2015 Press kit Wine tourism in France tents con 3 articles and cross-content topics Try your hand at grape harvesting p.3 • Become a Master Blender p.4 • Explore the vineyards by bike p.5 • Back to school p.6 • Wine tourism acquires some real tourist destinations p.8 • Room with a view over the vines for a truly immersive wine experience p.10 • Art & Architecture p.12 15 neW 23 diary 30 detours in the French vineyards Alsace p.31 • Armagnac & Floc de Gascogne p.32 • Beaujolais p.33 • Bergerac p.34 • Bordeaux p.35 • Bourgogne p.36 • Champagne p.37 • Cognac & Pineau des Charentes p.38 • Corse p.39 • Jura p.40 • Languedoc p.41 • Provence p.42 • Roussillon p.43 • Savoie p.44 • Sud-Ouest p.45 • Val de Loire p.46 • Vallée du Rhône p.46 focus Articles focus Articles articles and cross-content topics Try your hand at grape harvesting • Create your own wine • The vineyards by bike • Where to learn • Certified destinations • Unusual accommodation • Art and architecture Try your hand aT grape harvesTing share a novel experience in friendly company Whether you are a wine lover or simply curi- Grape harvest festival (cognac) ous, take advantage of the grape harvesting sea- son to enjoy a unique experience in the heart of France’s touristic vineyards. The wine harvesting season varies according to weather conditions and to grape ripeness, it is usually between the end of August and mid October that you can ex- perience this event as an insider. Come and meet wine-growers eager to share their knowledge and passion in a friendly atmosphere. Be a grape- picker for a day in Alsace, Beaujolais, Bordelais, Bourgogne, Champagne, or the Val de Loire. At the Domaine Claude Lafond, for instance, you could spend the day alongside the vineyard team and enjoy with well-deserved four course lunch after a morning of demanding harvesting. Take iT furTher You will discover how the freshly-picked grapes are pressed, visit the store houses and round off Bordeaux: Due to the very nature of grape harvesting, "grape harvesting days" are only the day with a tasting session. If you are looking on offer from mid-September to mid-October for an experience to enjoy with family or friends, Picking grapes in the Médoc region with the wine producers such as Château les Carcasses, Médoc duo, Château Paloumey and Château a vineyard in Languedoc, welcome groups for Taillan, or on the right bank of the Garonne harvesting days, with wine tasting and blending (the Blaye-Côtes de Bordeaux or Côtes workshops. The grape harvesting season is also de Bourg, or Bordeaux & Bordeaux Supérieur the period when many villages and châteaux in Protected Geographical Indications). the Rhone valley organise traditional festivals, www.chateaudutaillan.com taking on a charming air of yesteryear. Re-en- www.chateaupaloumey.com/fr actment of Roman grape harvesting at the Mas www.bordeaux-tourisme.com Cognac: Maison de la Vigne et des Saveurs des Tourelles, the farmers' market at Chusclan or www.maisondelavigneetdessaveurs.com an introduction to manual grape harvesting at For more information on traditional grape the Domaine de la Noria are all authentic and harvesting by hand in the heart of the vineyards unforgettable experiences. in Alsace: www.route-des-vins-alsace.com/fr/ vendanges-touristiques Vallée du Rhône: www.fetevigneronnechusclan.com; www.domainelanoria.com; www.tourelles.com Val de Loire: www.claudelafond.com Languedoc: www.lescarrasses.com/winery-f.php Wine tourism - PRess kit 3 focus Articles Champagne De telmont (champagne) Become a masTer Blender you Too can creaTe your own wine or your own cognac! Take iT furTher Have you ever dreamed of creating your own wine? Many producers offer you the chance to make your dream come Thanks to www.vismavigne.com, a true experience as they show you round their vineyards. Beaujolais producers offer the oppor- Thanks to the Bordeaux"Pass Vin", visit châteaux which tunity to "adopt" a parcel of vines and organise introductions to blending, "wine and cheese" follow the work of the wine-growers all or "wine and chocolate" workshops, as well as "olfactory year round. cinema" visits. the "Pass Vin Bordeaux expériences" is a pass giving you access to the four Introductions to blending are also offered in Champagne châteaux belonging to the Lurton family: by J. De Telmont, Tanneux-Mahy, Champagne Devaux or www.chateau-bouscaut.com; Morel Père & Fils. You can also try your hand at being a www.desmirail.com; www.camarsac.com; Cognac Master Blender for two whole hours thanks to www.marielaurelurton.com the great Maison Camus, and leave with your own bottle Combine visits and sensory experiences adorned with a label in your name. by creating your own wine thanks to In Languedoc, you can leave Villa Limonade with a