During the pandemic, I discovered cycling. Specifically the Tour de France. A fellow wine writer, Lauren of the Swirling Dervish, did a post each day or so focusing on a wine of the region the race was traveling through. I began to follow for the wine but soon got sucked into the race and the cyclists.
Since then, watching the race has been an annual event at our house. This year we managed to catch the Criterium de Dauphine, one of the last races leading to the Tour. I started looking at the Tour Route, which this year begins in Italy and found they would be traveling through many wine regions. I thought I would share with you some of my discoveries.
Firenze to Rimini, Italy – Day 1
Ah, Florence! Beginning on the Ponte Vecchio in Firenze (the Italian name for Florence), we travel through the region known for Chianti, made primarily from the Sangiovese grape. We begin in Colli Fiorentini DOCG and travel through the Rufina DOCG.
For more on the Chianti region, visit https://www.consorziovinochianti.it/?lang=en
We leave Tuscany and move into Emilia-Romagna, traveling through Romagna DOP Sangiovese, Romagna DOP Pagadebit, Romangne DOP Trebbiano, Colli de Rimini DOP, and Colli Romagna Centrale DOP.
You can see by the names of the DOPs, many of which are nested, that these regions grow Sangiovese and Trebbiano.
Pagadebit was new to me. This is a wine made from at least 85% Bombino Bianco.
For more information on this region, visit https://www.consorziovinidiromagna.it/en/
Cesenatico to Bologne, Italy – Day 2
Beginning on the Adriatic Coast of Emilia-Romagne. We head north from Cesenatico to Ravenna, through the Bosco Eliceo DOC.
From Ravenna we head southwest through the Romagna Trebbiano and Romagna Cagina DOCs, then…
There are so many today! How about a list of all of them:
here they are in order for the day, Bosca Eliceo DOP, Romagna DOP Pagadebit, Pignoletto DOP, Romagna DOP Albana, Romagna DOP Alabana Spumante, Romagna DOP Sangiovese, Colli di Faenza DOP, Colli d’Imola DOP, Colli Bolognesi DOP, Coli Bolognesi DOP Pignoletto, and Reno DOP.
There is a terrific map on the Enoteca Regionale Emilia Romagna site. It shows the overlapping DOCs very clearly.
There are so many great regions and wines to choose from. I’m sad for the riders, that they can’t stop and enjoy all this terrific wine!
Piacenza to Turin, Italy – Day 3
Piacenza (Plaisance to the French) is located in Emilia-Romagne, just south of the border to Lombardia. Today, the race takes us through a bit of southern Lombardia and the Oltrepò Pavese region before entering Piemonte and traveling to Turin.
The Oltrepò Pavese region is known for Pinot Nero, Pinot Grigio, and Riesling. They also make sparkling wines. Look for the DOCs: Oltrepò Pavesese Metodo Classico, Bonarda dell’Oltrepo Pavese, Oltrepò Pavese, Oltrepò Pavese Pinot Grigio, and Pinot Nero dell’Oltrepò Pavese.
We wrote a bit about the region Oltrepò Pavese a virtual visit to this virtually unknown Italian Region
You can also find more information at the Consorzio Oltrepò Pavese website https://www.consorziovinioltrepo.it/
We travel Into Piemonte through Alessandria, then south through Monferrato. Monferrato is known for red and Sparkling wines. We move on to Calamandrana and Canelli (read more about Calamandrana and Canelli and the Moscato wines of the region in our articles:
- Moscato d’Asti DOCG – A place for “Sweet” Wines
- Comparing Chardonnays from two unexpected regions
- Asti Spumante and reminiscing with junk food #WinePW
Of course the famous Barbaresco wines of the Nebbiolo grape are from this region as well as Barbera in Alba and Nizza that we will pass through.
Learn more about Piemonte wines at Piemonte Land of Wine
Pinerolo, Italy to Valloire, France – Day 4
Today we spend the first part of the day in Piemonte Italy, passing through the Pinerolese wine region.
The Pinerolese wine region sits west of Torino on the border with France. It’s small; around 20 hectares of vines are planted with a variety of red grapes, including Avanà, Avarengo, Barbera, Becuet, Bonarda, Chatus, Dolcetto, Doux d’Henry, Freisa, and Nebbiolo. Only one white grape stands out, and that is Malvasia.
