Blog post by Joy
Christophe, Liza and Joy at Vinisud, tasting wine with Jo Lynch. Zebre, Zebre art on the bottle.
If I were to sum up my trip to France in one word, it would be the same word I use to describe their wine, “Elegant.” Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would actually get the opportunity to go to France and the experience is etched in my memory forever and I am longing for more.
After many hours of traveling Liza and I arrived at our first destination, Cannes, France. We stayed at the famous Carlton Hotel where are movie stars stay during the French Film Fest. Wow, what a dream as we opened our French doors to overlook the Riviera. We were treated to amazing food and wine tastings from European winemakers from Alsace, Italy, Sicily, and Spain just to name a few. The hospitality and surroundings were incredible.
After three days of meeting wonderful people and tasting incredible wines in Cannes, we were off to Montpelier , a four hour bus ride to Vinisud. This show hosts ten huge halls of wine producers from all over the Mediterranean. Never in my wildest dreams could I even imagine, let alone experience, this amazing wine convention.
A personal highlight for me was meeting a wonderful woman and famous artist Jo Lynch and her husband Andre Suquet. Jo and André own Villa Dondona Vineyards in Montpeyroux, France.
Liza and Joy with Philippe Leclerc
Visits here must be booked in advance and their tours are unique. They personally take visitors around in the back of a land-rover, perhaps stopping to pick figs from the trees and to enjoy the wonderful views across the valley around Montpeyroux. Liza and I received signed copies of her art Zebre, Zebra.. and the wine…simply put ” exquisite!”
We received an opportunity to tour Burgundy. This was an added bonus. So we left Montepelier and started our Journey to Burgundy. We had dinner with our dear friend and tour guide, Christophe Drahe in Lyon at the famous Brasseries Georges, the oldest Brasserie in the city. Built in 1836, it can serve 700 people in one seating. Baked Alaska is famous here . We feasted on Escargot, and Oysters from the Meditarranean. Yes, I kept my shell, and took the smell of the sea with me.
Our journey continued to the charming city of Beaune for a good nights sleep before our tour of vineyards in Burgundy. Medieval monks and the powerful Dukes of Burgundy established this town’s prosperity. The Monks cultivated the wine, while the Dukes of Burgundy established the towns prosperity. Our first stop was the offices of one of the oldest companies in Burgundy. Founded in 1844 by Leon Louis -Violland, we were surrounded by ancient buildings from the 12th and 13th centuries. We were able to go down under the church, see the barrels and explore where the Monks layed the groundwork for incredible wine. The aromas and the history made me feel so warm all over even though it was cold outside.
Gevrey-Chambertain
Following our 9 a.m. of 8 of eight truly amazing wines, we were on our way to the famous Cote d’Or ( Golden Hillside). Burgundy is comprized of thousands of tiny vineyards and is known for some of the most coveted wines in the world. This region is famous for Pinot Noir. The top Burgundies are, along with the top wine in Germany, the best examples in the worlds of wines that reflect their terroir. We concluded our journey with the important task of sampling the wines at Aloxe Corton, and Gevrey-Chambertain.
Will I return to France? Of course. My work in not complete as there are still so many wines to taste.
We will be tasting samples of our favorite picks with our team. After eight days of wine tasting, it was a difficult choice to make, still Lisa and I choose a few of our favorite wines. Our team will taste and pick out the best wines for our Schlossadler family… Au Revoir for now and cheers!
