OKTOBERFEST

I thought I could not leave Switzerland before I experienced the famous Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. Cat and her friend Krista were visiting so thought it was a perfect time for us all to make the 6 hour drive up to Munich.That meant we would be driving on the autobahn. Of course since I am a control freak, I drove. I probably did not drive as fast as Marc would have, but I did hit a respectable 160km a few times. You have to be careful not to enter the fast lane until it is safe. We were passed by cars on our left going so fast it made our car shake as they passed. We figured some cars were going at least 130 mph. It really takes alot of concentration, but it is fun to experience it.
Once we arrived we had dinner with our good friend Hauns, who lives in Munich. He took us to a restaurant that used to be a monestary for our fill of pork knuckle, sausage, potatoe salad and sauerkraut.

The next morning, with Hauns as our guide we arrived at the fest. Hauns answered my request by wearing his traditional leiderhosen.

Once inside the gates it is like a carnaval with buildings (called tents) lining each side that house the different beer breweries. Some are more wild than others. We picked one that mantained some sense of sanity. We were a little worried since all of the tables were already full and they do not allow you to wander around drinking beer unless you have a table, and it was only noon! But Marc had full confidence in Hauns' ability to work his magic and sure enough we were squeezed into a table. First order of business, ordering a beer!

It did not take long for us to make friends with our neighbors and server. It makes it more fun when the dancing, singing and toasting

starts!

We enjoyed the craziness for about 5 hours until we were kicked out of our seats for a previous reservation. I decided after my first beer to be the designated driver and had long since switched to apple cider so Hauns could enjoy the fun. Good thing I did since the police were conducting a breathalyzer check point on the freeway.

Before we left we had to get our fix of local sausage! With tummies full and not too much beer consumed, Hauns hosted a walking tour around the old town of Munich. It was a good time for all to sober up a little so we could get ready for our dinner and more local beer of course!

ASSISI

It has been a dream of mine to visit Assisi since reading the book The Reluctant Saint. Assisi is the birth place of Francis of Assisi and where he lived and died. I was not able to get there when I visited Italy with my daughter Megan in 2006, so it was a must when Maureen and I did our Italy trip this past July.

We arrived via train from Rome on a very hot day, July 23rd. Once dropped off at the very small train station, we took Rick Steves advice and bought a bus ticket from the small newsstand for the ride up the winding hill to the town.

Once we arrived in town we wondered around until we came across our hotel which was a quiet villa tucked off the main plaza.Assisi is a beautifully preserved medeival town that spills downhill to its famous Basilica of St Francis. We spent our first day wondering the cobblestone little streets, shopping in the local artisan shops, enjoyed a glass of wine in front of the beautiful fountain and paid a visit to Cathedral of San Rufino where the original baptism font where St. Francis was baptized in 1182 and St Claire in 1194. Eighteen years later their paths crossed in this same church, when Clare attended a class and became mesmerized by the teacher - Francis. To this day the children of Assisi are still baptized here in the same font.

Our next stop was the Basillica of St. Clare dedicated to the founder of the Order of the Poor Clares. Inside the church we found the original crucifix that changed Francis' life. In 1206, an emaciated, soul-searching, stark-raving Francis knelt before this crucifix and asked for guidance. The crucifix spoke: "Go and rebuild my Church, which you can see has fallen into ruin." And Francis followed the call. (no pictures allowed) Once outside the church we enjoyed the view of the olive groves of the Poor Clares since the 13th century.

The next morning we met our local guide hired for the day. She walked us thru the village and then on to The Basilica of St. Francis.

The basilica is not one church but two. The Romanesque Lower Church came first (1228). The low ceilings and candlelit interior make an appropriately solemn setting for St. Francis's tomb, found in the crypt below the main alter. The Gothic Upper Church, built a half century later is strikingly different, with soaring arches and tall stained glass windows (the first in Italy). Inside, both churches are covered floor to ceiling with some of Europe's finest frescoes by the leading artist of the day: Cimabue, Giotto,Simone Martini, and Peitro Lorenzetti. The Lower Church is dim and full of candlelit shadows, and the Upper Church is bright and airy.