This is a fairly high altitude, ranging from 1000 to 2000 feet above sea level. You will find wines in white, rosé, and red in this region.
Find more on the wines of this region on the Torino DOC site. https://www.torinodoc.com/en/territory/pinerolese/
As we cross into France, we are in the higher regions of the Hautes-Alpes and will not see any vineyards.
Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Saint Vulbas, France – Day 5
Today, we pass through the Savoie AOC in the mountainous region of the French Alps.
We pass through Combe de Savoie and Cluse de Chambery, which includes Abymes, Apremont, Saint-Jeoire-Prieure, Chignin, Chignin Bergeron, Montméliean, Arbin, Curet, and Saint-Jean-de-la-Porte.
From Chambery, the route goes south, then travels north through the Cote du Cheval Blanc and then on the East side of the Rhone through the Bougey AOC.
This region in the French Alps produces white wines from grapes like Altesse, Chasselas, Gringet, Jacquère, & Roussanne. Yes, likely many of these grapes you are not familiar with. Gringet is only found in the region and there are only about 54 acres.
I found some terrific information on the region at Wine Folly: https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/savoie-wine-guide/ . Madeline Puckette does a great job of explaining wine regions in an exciting and fun way.
Macon to Dijon, France – Day 6
We begin the day in Macon in the Mâconnais region of Burgundy. This is the far southern reach of this wine region. Sitting just to the north (and actually overlapping slightly)of the Beaujolais region, the region primarily produces white wines from Chardonnay. You will also find bits of red wine, made mostly from Gamay (makes sense with Beaujolais so close). Other grapes you might discover include Aligoté and Pinot Noir.
We move north through the Côte Chalonnaise, west of Chalon-sur-Saône. You’ll find Pinot Noir and Aligoté, Bourgogne’s other white grape. Aligoté is often made in a sparkling style in this region, especially in Rully (which we pass through), the center of production for Cremant de Bourgogne, the traditional method sparkling wine of the area.
From here, we move into the Côte d’Or, which contains the Côte de Beaune to the south and the Côte de Nuits to the north.
The Côte de Beaune focuses on Chardonnay. We come through Puligny-Montrechet, home to 4 Grand Cru Vineyards. You’ll find wines with notes of apple, pear, flowers, and perhaps a bit of hazelnut.
We visit the town of Meursault before the race heads east. While Meursault does not have a Grand Cru vineyard, it produces delicious Premier Cru wines on limestone-rich slopes.
From here, we head east of the Côte de Nuit, arriving in the city of Dijon at the end of the day.
Learn more about Bourgogne here https://www.bourgogne-wines.com/
Nuits-Saint-George to Gevrey-Chambertin, France – Day 7
While we skipped the Côte de Nuit yesterday, today you will see plenty of it! It’s Time Trial Day!
One at a time, each rider will leave from Nuits-Saint Georges and ride as fast as possible to Gevrey-Chambertin. The route is 25 kilometers, looping out of the wine region to the west for a bit, then turning east to return to Chambolle-Musigny and Morey Saint-Denis before finishing in Gevrey Chambertin.
This is Pinot Noir country. If you love Burgundy and Pinot Noir, some of those names I just mentioned probably have you tingling! These are world renowned Grand Cru sites.
Find more information on this region on the Vins de Bourgogne site
Semur-en-Auxois to Colombey-Les Deux Eglises – Day 8
We travel out of the Côte d’Or into the southern part of the Champagne region today. This is a bit outside the normal boundaries, so I wasn’t able to locate specific regions. Quite honestly, there are few places in France where you will not find vineyards.
We are skirting around the Chablis region which is west of today’s route. That is the Burgundian Region devoted to Chardonnay. If you want to taste a pure expression of Chardonnay, I believe this is where you look.
The region sits 80 miles Northwest of the Côte d’Or. When you look at the map, it is actually closer to Champagne than to the rest of Burgundy. The soil here, Kimmeridgian Marl (same as the white cliffs of Dover) create exceptional Chardonnays.
You will find terrific information at https://www.chablis-wines.com/
We created a terrific Pairng for a Premier Cru Chablis from Jean-Marc Brocard with seared scallops on butternut apple puree with a fennel apple salad. You can find that here https://www.crushedgrapechronicles.com/savoring-premier-cru-chablis-as-we-hope-for-good-news-for-the-2021-chablis-vintage-winophiles/
And another Mont de Milieu Premier Cru Chablis from Simonnet-Febvre and Pôchouse
Troyes to Troyes, France – Day 9
Beginning and ending in Troyes, the race loops through the Aube region. We are traveling through the southern vineyards in the Champagne region, through the Forêt d’Orient to the Bar-sur-Aube, then down into the Côte des Bar.
