The Vagabonds set out on a French adventure across eight diverse locations seeking to expand our knowledge and appreciation of the history, culture and cuisine of this intriguing country.
Dordogne
We pack the Peugeot and drive for two days northeast to the Dordogne Valley in the Aquitaine, east of Bordeaux (aka the Périgord region). It rains most of the way and we see from the flooded fields and swollen rivers that it has been a very wet year here. This is a land of castles. The Hundred Years War (mid-1300’s to mid-1400’s) between the French and English was largely fought here. The Dordogne River was the boundary between English and French lands at that time.
This castle was built in the 1100’s. It was owed by Eleonore of Aquitaine, wife of Louis VII of France, later the wife of Henry Plantagenet who became Henry II of England. Her children include Richard I (the Lionheart) who stayed at the castle for a time in the late 1100’s.
The castle is in remarkable condition with thick stone walls, a large banquet room, and well-worn stone steps. It has a spectacular, panoramic view of the river, surrounding countryside, and of rival castles at Castelnaud, Montford, Domme, and Roque-Gageac.
We do a pet-sit for a couple who are away on holiday. Their home is a couple hundred year-old renovated farmhouse in a rural area. Like most of the buildings here it is crafted of limestone. The dogs love to walk the nearby trails and chase balls.
This is also a land of farmers’ markets. There are markets at different villages almost every day of the week. The stalls line the streets selling fruits and vegetables, cheeses, meats, sausages (especially duck), breads, plus all manner of household goods, pottery, and artwork. The villages have a medieval feel with old stone buildings, and narrow winding stone streets.
And, of course, this is a land of sturdy churches with ancient frescos and beautifully sculpted gardens.
Humans have lived in the Dordogne for at least 14,000 years. They were nomadic hunter-gatherers following the herds of deer, horse, and bison. They often lived in local caves, and at times painted vivid images of animals on the walls and ceilings of others. We visit some of these caves to see the artwork.
Grotte de Font-de Gaume is the only French cave with prehistoric multicolored paintings still open to the public. It limits visitors to 98 per day in order to protect the artwork from the inadvertent effects of human exposure (e.g. CO2, temperature fluctuations, microbes). The cave was formed by geological activity, not by river water; it is just a few hundred twisty meters long and fifty meters high. The width varies from less than one-half meter to a couple of meters. The entrance is high on the hill overlooking the valley. Inside there are 230 paintings of animals (e.g. bison, horse, bulls) on the walls and ceilings made between 10,000 and 15,000 years ago. The precise age of the paintings is not confirmed because the pigments used were mineral, not organic, so reliable age-dating tests do not yet exist.
At Lascaux the original cave is closed to minimize deterioration but they cleverly made a full scale recreation of the largest part of the cave – all above ground. Vivid colors in the first section of the cave are due to the soft rock that absorbed the red, yellow and black colors of the paintings. Less vivid colors in the second section of the cave are due to the limestone, a rock that is harder and absorbed less of the pigment. Many of the animals appear to be in motion, and very few dangerous animals (cave bears, cave lions) are represented.
Why did the Cro-Magnons paint in these caves? It was difficult and probably dangerous work. Inside the cave is pitch black; the floors are uneven; ladders or scaffolds would be needed to reach the ceiling areas; and sometimes wild animals resided in the caves. And few people at the time of their creation would ever see the paintings, hidden away in dark caves. Was it for religious reasons? Perhaps it was to pass on stories and histories? No one knows.
Aquitaine
The vagabonds head west to the Atlantic coast. We spend a couple of days along the beach eating oysters and watching the locals' boules (aka bocce) games. Then we spend several days in the charming city of Bordeaux.
It is a “mini-Paris” with broad boulevards; grand buildings; solid, white limestone buildings. Yet it is compact enough to be walkable. The population is young. There are lots of sidewalk cafes.
Some of the sights of Bordeaux:
Monument aux Girondins: a 43 meter high column paying tribute to the Revolution; it is at the head of the Esplanades des Quinconces, one of the largest open plazas in France.
The Grosse Cloche: the “big bell” belfry set in the defensive gate from the 1200’s.
Grand Theatre: the opera house
Place de la Bourse (originally known as the Place Royale) along the main harbor. It is Versailles-like to demonstrate the wealth of the city; it was the place where foreign dignitaries were welcomed.
The richly decorated baroque Eglise Notre-Dame.
Bordeaux is called the Crescent City because the Garonne River makes a big curve where Bordeaux is located. The river is 400 meters wide here. In the early 1970’s the harbor moved north of the city and much of the city fell into disrepair. Then in the late 1990’s the city revival began, fueled by tourism. Underground parking lots were build; car-free zones were established; buildings were cleaned back to their former white condition; construction regulations were passed to keep the character of the old city. Now 3,000 people per year move into Bordeaux and real estate prices are among the highest in France.