sou- the B-winemaker company: venir after the vintage blending workshop. As for the Rib- www.b-winemaker.com erach estate it offers you a variety of oenological activities For more details of offers in the Champagne region: focusing on wine and cooking. www.champagne-de-telmont.com Find out everything about the various steps in wine pro- www.champagne-tanneux-mahy.fr duction as well as the different tools used at the Musée www.champagnedevaux.fr régional de la Vigne et du Vin de Savoie (Savoie regional www.champagnemorelpereetfils.fr vine and wine museum) open all year round. It even runs the Maison des Vins Côtes de Provence harvesting and grape pressing workshops using the freshly- offers tours in no less than 6 languages picked grapes during the harvesting period. for foreign visitors: In Provence, the Maison des Vins, Château de Trets and the www.maison-des-vins.fr Abbaye de la Celle welcome you to their "vinothèque", wine in the Vallée du Rhône create your own wine with the help of centre with introductory tastings and workshops where they a professional at the Maison Lavau: can teach you how to recognise different grapes. Wine sale, www.lavau.eu guided tours and shop areas will take you on a voyage of dis- Cognac master blender workshop: covery of a whole host of local crafts and regional produce. www.camus.fr 4 PRess kit - Wine tourism focus Articles the festive season at the distilleries (cognac) Cycle through the vines (Bourgogne) explore The vineyards By Bike an advenTure on Two wheels in The hearT of The vines To meeT The wine-growers Whether you are a cycling fan seeking new In Roussillon, you can follow paths leading routes or you simply want to explore French through the vines and ride along colourful vineyards in an original way, cycle touring and routes which change with the seasons, such as wine tourism go hand in hand, giving you the the Fontcouverte, Monastir or Ecureuils circuits. opportunity to stop off and share a pleasant In Savoie, Montmélian, the ultimate touristic town interlude with the wine-growers. You will find for bike lovers, offers either circuits with gentle itineraries suited to all levels for unforgettable slopes along the wine route or real challenges for rides in the heart of the vines. more seasoned cyclists wishing to measure them- In Alsace, the vineyard cycle route connecting selves against some of the famous passes on the Marlenheim to Thann is designed to take you Tour de France route. through typical countryside and villages lining In the Vallée du Rhône, why not cycle the 700 km the Alsace Wine Route. of bicycle paths along the banks of the river right In Bourgogne, join fellow cycling enthusiasts down to where it flows into the Mediterranean. in the Transmâconnaise on 4th July 2015 for a You can also try the "Loire à Vélo"cycle trail on friendly race on electric bikes. the 800 km long-distance cycle route through the In Champagne, almost sixty cycle routes await heart of landscapes listed as World Heritage Sites you, wending their way through the vines or by the UNESCO. And last but not least, if you like along the banks of lakes. unusual experiences, the Maison Bouvez-Ladubay In the Cognac vineyard, discover several trails du Val de Loire at Saumure offers you the chance to and mini-trails tailored to your needs includ- cycle through its troglodyte wine cellars. ing the three local musts: Cognac, Jarnac and Segonzac, without forgetting "La Galope cho- pine", a shady track which runs almost 34km. Take iT furTher the Alsace Wine Route by bike the Bordeaux wine route through ViaRhôna in Vallée du Rhône www.route-des-vins-alsace.com Graves and sauternes in the www.viarhona.com the "transmâconnaise electrique" Bordeaux vineyards Bouvet Ladubay, cycling in the wine electric bicycle race in Bourgogne www.bordeaux-graves-sauternes.com cellars in Val de Loire www.transmaconnaise.com the Bastia wine route at Calvi in www.bouvet-ladubay.fr "Loire à vélo" in Val de Loire Corsica Bourgogne by bike www.loireavelo.fr www.altecime.fr www.la-bourgogne-a-velo.com Wine tourism - PRess kit 5 focus Articles Maison des Vins de Loire in Nantes (Val de Loire) Back To school The arT of living wine is a suBjecT wiTh has plenTy of surprises in sTore for you If you like wine and would like to acquire an insight in the world of wine and the lives of the people or if you wish to enhance your knowledge to bet- who live and work there, combining learning ter appreciate its finer points, the protagonists in and discovery in the heart of the vines. the wine tourism sector offer activities adapted Other vineyards have schools such as the Ecole to your level to share their passion with you, des Oenophiles at Bergerac with its wine tasting and introduce you to the art of living wine.