Here, Champagnes are primarily made with Pinot Noir in this region.
Here are a few links for you for further reading.
Orleans to Saint Amand Montrond, France – Day 10
After a day of rest in Orleans, the cyclists hit the road again and travel south. Here, we are south of Paris on the eastern end of the Loire Valley.
We begin in the Orléans AOC and the Orléans-Cléry AOC.
Orléans-Cléry AOC is 100% Cabernet Franc. It covers five communes on the south or left bank of the Loire River.
The Orléans AOC covers both sides of the River and still wines in red, white, and rose. Created in 2006, this region has a Burgundian influence, and Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier are grown here.
We travel south and dip into the Upper Loire region of Reuilly. Here, you will find Sauvignon Blanc and small amounts of Pinot Noir made into red and rosé.
You can dive into the wines of the Loire Valley at https://www.vinsvaldeloire.fr/en/
Evaux Les Bains to Le Lioran, France – Day 11
Sadly, today, we will not travel through a wine region, but… to the east of our cyclists, we will pass the Loire regions of Saint-Pourçain, the Côtes Roannaises near Roanne. the Côtes du Forez around Montbrison and the Puy-de-Dome near the Côtes d’Auvergne around Clermont-Ferrand
To the northwest, there is the small region of Châteautmeillant.
These are exciting regions because they are outside of the area typically known as the Loire Valley. They sit south of the famous regions of Pouilly sur Loire and Sancerre.
- Saint-Pourçain is one of the oldest vineyards in France! Here’s a link to the Bubbly Professor on the region. https://bubblyprofessor.com/2022/01/30/five-fast-facts-about-saint-pourcain/
- Cotes Roannais is a 20 km hillside between Clermont-Ferrand and Lyon. https://www.roannais-tourisme.com/en/gastronomie/vignoble-cote-roannaise/
- Côtes du Forez makes wine of 100% Gamay, like Beaujolais, but the soils are different here. My friend Lynn of Savor the Harvest wrote a piece on these wines. https://savortheharvest.com/gamay-take-two-meet-the-cotes-du-forez-appellation/
- Côtes d’Auvergne is located in the Puy-de-Dôme department, which is a frequent stop on the Tour, just not this year. https://www.cotesdauvergne.com/en/
- Châteautmeillant is a region that specializes in vin gris (a rosé wine) and red wines of Gamay and PN. Located in the Indre and Cher departments, it spans 7 Villages: Châteaumeillant, St-Maur, Vesdun, Champillet, Feusines, Néret, and Urciers. It covers just 75 hectares of sandy or clay and sand soils. Vineyards trace to the 5th Century. The area was a junction between Rome and Gaul; wine was stored here in amphorae. 96% of this wine never leaves France. https://www.vins-centre-loire.com/en/les-vins-de-chateaumeillant/
The countryside is beautiful, and the Puy Mary Pas de Peyrol at 1589 meters (5213 feet!) will be the highest climb of the day.
Aurillac to Villeneuve Sur Lot, France – Day 12
Riding southwest from Aurillac, the race goes just north of the Cahors wine region, which is known for its deep, dark wines of Malbec. Here you find 45 communes making 20 million bottles of wine, most of which never leave France. https://vindecahors.fr/cs-en/
Cahors is the name of the city at the eastern end of the area. It sits on a hairpin turn on the winding River Lot.
We happen to love these wines and have written about them before: Cahors – Malbec from along the winding river Lot
Agen to Pau, France – Day 13
We have entered the region of Southwest France, the Sudouest.
In Agen we are in Brulhois. We travel south through Floc de Gascogne Armagnac and the IGP Cotes de Gascogne, then through Saint Mont and Madiran, stopping in Pau at the edge of the Jurançon.
A small region of 9 hectares where the Tarn River meets the Garonne. Cabernet Franc is the main grape here, but Négrette is also planted. No white wine is produced in the IGP; it is just red and rose, which are round and fruity with red fruit notes.