After visiting the beautiful church and much discussion, we headed off to the next town of Spello for a leisurely lunch at a family owned wine cellar. Our group tasted about 7 different wines while being served local fare cooked by his family, just for us!! All along with a great expert wine maker. Some of our food: Bruschetta, different Pates, Pasta with fresh grated truffle, Prosciutto and melon and local cheeses with local honey.

After lunch we did a short walk around the village of Spello and then on back to Assisi for a nice evening. Once in our room, I happened to open the window, which by the way looked out on to beautiful gardens, and heard what I figured out must be alot of people saying what sounded like the rosary in Italian. We ran outside to see that the whole town (men, women young and old, children, priests and nuns) were proceeding thru town reciting the rosary. We decided to follow. All of the shop owners came out to stand at their shop doors as we all passed. The prcession ended in front of the Basilica of St. Francis for Saturday night mass. What a great way to end an afternoon!

We ended a perfect day at a nice dinner at Ristorante Medioevo, suggested by our guide Rick Steves.

MAUREEN'S VISIT FROM S. KOREA

Note from Megan: I am also posting this "draft" since it seems to have been forgotten about as well and I will bug Mom to post.
Currently, Cat and her friend Krista are in Switzerland and the whole gang is in Munich as we speak enjoying the 200th Oktoberfest. I will remind them to post pictures.
Here you go for the older stuff-


My Maureen came for a three week visit on July11th. She overlapped her visit here with sister Megan by two days, so we managed to have some fun together in Lausanne before we put Megan on a plane back to Phoenix.

The first weekend we headed over to our favorite spot in Northern Italy, Stresa on Lago Maggiore. We enjoyed visiting "our wine shop" and spent an afternoon visiting with the owners drinking wine, tasting olive oil and the spreads of meat and cheese that they put in front of us. The next morn. we took the train into Milano for a full day walking tour of the city ending with a visit to the Last Supper. I have already seen and blogged about it, but it was a first for Marc and Maureen.

Maureen and I left Marc in Milano for business and she and I headed back to our apartment. We had two days to pack and it was off for our 8 day adventure to Rome, Assisi and Florence.

Vive Le Tour!

Hello...Megan here. I began posting about the Tour de France but never finished and forgot about it. Obviously no one ever finished it, so I am just going to post what I had here. This was all written back in July.


Well, tomorrow is my last day in Switzerland, then I am heading back to the states on Wednesday. But, at least I got to go out with a bang. I certainly had quite a list of things I wanted to do every time, knowing full well it is impossible to get everything in, but the top of the list was certainly the Tour de France. I had hoped to go last year, but couldn't stay that long thanks to the rules of the Schengen Zone. At least I made up for it this year, and I am pretty sure we were in a better spot than Dad was last year. (That was just his practice run to make this one a good one).









It was only Dad and myself headed to Stage 8 this year, as Mom really has no interest and didn't seem to enjoy it all that much last year. This was the first stage in the Alps, with two category 1 climbs. (Category 1 is the "toughest" but once it gets REALLY into the Alps you see several HC, or "beyond category" climbs which are even steeper and longer). You can watch a flat stage, but nearly all the riders will be in one main group with perhaps a small breakaway in the front, and they will be going so fast they will whizz right by you. Or you can watch at the finish line, and see the riders finish the stage, but there will be massive crowds and barricades and traffic and what not. But if you can get in a good spot in a mountain climb, the riders will be moving relatively slowly, the group will be split up, some riders will be alone, and there are no barricades, meaning you can literally touch the riders - some fans even give them a high five or pass them a water bottle as they ride past. Last year Mom and Dad went early only to discover the barricades went up after they got there. Dad realized for the last 2.5 km or so there are barricades, as well as at the top of a climb or a major checkpoint. The hardcore Tour fans camp out. This way they get to the route the night before (meaning before the roads are closed), park on the side of the road and camp. This way they have an established spot early on, with shade, food, and anything else you need, and they can ride their bikes up and down the climb all day until the Tour rolls in. (Or they can hike, sleep, wave their flags, or just drink beer). It really is a party and the crowd following the Tour is like a makeshift city, a whole culture of fanatics out for a good time.

