There were so many wonderful things that happened on this excursion that I don't really know where to begin…. Some of you might know that one of Dwight's favourite wines is Chateauneuf du Pape.. and that unfortunately it is very difficult, and expensive, to get in Canada. Well we were staying in Aix en Provence which is about one hour and thirty minutes away from the famous small village.
We had a couple of options but decided that because this was a special place we needed a special tour… so we found one.. and OMG was this a great day… let me explain…..
We contacted a company that not only offered tours of the area but where you could also hire a private guide… well that's exactly what we did.. and for a price :-) we were picked up in a Mercedes S class sedan, driven to Chateauneuf… had wine tours with just the two of us, lunch at a castle, and shipped home a case of wine! I can't wait to tell you all about it……
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| Lunch location… yum yum…. |
It all started with the introduction to our guide.. his name? Jean-Baptise.. yes, I know … I could not believe it when he told me his name. His history, he grew up in France, travelled the world and has now settled back in France, his wine background… taught by his Grandfather at the age of 7 years old how to taste wine and pair it with food he has been in the wine business for years. He has been a wine broker, worked in the vineyards, ran a winery with a partner… but most of all he is the most passionate person I have ever met when it comes to wine! Boy did he and Dwight have a lot to talk about!
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| Dwight and Jean-Baptiste |
He tells a story that I only wish I could capture as well as he articulated it… it was a time when he was first learning about wine, around the age of 8 years old… he was at a restaurant with his Grandfather who order wine and asked JB to tell him the variety, age, and maker… which he did… but when his Grandfather asked him what food he would pair with it JB got it wrong! And his Grandfather hit the roof… saying that you can be good enough to taste the wine but to really understand it you must be able to know what eat with it… ! JB has learned from the best, he said that his Grandfather would even send back wine if the Sommelier would not pair the food properly with the selection…! Yikes…!
The first stop was at a winery you may know; Ogier, it is a well know producer in the region and has a special blend that he really wanted us to try. They have taken the grapes from each of the different Terroir in the area and create a line of wines call The Expression de Terrior… made up of, red sand stone, limestone, pebbles, and sand .. they make it to represent the different soil influences, and you could really tell the difference……not to mention its Chateauneuf de Pape wine.. YUM!
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| The Expression du Terrior |
Then we were off to lunch, lamb, greens.. and of course.. wine!
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| View from lunch |
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| Dwight and JB |
The next part has to be the best.. well.. I think so.. Jean-Baptiste took us to a private cellar… not his.. although he does have over 3000 bottles himself, his 7 year old son also has a collection (started by JB of course) that includes two bottles of 1947 Chateauneuf from his Grandfathers cellar!
We went to Guy's place.. and let me tell you.. what a treat, as soon as he found out that Dwight not only liked wine but also knew what he was talking about he immediately started pulling out the good stuff! I tried a white Chateauneuf du Pape for the first time, OMG it was good!
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| The inconspicuous entrance, thankfully we had JB |
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| Have you ever seen him with a bigger smile! |
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| OH MY! |
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| And Guy was just as passionate about wine! |
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| Just a small part of the cellar, cases and cases of Chateauneuf! |
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| And cases of Chateau Beaucastel stacked 4 high! |
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| And now we have his email address! |
Shipping wine to BC is impossible, something that made Guy very angry… he says the Canadian market is the largest in the world and is the most difficult to work with… to quote.. "you let ONE person decide what wine you drink!, in France it would be cause for a revolution!" He encouraged Dwight to go home and start supporting his cause by lobbying and refusing to buy the crappy wine! And so you know what we are missing Canada, we tasted wine from this region that we will never see, that the French want to send us, and that cost less than a case of beer!
We did ship a case - destination and details are to be kept secret in case the BC liquor distribution board reads blogs… but I can not wait till we get it at home!
So we ended our time in southern France with this wonderful experience… and have arrived in Riquewihr, in the Alsace region.. where some some of my favourite wine is… Riesling.. and one of my favourite foods… Foie gras not to mention we are very close to Champagne :-) !
Will blog again soon…………
Till next time happy chatting………..
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