France Tourism: The Best Wines & Vineyards
The Best Wines & Vineyards
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If your primary interest is the wines of Bordeaux, contact the Maison du Vin, 1 cours du 30-Juillet, 33075 Bordeaux (tel. 05-56-00-22-88; www.vins-bordeaux.fr), which offers 3-day courses that cost 375€-460€ ($488-$598) per person. The price includes lunch each day and an impressive selection of wines, most from the region around Bordeaux.
Couly-Dutheil (12 rue Diderot, Chinon; tel. 02-47-97-20-20): Many of its medieval cellars are carved into the rock undulating through the area's forests. Most production here involves Chinon wines (mostly reds), though its Borgeuil and St-Nicolas de Borgeuil wines are growing in popularity in North America.
Taittinger (9 place St-Niçaise, Reims; tel. 03-26-85-84-33): Taittinger is a grand marque of French champagne, one of the few still controlled by members of the family that founded it, in 1930. It's one of the most visitor-friendly houses.
Domaines Schlumberger (100 rue Théodore-Deck, Guebwiller, near Colmar; tel. 03-89-74-27-00): Established in 1810, these cellars blend early-19th-century brickwork and modern stainless steel; a visit will enhance your understanding of the subtle differences among wines produced by the seven varieties of grape cultivated in Alsace.
Domaine Maurice Protheau (Château d'Etroyes, Mercurey; tel. 03-85-45-10-84): The 50 hectares (124 acres) of grapevines straddle at least two appellations contrôlées (a regulation system that ensures a wine has been produced where the bottles says), so you'll have a chance to contrast reds (both pinot noirs and burgundies), whites, and rosés produced under the auspices of both Rully and Mercurey. Headquarters is in a château built in the late 1700s and early 1800s.
The Wine-Growing Region around Bordeaux: This area is among the most glamorous in France, with a strong English influence, thanks to centuries of trade with London- and Bristol-based dealers. One prestigious grower, Société Duboscq, Château Haut-Marbuzet, St-Estephe (tel. 05-56-59-30-54), welcomes visitors who phone in advance of their arrival Monday to Saturday. Free visits to the cellars are followed by a complimentary dégustation des vins of whichever of the company's products a visitor requests.
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