Dad and I did not camp, but we were out the door before 6 am to drive over to the ski resort town of Avoriaz, the and of the final climb of the stage. Of course, we couldn't get all the way into Avoriaz. We parked a bit down the mountain and took the ski lift up to the top, then we hiked down the mountain about 3.2 km or so until we found a good spot to park it for the day. Believe me, it was far from empty even in the early morning. There were RVs, cars, and tents lining the streets all the way down the final climb. We took a day about 2-3 weeks ago to drive to Morzine (the bottom of the final climb) and follow the route up to Avoriaz. There were over 20 switchbacks of steep climbing (we drove it in extreme fog as well), so we knew that a spot relatively near the top would be great.

Of course, once you get there and stake out a spot you have about 5 hours to kill before the riders actually pass. The forecast said it would be rainy, but it was sunny and hot all day. Fortunately, there was plenty of shade and we had plenty of food and drinks. All morning long cycling enthusiast ride up the climb on their bikes, wearing the jersey of their favorite rider or team. Obviously, we had no television to watch the events, but eventually the cops come through and clear the roads and about an hour before the riders come up the caravan comes past, all the sponsors in floats and cars, tossing out candy, hats, water, and other goodies to the crowds before the riders come through. Dad had hos blackberry so we were able to get live updates on the status of the race as the riders approached.







Early on in the stage there was a breakaway of 7 riders, which was eventually reduced to just 3. The peloton was completely broken up, but riders do their best to stay in groups and share the workload up the hills. Riding in the slipstream of another rider allows you to exert 30% less energy, so a group of riders will take turns riding at the front setting the pace. The group just behind the lead breakaway included both Contador and Schleck, as well as several other top contenders for the yellow jersey. Lance Armstrong fell behind early, caught up in three crashes throughout the day and was unable to keep the pace with the elite group of riders. The yellow jersey also fell far behind, as well as all the sprinters, who thrive on the flat stages and struggle in the mountains.

Just 2-3 km before our location the Contador/Schleck group caught the breakaway, so we knew these would be the lead group. We were located at a turn about 3.2km from the finish. (Sorry Patrice, we watched the VS coverage when we got home, and right about where we were located they cut to Lance Armstrong, and then bring it back literally right after the spot we were located so you can't see us. But, you can at least get a good idea for our location). We were in a great spot on the inside of the turn so the riders came by literally right at the edge of the road in front of us. I felt as if I were in the way almost, but they don't flinch at all with all the crowds so near. Contador was the second rider, riding in the slipstream of his teammate, and Andy Schleck was just behind him. As they headed up the hill and under the 1 km mark, Andy Schleck made a move and attacked. Contador was unable to stop him, and Andy won his first Tour stage. The yellow jersey changed hands to the rider Cadel Evans, with Schleck now 20 seconds behind in second and Contador a minute behind in third. These gaps are quite small, as the mountain stages can open up gaps of five minutes or more. Anything can happen in the next few stages, but chances are those stages will be decisive in the yellow jersey competition for the Tour.

There was a long string of riders that kept coming up the hill, remnants of the first group which had broken up somewhat on the final climb, the Lance Armstrong group, the yellow jersey group, the polka dot jersey group, some groups very small or even single riders, some groups a bit larger. Lastly, the sprinters, a good deal behind the first group of the day. Lance Armstrong came past us about 6-7 minutes after the first group, but he went on to finish at 11 minutes behind that group, leaving him in a position he will not be able to recover from to win this year.

Bordeaux Part 3/3

Planning trips is stressful. As I was researching where to go and what to do it was hard to decide where to start and figure out what to do. However I knew early on that St. Emilion would either be a good place to stay or at the very least a good place to visit. I found a tour guide who is also a wine grower in St. Emilion and she offered a variety of tours, from an organic wine tour, to a wine/food pairing class, to a tour of the city including visiting some wineries. I finally decided on the tour of the Medoc knowing Dad would really want to see that part. Having a completely wine focused day I settled on the St. Emilion tour which I knew would be right up Mom's alley. While the day in the Medoc was amazing, I think the day in St. Emilion was the favorite all around. If anyone wants to plan a trip in Bordeaux, call me I have good recommendations!

We met Caroline, our tour guide, outside the tourist office and she started the day at the top of the church tower to provide the best views of the region and the city while giving us a little historical background. This was a very charming city (better than the city of Bordeaux) and home to the largest underground monolithic church in Europe. Monolithic=carved entirely out of one piece of stone, rather than being built up with many stones. the Church tower was built later above the monolithic church. Unfortunately, no photos were allowed underground, but it was impressive.