Loire Valley
Fontevraud-l’Abbaye
Our next pet sit is in the Loire Valley near Chinon. It is for a British couple who are spending a week in Madeira at a family reunion. It’s their first time so we share as much about the island as we can. They live in a renovated rural farmhouse with a middle age terrier and an old cat. The house abuts a 10-meter cliff, so like many properties along the cliff, the house has storage caves that extend 5 to 10 meters under the cliff.
The property is just outside the village of Fontevraud Royal Abbey. At its height, this was one of the largest, most prestigious abbeys in Europe; it ran about 100 other affiliated priories in France, England and Spain, with 800 to 3,000 members in the Order. The Frontevraud Abbey itself could accommodate 700 members. It thrived for almost 700 years, until the Revolution dissolved church properties.
The Abbey was founded in 1101 by Robert d’Arbrissel, a priest and controversial traveling preacher who attracted many to the religious life. He wrote a Rule of Life based on the teachings of St. Benedict for this new Order of Fontevraud. Unlike other orders, his was open to both men (monks) and women (nuns) and he decreed that the head of the order would be a woman (Abbess). There were 36 Abbesses from 1115 until 1792, many of whom came from noble or even royal families. Hence, the Abbey long had the protection and support of aristocrats.
Eleanor (aka Alienor) of Aquitaine made Frontevraud the necropolis of the Plantagenet kings and queens of England, and of the French kings. She spent the last two years of her life here. Consequently, 15 Plantagenets were buried at Fontevraud. Four of their wooden effigies have survived: Eleanor, Henry II, Richard the Lionheart, and Isabelle of Angouleme (wife of King John I).
Le Saut aux Loups (literally the wolf cave)
Nearby is a mushroom producer using the caves both as a museum explaining the recent history of mushroom farming, and for growing several types of ‘shrooms. We have not seen a mushroom farm before so it was interesting.
Chateau du Petit Thousars (pronounced "t-wars")
Also near the Abbey is a wine estate that has been in the same family since 1639. The chateau stands on a bluff and is imposing at first glance; upon closer inspection it is clear that much renovation is needed. The current owner and wine-maker is Sebastien du Petit Thousar who shared his wines with us. Like most in this area, he offers cabernet franc wines (he also experiments with a small amount of chenin blanc). In the early 1970’s, his father decided to replant these traditional vines and taught himself how to run a winery. Sebastien worked with him, learned much, and now runs the operation.
Saumur
This is one of the larger towns along the Loire River. We drive there for the busy Saturday morning farmer market. There are lots of small shops along the narrow streets in the center city and we find just what we want. A pleasant place.
The town surrounds the Chateau de Saumur castle which was owned by the counts of Anjou then the House of Plantagenet before being turned into a royal fortress in the early 1200’s during the reign of King Louis IX. Duke Louis I of Anjou (King Charles V's brother) turned it into an opulent palace during the second half of the 1300’s. It is still impressively situated above the Loire River, but sadly, the interior is now fairly empty.
Azay-le-Rideau
This chateau and the town that adopted its name are just east of Chinon. The chateau is a prime example of early Renaissance style located on a small island in the Indre River. In normal times the water reflects the majesty of the building; today, however, the water is high and fast-moving due to the abundant rains. The chateau was purpose-built for luxurious living inspired by both French and Italian architecture in the early 1500’s by Giles Berthelot, the treasurer to the king of France. By 1619, the chateau was further expanded and even hosted King Louis XIII. Luckily, the building escaped with little damage during the Revolution, and was renovated in the early-mid 1800’s.
Sancerre
On the eastern end of the valley, we find the hilltop town of Sancerre where the famous, crisp white wine originates. The rolling hills surrounding the town are filled with vineyards. The village itself is perched on top of a tall hill. There is a quaint limestone market town with a fairly large central square and many wine shops.
Burgundy
Beaune
Our gite is on a hillside about 3 km to the northwest of town. The initial days are sunny and unusually warm. We enjoy having an evening glass of wine on our patio overlooking hundreds of hectares of premier cru vineyards leading down to the level area where Beaune begins.
Soon, though, the weather turns rainy and chilly; we chalk it up to nurturing the vines.
Our niece, Janel, trains down from London to spend some time with us and we roam around the town which is very walkable and filled with shops for locals and tourists. The vagabonds recognize much from our last visit in 2012. One of the highlights is the Hospice de Beaune, a public hospital built in 1452 by Nicholas Rolin, a wealthy favorite (i.e. tax collector) of the Duke of Burgundy. At that time the population of Burgundy was decimated first by the plague (in the mid-1300’s) and then by the 100 Years War (mid-1300’s to mid-1400’s). Rolin built a hotel to care for the sick, and, of course, save his own soul through charitable acts.
