Le Tour du Vin
Every July, millions tune in to see the grandest cycling event in the world. But it’s not just the bike tournament itself that enchants us: the architecture, sunflowers, mountains and TV helicopters, all of it makes for the summer’s best sporting show. And alongside the Tour, which one thing is synonymous with France? Wine, of course.
From the vineyards of Alsace to the caves of Bordeaux, from Asterix’s barrel to Gérard Depardieu’s cellar, wine is the cultural blood of the country, with its history reaching back to the Roman Empire (santé, Caesar!). And wine isn’t simply about quenching your thirst and getting merry, it’s about the land – the terroir. Each region has its own distinctive soil, climate and, of course, grape varieties. Once those grapes become wine, it can be the ultimate expression of the land from which it’s grown.
The main wine regions are traditionally listed as Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhône, Alsace, Champagne, Loire, Languedoc and Provence. And using the Grand Boucle as a virtual wine tour is the perfect way to discover each. This year’s route takes a clockwise ‘loop’, heading from Calais down to the Alps, and then southwest to cross the Pyrenees, and finally back up to Paris. So, rather than give you a rundown of each stage of the race, here instead is a general classification of grand crus and world champion vintages that come from the fertile soils of France.