In the Medoc there is the 1855 Napoleonic Classification which so kindly overlooked every other region in Bordeaux. Some areas remain unclassified while others have come up with classifications of their own. In St. Emilion the first classification was made in 1955, and it is reviewed and updated every ten years. The classifications here are a bit easier to determine. There are the 1st (Premiere) Grand Cru Classes. These are divided in two groups A and B. There are only two wineries in group A (one being Cheval Blanc from Sideways) and another 13 or so in group B. Then there are the Grand Cru Classes. There are about 45 wineries or so. So when you have a Grand Cru Classe from St. Emilion you are drinking wine from one of the top 60 wineries (and there are hundreds of wineries, so you are doing pretty good). Below that is Grand Cru, also not bad. Given that these are updated more frequently it seems to make a little more sense and be a better guarantee of quality, although there is a certain degree of politics that goes into the rankings here as in anywhere.

Leaving the clocktower, he headed to the cellars of Chateau Gaudet. You would never imagine the nondescript door in the middle of the city opened up to a wonderful old home with a lovely garden and extensive wine cellars. The Gaudet winery has been in the same family since the 1860s and is named for the lawyer who lived here during the French Revolution. Being somewhat of a target, he hid in his cellars below the city until he was eventually beheaded and guillotined. Today the cellars are crammed with wine bottles in every corner and include the private collection of the owner, although he preferred we didn't take pictures of that area. The walls of the cellars even have a drawing that has been dated to the revolutionary period in France.

The wineries of St. Emilion typically make up only a tenth of the acreage of the huge Chateaux of the Medoc. While most of the vineyards of the Medoc are owned by investors and corporations, a great deal of the wineries in St. Emilion are small and family owned, many for centuries. The properties are thus a bit more rustic, and the methods used a bit more traditional and small scale, but it only adds to the charm.

We tasted the 2005 as well at the 2007 vintages of the Chateau Gaudet. The winery is a Grand Cru Classe, so among the top 60 wineries in the appellation. Both wines were lovely, and for a much better price than any of the wines of the Medoc. Like the others we tasted, the 2007 was smooth enough to drink already, while the 2005 will age very well. I bought a bottle of the 2003 vintage, but I don't plan to drink it too soon...

Several other people toured this winery with us, and being the small world that it is I met a girl who is moving to Portland about a month after me, so she gave me her number. Funny how you meet people in the most random places. She was there with a coworker, they work for Trek Tours and are following the Tour de France this year, so Dad was very excited to talk to them about it. (We are going to a stage on Sunday and another on Tuesday).

After a very nice lunch we went outside the city to visit another Chateau, this time another organic vineyard. Our tour guide Caroline (herself a biodynamic grower) had actually never been to this winery. We had probably the nicest tour of the trip here at Chateau Coutet. Xavier (grower and winemaker) greeted us outside and we walked all over the vineyards. He talked all about the history, the land, the methods, the family. This vineyard has been in his family for over 400 years. It has never in its history been sprayed with herbicides or pesticides, a truly rare thing to find. Because of this, the land still has flowers from the Roman period, which have died nearly everywhere else as they are sensitive to the pesticides. He himself did not takeover the Chateau until recently (I think its been about ten years?). As me mentioned, due to the politics of the system, his winery was downgraded from a Grand Cru Classe to a Grand Cru in the 1985 classification. He feels this is mostly in part to the fact that the Chateau itself has not been well kept up, and there is a certain image to uphold to maintain classification. He has made it his goal to restore the Chateau to the Grand Cru Classe in the 2016 classification.

As we walked around the property, we ate organic apricots from his tree, viewed his favorite hunting spot, and he showed us an old well he recently discovered on his property that was built by the Romans. He also pointed out the land of his neighbors (who regularly spray their grapes) and showed us the difference in the earth beneath the conventional vs organic vines. He discussed the different soils of his terroir as he is located on a hill and the soils change from the foot of the hill to the plateau above. Each plot of land has a name, and his property has beautiful trees which he feels contributes to the terroir and will not cut down despite the fact that another grower might simply get rid of them to plant more vines.

