We headed out cycling today, all I can say is WOW! Its exactly how I imagined it would be, rolling single lane roads, vineyards forever, small towns everywhere….I didn't however anticipate the climbs..I am ok with them but its the one part Dwight didn't like much!
There was one thing that made the day pretty tough, and that was the heat… after 4 hours in 30+ degrees and humidity that makes even my hair frizzy we were both rather spent…. coming from a place that sees less sun and heat than the inside of a cave it was a real shock. We drank lots of water, and stopped regularly to enjoy the surrounding but the climbs were definitely draining…once at the top we were treated to a wonderful view of the country side.. that is of course after I resuscitated Dwight..
All along Dwight provided the commentary, who needs a tour guide when I have my own Sommelier with me…. the primary grapes they grow in the region are Cinsault and Grenache, its the G in GSM and these are the grapes used for making their famous Rose', which by the way is delicious. The country side is scattered with vines, Dwight tells me the are growing them a specific way…. its called VSP, Vertical Shoot Positioning, so I hear you… what? and Why do I care? Well its the way they make wine and anything about wine is important!
They prune the vines so the new growth goes up the trestle creating a canopy for thats covers the fruit and they use it here to provide shading for the fruit from the hot sun.
And the donkey? Well, I just thought they were cute :-)
c'est tout pour le moment, jusqu'à la prochaine fois heureux chat …
I love seeing HPR kit in France!!!
ReplyDeleteWorn with PRIDE!
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