Press Pack Wine and Chocolate in Rhône-Alpes
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Press pack Wine and chocolate in Rhône-Alpes December 2013 1 Contents Introduction and press contacts 3 The Beaujolais vineyards and Lyon 4 The Beaujolais Route des Vins GPS audio guide circuits in the Beaujolais The 'Bistrots Beaujolais': out to conquer the world! Le Hameau Duboeuf in Romanèche-Thorins 5 The 'Rouge et Blanc' restaurant in Romanèche-Thorins SIRHA (The World Hospitality & Food Service Event) in Lyon Les Sarmentelles John Euvrard, an English-speaking sommelier in Lyon The bouchon, or Lyon's great culinary tradition 6 Top of the chocs in Lyon and surrounding area Côtes du Rhône and the Rhône Valley 9 The Côtes du Rhône vineyards Explore the great crus on a Rhône River trip Marie-Josée Faure, an English-speaking wine expert and guide in Tournon The M. Chapoutier wine tasting school in Tain-l’Hermitage 10 The Université du Vin in Suze la Rousse Electric bike tours of the l'Hermitage wine area Good addresses in the Drôme The Valrhona Cité du Chocolat in Tain l’Hermitage 11 The vineyards of Savoie, the Alps, Chambéry and Annecy 12 The Vins de Savoie vineyards La Maison de la Vigne et du Vin in Apremont Wine Wanderings with Alpes Flaveurs Good addresses in Savoie Mont Blanc 13 Alpine chocolate treats Chocolate truffles from Chambéry 14 2 Introduction: Wine & chocolate in Rhône Alpes The Rhône Alpes region encompasses eight départements that bring a wealth of contributions to the region's landscapes, climates and traditions. The region extends from the Beaujolais in the north to the foothills of the Massif Central in the west, from the highest peaks of the Alps in the east and as far as the Ardèche Gorge at the gateway to Provence in the south. This variety of landscapes is laid out either side of the broad River Rhône, which has shaped the land, giving the region its character through the different terroirs it has created. It is these terroirs, areas with a distinctive geology, climate and tradition that have blessed Rhône Alpes with the famous vineyards of Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhône, Crozes Hermitage, Saint Joseph, Côte Rôtie, Condrieu and many others besides. This press pack takes you on a tour of the region's main wine-growing areas but also introduces you to the region's big names and specialities in the chocolate industry, peppered with a few suggestions of delightful places to stay, eat and relax while you are in Rhône Alpes. Because it's true to say that in recent years chocolate has come into fashion. There are now more chocolate trade fairs, connoisseur clubs and tasting classes than ever, and the words cru and vintage no longer apply just to wines. And if Rhône Alpes is undoubtedly a wine region, it is also home to a fine palette of talented chocolatiers and melt-in-the-mouth specialities. The Beaujolais, which has just enjoyed its annual celebration of the Beaujolais Nouveau wine, offers a plethora of ways to learn about its wines. And the Beaujolais also forms the gateway to Lyon, France's foodie capital and home of the celebrated 'bouchon' bistro, but also one of the best places to find the famous chocolate makers. Côtes du Rhône, Côte Rôtie, Condrieu, Hermitage: the vineyard-clad hillsides flanking the stately River Rhône are ripe for exploring (by electric bike too!) but this area has also recently become something of a hotpot for top-quality chocolate-tasting opportunities. The much-vaunted opening of the Cité du Chocolat in Tain l'Hermitage last October is proof positive of that. This beautifully designed multi-sensory visitor experience is a real treat, not only for children but for adults too. And don't they say there's no better combination that wine and chocolate? What not try a wine-and-chocolate tasting with Marie Josée Faure at Les Sens Ciel in Tournon? And as for the vineyards of Savoie, their underrated wines are rivalled only by their chocolaty specialities: Annecy's liqueur-filled roseaux, Chambéry's delicate truffles and Megève's glaçons with their crunchy white meringue coat! Contacts at Rhone-Alpes Tourisme: Isabelle Faure – Wine tourism Tel. +33 (0)4 26 73 31 77 [email protected] Martine Bridier – Wine tourism Tel. +33 (0)4 26 73 31 76 [email protected] Raphaelle Nicaise – Press Attaché Tel. +33 (0)4 26 73 31 84 [email protected] 3 The Beaujolais and Lyon vineyards The Beaujolais vineyards Lying to the north of Lyon, the Beaujolais wine region grows a single grape variety: Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc. The Beaujolais is home to 12 appellations, the 'Beaujolais' and 'Beaujolais villages' wines, most of which come in the form of primeurs, otherwise known as the Beaujolais Nouveau and Beaujolais- Villages Nouveau wines, plus the ten crus (or separate wine-growing terroirs) intimately bound up with the areas they are grown (Chiroubles, Fleurie, Saint-Amour, Brouilly, Côte de Brouilly, Juliénas, Régnié, Chénas, Morgon and Moulin à Vent). To qualify for the Beaujolais