We tasted his 2006 vintage - it took him awhile to find the corkscrew because his daughter had a birthday party the night before! Being demoted from Grand Cru Classe meant his prices were even better despite the fact that the wine was of high quality, so I also got a bottle here of the 2005 vintage (which Xavier said was an excellent choice) but again I think it is one to hold on to for awhile. I read the review from Wine Spectator (90 pts) which said it could be aged 50-75 years, but I don't think I'll wait quite that long...

Our guide Caroline left us with a bottle of her wine from 2006, and we enjoyed a beautiful evening in St. Emilion. We had dinner in the square and toured the underground church before heading back to the Chateau Bellevue where we stayed. All in all, it was a great trip, with good food and good wine. Stressful planning aside, it paid off. I don't think we could have asked for a better weekend. I'm ready to go back already......

A few more photos:

Bordeaux Part 2/3

Our first day touring was in the Medoc. I will give a bit of a background on the area and its wines, that hopefully is not too boring and a bit educational.

The Medoc is on the left bank of the Gironde River. The area is home to the famous appellations of Margeaux, Pauillac, St. Julien, St. Estephe, and others. The land lies between the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Gironde River to the right.

Recall the five grapes of Bordeaux are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petite Verdot and Malbec. Most people equate Bordeaux with Cabernet Sauvignon. However, the most widely planted grape in the region is actually Merlot, which accounts for 50% of the acreage. (In the Medoc appellation however, Cabernet Sauvignon is the main grape with Merlot and lesser amounts of Petite Verdot).

A few words on Merlot: this grape has gotten a bad rap from one little line in one little movie. Before Sideways, Merlot was a huge success, in fact the most popular red wine varietal in America. Merlot is a good wine for beginners because it has low tannins and is thus more drinkable. In addition, it is harvested earlier than other varietals, making it a good insurance policy for the winegrower, having Merlot to fall back on if bad weather damaged the Cabernet crop. In case you haven't seen Sideways or don't remember, the infamous line is made by Miles before going on a double date :"If anyone orders Merlot, I'm leaving. I am NOT drinking any fucking Merlot!" After the movie, Merlot suddenly had a decline in the American market. In addition, sales (and prices) of Pinot Noir went up, up, up. (Merlot is making a comeback and is still the most popular red varietal). FYI the Cheval Blanc Miles drinks at the end of the movie, his cellar prize that he was saving for a special occasion...guess what, it is a Merlot/Cabernet Franc blend. They don't tell you that though...

Back to the Medoc. In 1855 Napoleon commissioned wine brokers to classify the great wines of Bordeaux for the Paris Exposition to bring attention to the great wines of the region. The end result was the 1855 Classification. The brokers got together and came up with the 1855 Classification. As far as red wines go, every single Chateau was from the Medoc (except one). These brokers classified the wines based almost solely on their market price at the time, and the Classification has never been changed. It ranks Grand Cru Classes from 1st to 5th growths, 1st being the most prestigious. Despite the fact that the Chateaus have changed hands over the years, with different winemakers and different levels of quality, the rankings have never changed. However, a certain level of quality is expected from the Grand Cru Classes, but a second growth might not be better than a third or fourth, although it will probably be more expensive.

The Premier (1st) Grand Cru Classes of the Medoc are very prestigious, such as Chateau LaTour or Chatau Margaux, and very expensive (Think 800 Euro per bottle). I booked us a tour which included three Grand Cru Classe winery tours. We went to a second growth: Chateau Lascombes in Margaux, a third growth: Chateau Branaire-Ducru in St Julien, and a fifth growth: Chateau Pontet-Canet in Pauillac. (The fifth growth in my opinion was the best).

Chateau Lascombes was certainly the most modern of all the vineyards we visited. The French are obsessed with terrior which includes the soil, the microclimate, and the winemakers themselves. It is very important to grow the right grape for the right area. Chateau Lascombes acquired new owners in 2001 who analyzed the soil. They discovered that unlike the gravelly soil that makes up most of the Medoc and is great for Cabernet Sauvignon, their land actually had more limestone which is better for Merlot. Thus this Chateau plants 60% Merlot which is unusual for this area. They use a modern racking system which was developed in California, and this was the only winery we saw that used this. I think this is the reason why this cellar and its barrels were so clean. Usually the barrels are stained with wine. Each Chateau also has two labels. The first label, which bears the Grand Cru Classe is blended with their oldest vines. The younger vines go into the second and less expensive label, which typically has a different name, usually something to commemorate the original owner or family of the Chateau. Then for the tasting! We sampled the 2007 Chateau Lascombes. The blend was 50%Merlot, 45%Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petite Verdot. We all agreed it was a well balanced wine, blackberry fruits on the start with smooth tannins and a long dry finish. While it could certainly be aged it was very drinkable already. As the weekend progressed we noticed that the 2007 vintage in general tasted more "ready to drink" than the 2005 or 2006, which were good but definitely would improve with more aging.