Here, Tannat reigns. This intense purple wine is full of black fruit and, as its name indicates, lots of Tannins! These are wines that age!
This historic vineyard is manually farmed.
This region has 3 terroirs:
Ténarèze produces structured aromatic wines in the center of the region. Haut-Armagnac, to the east, does balanced white wines. Lower Armagnac to the west makes fruity aromatic whites with floral notes.
Reds from the region boast toasted and grilled notes with red or blackberries. Rose leans to red berries or tropical fruit. Dry whites have citrus and tropical aromas. Sweet whites have notes of candied apricot, fig, quince, and citrus, and sometimes a bit of truffle.
Pau to Saint-Lary-Soulan, France – Day 14
Pau sits in the foothills of the Pyrenees in Southwest France. The region of the Jurançon covers 25 villages south of Pau.
The primary grapes are Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng, Courbu, Camaralet de Lasseube, and Lauzet.
They produce white wines that are both sweet and dry.
An article for more details https://www.coeurdebearn.com/en/taste/the-jurancon-vineyard/jurancon-wines/
Loudenvielle to Plateau de Beille, France – Day 15
Today, we are in the Pyrénées between wine regions. But the race is promoting 2 regions nearby, Madiran, which we spoke of yesterday, and Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh.
The appellation of Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh specializes in sweet white wines. These are late-harvest dessert wines made from a combination of Petit Courbu, Petit Manseng, Gros Manseng, and Courbu Blanc. Two other grapes are allowed in small quantities: Sauvignon Blanc and the local grape Arrufiac.
This area overlaps with the Madiran region we spoke of yesterday.
Learn more on Wine Searcher https://www.wine-searcher.com/regions-pacherenc+du+vic-bilh
Gruissan to Nîmes, France – Day 16
Gruissan is on the Mediterranean Coast in the Languedoc region.
We go through Corbieres, Quatourze, Muscat de Miraival, La Clape, IGP Coteaux de Narbonne, Coteaux du Languedoc, IGP Coteaux d’Enserune, Cotes de Thongue, Pezenas Languedoc AOC, Terrasses du Larzac, Montpeyroux AOC, IGP Saint Guilhem-le-Desert, Pick Saint Loup, Sommieres AOC. (I think that is all of them !)
This region in the south of France on the Mediterranean Sea has been thought of as bulk wine, but small boutique and quality wine producing companies are blossoming in this region.
Gerard Bertrand has created a renaissance of quality in the region!
Here are a few articles we have written about this area in the south of France
- https://www.crushedgrapechronicles.com/languedoc-does-it-need-to-find-itself-winophiles/
- https://www.crushedgrapechronicles.com/wine-country/france-the-wine-regions/the-wines-of-languedoc-roussillion/
- https://www.crushedgrapechronicles.com/exploring-the-grand-terroir-of-gerard-bertrand-with-tautavel-and-la-clape-winophiles/
For more information on the region visit https://languedoc-wines.com/
Saint-Paul-Trois Château to Superdévoluy, France – Day 17
We begin the day east of the Rhône River in the Southern Rhône and travel through the Côtes du Rhône Villages region to the east.
The Côtes du Rhône Villages we travel through today:
Suze-la-Rousse
We travel through the AOC Côtes du Rhône Villages Suze-la-Rousse past the stone castle that since 1978 has been home to the University of Wine! The Suze-la-Rousse village produces red wines of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvédre, and Carignan.
Saint Maurice
Here in the Northern part of the Southern Rhône, Saint Maurice is a thin strip between Visan and Vinsobres. This slice of southern Rhône has a decidedly northern Rhône feel. The vineyards sit tucked and sheltered between forests. Grenache leads here, but Syrah also holds its own. They produce white wines from Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne, and Grenache Blanc regions.
Vinsobres – The Cru
This AOC for red wine was previously part of the AOC Côtes-du-Rhône Villages. In 2006, it became a “Rhône Cru” with its own AOC. Wines here are at least 50% Grenache with Syrah and Mourvèdre to complete the blend.
The AOC is located between Mont Ventoux and the Pre-Alps. The vineyards lie on the northern bank of the Aigues River on the massif that rises there. The vineyards average at just under 1000 feet in elevation, which keeps the wines crisp, with the cool Mistral winds causing cooler evenings.
Nyons
The newest of the AOC Côtes-du-Rhône Villages, Nyons, was named in 2020. One of the higher Villages, the vineyards sit between 650 and 1650 feet above sea level.