appellation, The grapes grown here may only be harvested manually. The hand-picked grapes are usually first sorted to remove any damaged grapes and then vatted in whole bunches. This method of macerating whole bunches of grapes, known as vinification beaujolaise, is specific to the Beaujolais. Beaujolais Nouveau, released for consumption every year on the third Thursday in November, is a global phenomenon, with the wines being immediately shipped worldwide. www.beaujolais.com The Beaujolais Route des Vins The continuation of the Burgundy Route des Vins, this wine trail runs for 140 kilometres (85 miles) from the village of Chânes in the north to the edge of Lyon, passing through 36 communes along the way. In 2010, special signage was installed to mark the trail. The Route connects all the region's main tourist attractions, taking the visitor on a tour of the Beaujolais. The route shows off the best of the 12 appellations, running right through the heart of the region's ten crus, visiting the historical capital Beaujeu, Vaux-en-Beaujolais (the inspiration behind the famous satirical novel Clochemerle), Salles- Arbuissonnas and Villefranche-sur-Saône, and not forgetting the golden-stone villages of the Pierre Dorées (including Oingt, among the 'Most Beautiful Villages of France'). www.beaujolais.com (go to Wine / Wine tourism French Flair organises excursions for individuals exploring the Beaujolais that include wine tasting, starting from Lyon every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday until 31 October. www.beaujolaistour.com GPS audio guide circuits in the Beaujolais Around ten GPS-enabled audio guides are available to download from the website www.beaujolais.com. Designed to help visitors explore the best bits of the Beaujolais along the Route des Vins du Beaujolais, these audio guide itineraries were produced by Zevisit, the world's leading audio guide publisher, in collaboration with the Tourist Offices of the Beaujolais Region. The principle is simple: the audio route can be downloaded and listened to either at home, or when out on the road (audio plus GPS directions) in the case of visitors using a sat nav device while on holiday in the Beaujolais. This is currently the only wine region in France to offer this type of interactive GPS-enabled circuit. www.beaujolais.com (go to Wine / Wine tourism) The 'Bistrots Beaujolais': out to conquer the world! This is a network of more than 250 warmly welcoming restaurants (from simple brasseries to Michelin- starred restaurants) that feature wines and/or dishes that hail from the Beaujolais on their menu or wine list. You'll find 'Bistrots Beaujolais' in the Beaujolais region, but also in major cities in France and beyond, including Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, and in the UK too, with 8 Bistrots Beaujolais in London: Brula, Garnier, Gazette (Balham and Battersea), La Bonne Heure, Le Beaujolais, Le Colombier and Ransome’s Dock, and even as far away as the US! www.beaujolais.com (go to Pleasure / Bistrots Beaujolais) 4 Le Hameau Duboeuf in Romanèche-Thorins This is a unique tourist attraction dedicated to the Beaujolais vineyards and wines, created by the famous Beaujolais wine maker Georges Duboeuf. The Hameau du Vin is where visitors come to explore, relax, taste wines and learn about the history of wine growing and wines, all in one place. Guests take a rather unusual journey back in time to learn about how wine used to be shipped from producer to consumer, and can stroll around the fragrant garden breathing in all the natural wine aromas, before visiting a wine storehouse of impressive proportions. Gift shop and restaurant on site. The new attraction opened in 2012 is the Ciné’Up, the world's first Beaujolais 4D cinema experience. Tel. +33 (0)3 85 35 22 22 www.hameauduvin.com The 'Rouge et Blanc' restaurant in Romanèche-Thorins New in 2013 Three-Michelin-star chef Georges Blanc, based in nearby Vonnas, opened his new 'Rouge et Blanc' restaurant in Romanèche-Thorins on 21 November 2013 to mark the release of the year's Beaujolais Nouveau, which always takes place on the third Thursday in November. This gastronomic restaurant is in the old 'Hôtel Les Maritonnes' built in around 1850, and sommelier Fabrice Sommier – who holds a coveted 'Meilleur Ouvrier de France' title – proposes a wine list featuring an extensive selection of Beaujolais wines. The restaurant's name, 'Rouge et Blanc', is a reference to the red wines of Beaujolais and a tribute to the Michelin-starred chef based in Vonnas. Indeed, wine is an ingredient in some of his creations, which feature mouthwatering sauces and regional produce. http://www.georgesblanc.com/fr/index.php#index.php SIRHA (The World Hospitality & Food Service Event) in Lyon The next event is in 2015 This is the only event with its finger really on the pulse of the world restaurant industry because it is the biggest professional food service and hospitality trade fair in the world, with more than 2,000 exhibitors from 120 countries.