Next stop Chateau Branaire-Ducru in St. Julien. For some reason I have no pictures of this vineyard, but it was the least memorable of the trip for me anyhow. We tasted their "second label" Duluc 2007 first. This was 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 3%Petite Verdot. This was followed by The Chateau Branaie-Ducru 2006 as well as the 2009. The blend percentages vary slightly in each one. The best wine of the group was the 2009, which is actually still in barrels. It was quite young (obviously) and after some aging should be a very nice wine. The second label was nice but nothing special. I won't describe the smell, color and taste of everything we tasted because that can get a bit old, especially if wine is not your thing. (Not to mention a good portion of it is bullshit - everyone has a different sense of taste and smell, and no one is ever wrong).

The highlight of the day was Chateau Pontet-Canet. When I booked our Medoc Tour via email, the tour guide asked me for a brief description of our relationship to wine. Are we simply tourists, wine enthusiasts, or work with wine? I responded truthfully that we are all wine enthusiast and that I am a wine buyer at Whole Foods which is an organically focused store. Well, being a "wine professional" can get you some perks. Apparently they though I was a bit more important that I am, but I'm not complaining. They booked us a tour at a biodynamic vineyard and made sure that the vineyard manager himself joined us to tell us about the vines.

(Now I'll educate you about Organic wine.) Organic wine is apparenlty confusing to a lot of people, as I have learned since people ask me more questions about it at work than anything else. There are still very few wines that carry the USDA certified organic label. In order to carry this label, there must be no added sulphates. (Also called Sulfur Dioxide or SO2). Sulphates are a naturally occuring part of grapes, but winemakers also add more (they clean the barrels with it to kill microorganisms) and it also acts as a preservative. Some people are allergic and many people think this is what causes the red wine headache. However, there are far more sulphates in white wine than in red wine, so the conclusion is that something else (perhaps tannins) cause headaches. So a USDA organic wine will probably still have some sulphates, but a much lower amount as they are only naturally occurring. If you open a bottle of organic wine you probably want to drink it all, it won't hod as well.

However, there are far more wines on the market now that say "made with organically grown grapes." These do not carry the organic logo because they still have sulphites added. Grapes are among the top ten fruits containing the most pesticides (as well as apples, strawberries, and peaches, and you can't wash it off). This is measured by the pesticide residue on the grapes you eat (and drink). These millions of gallons of pesticides are also washed into the oceans along with chemical fertilizers where they create dead zones. More concerning is they wind up in your drinking water. Virtually all municipal drinking water in the US has pesticide residue. (Just one of many reasons to support organic farmers). Ok, that was my organic push ;-) So, it is a good thing to see wineries starting to take notice and grow their grapes by following organic practices. Many farmers still feel it is impossible to grow without pesticides (I wonder how they did it all those hundreds of years..) and while it can be a harder process, those who do it are passionate that they are reaping more rewards for it. (Be good to the terroir, and it will be good back to you).

Well, there are organic grapes, and then there are biodynamic grapes. This takes an even more holistic approach, taking into account the relationship between the soil, plants, and animals, viewing the farm itself as a complete organism. This is the path that Chateau Pontet-Canet has chosen. While conventional farmers are spraying copper on their vines to protect from mildew, Pontet-Canet is spraying an herbal infusion of stinging nettle leaf. Jean-Michele, the vineyard manager, is the man who converted the farm to biodynamic and he joined us to talk about what he described as his "only passion." While a regular organic farm still uses machinery and trims the stalks in the middle of the growing season, Chateau Pontet-Canet realized the machines were packing the soil to firmly, and have switches to using horses, and rather than trimming the vines in the middle of the season Jean-Michele arranges his vines in a bridge formation, allowing the vines to concentrate on nourishing her grapes, rather than growing new leaves to replace those which were just cut off.

