Wine tourism · 24. September 2024
Let's go to the Aube department, east of the city of Troyes, to discover one of the regions producing Champagne: the Côte des Bar owes its name to the Celtic word 'barr', meaning mount, mound or hill. The region is indeed very hilly, with sometimes steep vineyard slopes! The term is now used in the plural to refer to the two main towns located in the vineyard: Bar-sur-Seine and Bar-sur-Aube. We're telling you what to do, what to drink and eat in this beautiful wine-making region.
Wine tourism · 02. January 2024
Auvergne is an area we don't necessarily think about when it comes to wine. However, there is a small vineyard in the Forez region, in the south of the Loire department: 150 hectares are planted at the foot of the Forez mountains, northwest of Saint Étienne, and allow the production of red wines under AOC Côtes du Forez. Although I didn't really fall in love with the vineyard landscapes of that area, the wines are really worth trying. Here is why.
Wine tourism · 16. August 2023
The vineyard of Lanzarote, in the Canary Islands, is unique in the world. Planted on volcanic ashes, the vines must grow in extreme conditions. I'm telling you more about this surprising vineyard, for which I had a real crush during my holidays the island in summer 2022. Moreover, Lanzarote offers more facets than the vineyards and the wines: some of them are presented in this article, which, I hope, will make you feel like visiting this astonishing island.
Wine tourism · 24. April 2023
Vietnam is not really a country people think about when it comes to wine and wine tourism. However, there is a small wine production in this Southeast Asian country. A trip to Vietnam at the end of 2022 allowed me to visit an area that I wanted to discover for a while - the place where Vietnamese wines and grapes are produced. In fact, two distinct areas, as the wines are not made in the same region as the one where the grapes are grown. More explanations in this article.
Wine and food · 15. February 2023
In February 2023, in partnership with the tourist office of Tours, I had the opportunity to organise a wine tasting based on the sweet wines of Vouvray and the desserts and candies produced in the Touraine region. Do you know any of them? Some are only produced by a few craftsmen and are therefore totally unknown outside the area, and sometimes even by some people who live in the region! Perhaps our wine tastings will be for you the opportunity to taste and discover them as well.
Wine and food · 03. January 2023
Galette des rois is a traditional pastry that the French eat in January. It is normally consumed on Epiphany Day, which takes place on January 6th and corresponds to the day when Jesus was presented to the Magi. If most French people buy galette des rois a the baker's, it is actually very easy to bake at home! The recipe is extremely simple, quick and so much less expensive than what you can buy at the baker's or the supermarket. A few tips about wine & food pairing conclude the article. Enjoy!
Wine tourism · 03. August 2022
It's summer time and the holidays are a good opportunity to discover new wine regions! This time I am taking you to a small vineyard whose popularity is rising: AOC Côte Roannaise, in the Loire department (42), is part of the Loire vineyard. Its wines are more and more present in wine shops and sought after by wine lovers. I had the opportunity to spend a long weekend in the region at the beginning of the summer, and I was delighted by all that it has to offer.
Every spring, in May or June, you can probably see pictures of vine flowers posted on the social networks. It is because vine flowering is a real event for vinegrowers, as it gives them information about the future harvest dates. You'll find some explanations in this article, where we also discuss global warming and its impact on vinegrowing.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, slow tourism has become very popular. We feel in line with this kind of tourism, which can be defined as the art of travelling while taking one's time, favoring slow and low-polluting modes of transportation, meeting locals and enjoying local resources. In this article we explain why we feel our wine tours and wine tastings are part of this new way of travelling.
Every year, around mid-March, the professionals working in the tourist industry in the Loire Valley all meet to exchange. What do they exchange? You'll find the answer and more information in our article.