real test of my French! They have a herd of over a 100 goats and gave us a tour of the farm and showed us around their mini production facility. Their main products are the chèvre frais , a mild light and creamy goats cheese either plain or with assorted peppercorns. One of the secrets to these cheeses is that the goats graze on the wild herbs growing in abundance around the farm like wild fennel and this contributes to the flavour of the cheese.

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After purchasing one of each of the cheeses and the much stronger aged and very dry cheese we headed back to the deli in La Cadiere D’Azur to get out last few ingredients for the picnic.

Our next stop was La Piment Vert, the deli. Run by Anna who sells a whole array of tasty terrines we opted for the Corsican Pate and the Pate de Maison.

Le Piment Vert

Le Piment Vert

Having built up quite a thirst we asked Anna if she could recommend a good local beer! She told us that a small micro brewery selling craft beers had just started in the village and that they were proving to be really popular. We didn’t have time to visit the brewery but here’s a picture of their tasty Biere Blonde

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With our food hunt over we returned to our hotel for our second refreshing swim of the day. Then with the Bastide Blanche cooling in the hotels mini bar in our room, we set up our picnic table on the viewpoint overlooking the perched village of le Beauset.

Serenaded by an orchestra of chicadas interspersed with the mellow sound of the clarinet from a nearby house we sat down to our picnic as the blazing sun set on one amazing provencale day.

Le Picnic

Le Picnic

As we dined we felt like we were the envy of the village as couples and their families strolled by and greeted us with a Bon Appetit ou Bonsoiree!

Annecy to Provence – L’Autoroute de Soleil or La Route Du Vin

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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
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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.
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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! 

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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. 

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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!

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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! 

Lake Annecy; the Jewel in the Crown of Alpine Fed Lakes

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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.

Courban to Menthon St.Bernard, Lake Annecy

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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.