Everyone at Pontet-Canet spoke with a little more passion in their voices, a little more conviction that what they were doing was good for the land and good for the wine. Jean-Michele spoke with more passion for his work than I have ever heard. Everything about the vineyard was truly rewarding. Including, of course, the wine. We tasted the 2009 vintage. We all agreed it was our favorite wine of the day (and the trip). Later we discovered that it was awarded 100 points from Robert Parker (not bad at all). Unfortunately it is not on the shelf yet as it is still in barrels so we couldn't purchase a bottle. The blend was 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petite Verdot. Jean-Michele interestingly believes that 90% of the wine is crafted in the vineyard itself, and the winemaking process accounts for no more than 10% of the end product. Everyone at Pontet-Canet agreed that the vineyards are healthier since the conversion. The reputation of the wines has also been very good and consistent for the past 5 years. The Chateau does not announce anywhere on its label that it is biodynamic or organic. They feel that this would lower their standing and look as though they were simply catering to a market trend. Instead, they are simply following a practice they believe in and that they believe will produce superior wines. Terrior includes the people, not just the land, and in this case the passion of these people really went into producing a great wine. (I looked up a few more reviews after I got home.."near perfect" seems to be the general concensus).

Another fun fact: Fortune magazine conducted a blind taste test with head sommeliers and a Master of Wine. They tested 10 biodynamic wines with their conventional counterpart. 9 of the ten chosen by the experts turned out to be biodynamic. I have heard lot of people in my work who turn their nose up at an organic wine because they feel it will be inferior (are they the same people who turn their nose up at a Merlot because of a line in a movie)? Wine snobs are such snobs...like I said, it's mostly bullshit!
We had a great first day in the Medoc, and another great day followed in St. Emilion. More on that to come. I will leave you with a few more photos.
IN the effort to be unique (superior?) each Chateau is constructed in a different style. These distinctions are supposed to eliminate confusion perhaps, but that is futile....

Wine Weekend in Bordeaux Part 1/3

Another one to check off my list: I have been wanting to go wine tasting in France since the last time I was here but somehow it never happened. (until now!) There are vineyards aplenty in Switzerland that we could visit, but none really worth mentioning. (Don't tell the Swiss) Apparently they have good whites, but I don't care much for white wine, and so far I have not had a good red, and neither has anyone else I have spoken to.
In any case, it is hard to beat a good Bordeaux, so that is where I wanted to go. French wine is confusing to many people (including even the French) because unlike in America, wines are labeled not by the varietal but by the region. You are simply expected to know which wines come from each region. Furthermore, each region has its own classifications, which are theoretically supposed to help minimize the confusion by classifying the best wines, but really only add more confusion for most people. Mom and Dad made a trip last year to Beaune, which is in Burgundy. The main wines of Burgundy are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. So if you see a bottle of Bourgogne Rouge, you know it is 100% Pinot Noir. However, there is a sub-region of the Bourgogne called Beaujolais, which produces Gamay. So a Beaujolais, which is part of Burgundy, (which is supposed to be Pinot Noir) is 100% Gamay. I think the French want you be confused. But I digress. Wine tasting in France is not like wine tasting in California, although this is due in part to the fact that wine is marketed very differently. I'll get into that later, but while in California you can simply show up and pay to taste a few wines, in France many of the Chateaux are not open to the public, and none of them have open tasting rooms.
Mom and Dad found themselves unable to visit any wineries in Burgundy and were stuck tasting and wine shops instead. Rumor has it that Bordeaux is a bit more tourist friendly, but I can't really compare. All I know is, you have to book in advance, which I made sure to do. I wanted to go to Bordeaux and thus I took it upon myself to plan the trip for the 4th of July weekend.

So, some Bordeaux basics: there are five (red) grapes of Bordeaux. These are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petite Verdot. The AOC are the appellation laws in France, and they dictate rules such as the grapes which can be planted in each region etc. (There are also white wines such as Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, but the areas we went to were really red wine areas and as I said before I don't care for whites, neither does Dad, and Mom only likes Chardonnay which is from Burgundy and not Bordeaux).