The vineyards are around the city of Nyons and the villages of Piégon, Mirabel-aux-Barronies, and Venterol. Red wines of 2/3 Grenache to 1/3 Syrah are typical, influenced by the Mistral and Pontias winds that cool the vineyards. There is a story about these winds. The legends say a holy man caught these winds in his glove and brought them here.
Olive groves and lavender fields also stretch across the region.
This is the eastern edge of the Côtes du Rhône in the foothills of the Baronnies mountains. From here, we say farewell to the vineyards for the remainder of the day as we travel into the Hautes-Alpes through a sprint stage at Veynes and then to climbs at Col Bayard, Col du Noyer, and the climb to the finish at Superdévoluy.
You can find more details on the Côtes du Rhône Villages at https://www.vins-rhone.com/en/vineyard/appellations/cotes-du-rhone-villages
Gap to Barcelonnette, France – Day 18
This region in the Hautes Alps is an IGP, tucked in between the Savoie and Provençe. The largest city in the area is Gap. Here, you find some of the highest vineyards in France, sitting between 600 and 700 meters (1900 to 2300 feet!)
While over 200 varieties are grown in the region, Mollard is a grape grown exclusively here. It makes wines that are lower in alcohol, even in hot vintages. These are red wines with dark fruit and spice aromas.
Read more on this region here http://www.charlesnealselections.com/hautes-alpes.html
And here https://www.wine-searcher.com/regions-igp+hautes-alpes
Embrun to Isola, France – Day 19
We remain in the Hautes-Alpes, beginning in the town of Embrun. Just west of our starting point, you can find Domaine du Mont Guillaume, the highest vineyard in France in the Vine des Hautes-Alpes IGP.
The owners grew up in this region but worked in Bourgogne and returned with that experience to cultivate vines in the rugged mountains here. Their cellar is 1000 meters above sea level, that’s 3200 feet! They also use organic methods in the vineyard. You can read more about them here. https://www.domainedumontguillaume.fr/
We spend the rest of the day in the Alps.
Nice to Col de la Couillole, France – Day 20
We begin in Nice, which, while east of the Main region of Provençe, is still home to several vineyards and wineries here on the Côte d’Azur. Near the city center, you will find Clos Saint Vincent, which makes organic wines https://www.clos-st-vincent.fr/ and Chateau de Cremat with its Castle https://chateaucremat.com/
Then, we head north into the Hautes-Alps for the remainder of the day.
Monaco to Nice – Day 21
It is the final day of the Tour, and due to the Olympics, we will not be heading down the Champs-Élysées in Paris. Instead, we begin the day in the Sovereign Principality of Monaco on the Côte d’Azur, 9 miles from Nice and 5 miles from the Italian border.
This tiny country is just 0.76 square miles. Yes, that is less than one square mile. It is the 2nd smallest country in the world and has been ruled by the House of Grimaldi since 1297.
The famous Monte Carlo is a district within Monaco.
While we won’t see vineyards today, the view of the Mediterranean should be spectacular as we head southwest to Nice. If you need inspiration for a wine, might I suggest Champagne? It is what the boys on the podium will be sipping (or being drenched in!)
Enjoy the race and perhaps find some of the wines from these regions to sip while you watch!
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine and WSET 3 Certified. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
Check out our book series, “Tempting Spoonfuls” available through Amazon!
Inspired by the flavors and aromas in wines, these books create “tempting spoonfuls” of flavors to pair with wines.
“Tempting Spoonfuls – Pairing single bites with glorious wines” – Our first book paired wines from boutique wineries on the west coast, in California, Oregon, and Washington, with delicious spoonfuls.
This book is 60 pages, 18 recipes, lots of beautiful photos, and insights into some fantastic small wineries!
“Tempting Spoonfuls – small bites paired with wines from around the Globe” – This book takes us around the globe to explore 12 wine regions, a wine from the region, and then gives you a recipe for a pairing!
A slightly larger book at 104 pages, this time you learn about pairing with a type of wine from a region. Rather than a specific bottle, you can look for a style of wine from a region and feel confident that it will go well with the recipe pairing we provide. We give you 12 recipes, each to pair with a wine.
The goal is to make your mouth water and encourage you to create your own “Tempting Spoonfuls.”
4 Comments
Leave your reply.