Furthermore, there are sub-regions (appellations)within Bordeaux, such as The Medoc, St. Emilion, Pomerol, and so on. Then these subregions are divided even moreso: for example in the Medoc there is Margeaux, Pauillac, St.Estephe, and so on. In order to be classified as a Bordeaux, the wine must be grown, vinted, and bottled within Bordeaux. If the wine has St. Emilion on the label, it must have been all within the St. Emilion sub-region. To carry the name of the Chateau, it must all be carried out on the property of the Chateau. Then there are classifications for the best Chateaux, the Grand Cru vineyards which command the highest price, although they are not guaranteed to be the highest quality. (more on that later) All the Bordeuax wines MUST be blended. I find this interesting, because many people in the US consider a blend to be an inferior wine, while in Bordeaux this is the requirement. I will say that some of the best wines I have had were blends, but then again, so were some of the worst. There are no guarantees until you open the bottle and taste it. Are you confused yet? Well the Grand Cru classifications differ per area as well. The Grand Cru Classes of the Medoc were classified in 1855 and have never changed. The Grand Cru Classes of St. Emilion were classified in 1955 and are reviewed every 10 years. Some areas of Bordeaux have no classifications. I will explain these later, and try to keep it concise and not too confusing.

Unlike in California, where the vineyards are irrigated and every vine is watered to a precise amount (extremely wasteful I might add), in France, irrigation is not allowed. The vines are not watered but must instead rely on mother nature. This is a big reason why the vintage is so important in French wines. While in California the wineries can produce a wine that is consistently the same year after year, in France the weather affects the crop. In addition the blending will be tweaked a bit differently depending on the quality of the crop. Thus a year with perfect weather conditions will be highly anticipated. The last legendary year for Bordeaux was 2005, but the 2009 vintage had a great year and is thus also another highly anticipated release. The 2009 vintage is currently aging in oak barrels, but we did get to taste a few.

Another big difference between France and other wine producing areas is that in France the wine futures are pre-sold directly to brokers. Because of this, there is little reason for the vineyards to open their doors to the general public, as the wine is not really sold this way. While the area is becoming more open and tourist friendly, it is still quite different than California or other wine regions of the world.


I wanted the weekend to be a success, so as I said I booked everything in advance. We stayed at a Chateau near the village of Blaye. While the Chateau was not a wine-growing Chateau, it was a lovely bed and breakfast set among the vineyards near the Gironde River. For wine tasting I chose to focus on two regions: The Medoc and St. Emilion. The Medoc is the home to probably the most famous (and expensive) wines in the world. The grapes grown in the Medoc are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petite Verdot. I booked a tour that included a driver to take us to three Grand Cru Classe vineyards in the Medoc.
The second day I chose St. Emilion. The town of St. Emilion is a wonderful medieval town that has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the vineyards of the St. Emilion appellation produce mostly Merlot and Cabernet Franc, with lesser amounts of Petite Verdot and Malbec. I found a tour guide who is an organic winemaker herself to give us a tour of St. Emilion and show us to two Grand Cru Classe vineyards in St. Emilion.

I have a lot to say about our days wine tasting so I have decided to divide this entry into three parts. I will dedicate one to the Medoc and one to St. Emilion. Everything else will go to this one you are reading, and I will post about the Medoc tomorrow. If I feel up to it I might add them both tomorrow, we shall see.

We drove the car from Lausane all the way to Bordeaux, which was an 8 hour drive. I only planned a four day trip, which meant that two of those days were spent driving. I figured Dad had to work but once we arrived at the Chateau he decided he could spare another day. So on Sunday we had no plans made in advance and decided to go into the town of Bordeaux itself. Our host Petra recommended we visit the outdoor Sunday Market, which was a good recommendation. We bought some bread, strawberries, beer and oysters (each from a different vendor stand) and sat by the river to enjoy our lunch. We then rented some bikes and rode around the city a bit. It was a nice relaxing day after trekking all over the previous two days.

I'll add a few more photos and will have plenty more to post tomorrow on the Medoc.

The view from the back porch of the Chateau where we ate breakfast and relaxed in the evenings...

And don't I just look lovely in the morning... Nothing beats a French breakfast with Croissants! Mom was really freaked out by the quail eggs even though I told her they taste just like eggs. After I had some and Dad had some and agreed with me she got over it and enjoyed them as well.


Enjoying oysters at the market in Bordeaux

Another photo of our accommodations at the Chateau Bellevue