The Hospice had 30 beds for the poor, 6 beds for those able to pay, a large kitchen for feeding the patients as well as giving bread to poor local residence, and a chapel. Eventually an apothecary was added. Care was provided by nuns and (unique for the time) by lay-women. A river ran under the property to provide water and carry away wastes. Medical techniques were, of course, primitive consisting largely of balancing the “humors” through blood-letting and enemas. Most of the poor patients died. Nonetheless, the hospice continued to practice at this location until 1971 when a new town hospital opened. It was supported since the beginning by vineyards that it owns in Burgundy. Even now, each November there is a big Hospice de Beaune wine auction event where barrels of its wine are sold for the upkeep on the Hospice.
Another favorite is the Joseph Drouhin cellars. They have been négociants and vineyard owners since 1880 and are still family operated. Interestingly, they have a network of caves / cellars running beneath the streets of Beaune; sections are as old as the 1300’s when the limestone was excavated by the monks.
On Saturdays there is a large farmers market in the center of Beaune. There are dozens of stands selling all of the normal market items. The aromas of lemon, apricot, sausage, and cheeses waft through the stalls. It brings in the crowds. We find many delicious things to try. And, of course, we find some delicious (if pricy) Burgundian wines.
Beaune is also a center for mustard-making. Edmond Fallot has operated a family owned moutarderie here since 1840. We tour of the production facility and learn about how it is done:
- Mustard has been made since Greek times. In the middle ages in Europe it was a major spice for poorer people since pepper was too expensive.
- Traditionally in Burgundy, mustard was made with mustard seed and verjus, the
unfermented juice of a special Burgundy grape with high acidity and low sugar.
When the phylloxera epidemic destroyed the grape, a mixture of water, vinegar
and salt replaced the verjus.
- Although most of the mustard seed now used in France is grown in Canada, Fallot
uses authentic Burgundian mustard seed that is smaller and more intense than
Canadian. The Burgundian limestone soil also contributes to its flavor profile.
- Production process: the whole mustard seed is mixed with verjus (either grape juice or water/vinegar/salt) and ground between stone wheels (to manage the temperature of the mustard as it is crushed). When crushed, the seeds release a bitter flavor so the mixture is put into vats for a day to mature. Then a centrifuge is used to separate the brown mustard seed hull (which is sold for animal feed); the result is Dijon-style mustard.
The big reason we are here in Beaune is Mary’s cooking class at The Cook’s Atelier! “Atelier” means an artist’s workshop or studio. This French cooking school is run by an American mother and daughter, Marjorie and Kendall, and Laurent, Kendall’s French husband. The school opened in 2009 and occupies a three story, narrow building.
The first floor is the wine and cooking equipment shop, a coffee bar, and a dish preparation area in back.
The second floor houses the kitchen and cooking instruction space.
The top story is for gathering and eating the wonderful foods that the cooking students prepare.
The class is set up for 10 students for 5 days. The morning ritual is to gather for coffee and pastries in the shop at 10 am, then head upstairs to the kitchen. By 3 pm the daily 5-course meal is ready and the feast begins!
A typical menu includes: an appetizer / starter (e.g. white asparagus; gravlax and oysters; radish in beurre), a second course (e.g. souffle; foie gras; consume), a main course (e.g. filet de boef; duck confit; sole meuniere; roast chicken; roast lamb), a cheese course, and a fruit pastry desert with coffee. Each course is paired with a premier cru or grand cru wine from the area.
Mary learns a lot of interesting French techniques and she gets to know many of her classmates. All 10 in this class are Americans. Two just bought a vegetable farm in Connecticut; one is on sabbatical in England, two run a waterproofing construction business in California, and one runs a ranch in Montana with her husband. They seem to range in age from about 30 to about 60.
When cooking school ends, the vagabonds visit other villages in Bourgogne. First, the Cote de Beaune area to the south. In Meursault we tour and taste at Chateau de Meursault.
The tour guide is a knowledgeable winemaker assistant who carefully explains:
- The medieval monks first grew grapes and made wines on land that was given to the church by wealthy people wanting to curry favor for their afterlife. The better land for crops was thought to be in the flatter valley areas; therefore, the monks got the poorer land on the softly rolling hillsides. Luckily, the monks learned that vines produce superior grapes when they struggle in rocky, poorer soil. Over the centuries the plots that yielded the best wine grapes were identified, named and rated.
- Climat is the term to designate a plot of vines progressively identified over the centuries by its characteristics and given a unique name. The production from each climat is vinified separately and the resulting wine carries the name of its climat – its place of origin. Bourgogne has 1,800 climats.
o Climat is a slightly different concept from terroir. Terroir refers to the very
local characteristics in which the wine grape grows, including the geology,
soil, slope, drainage, exposure, and climate characteristics giving it
distinctive features. Climat takes this concept further to designate a
particular, named vineyard area producing a single variety of grape.
- Over time the classifications of vineyards grew to many levels, to the point where it was confusing. In 1932 the system was simplified to the four tiers that exist today: Grand Cru (1% of total), Premier Cru (10%), Village (39%), Bourgogne (i.e. regional – 50% of total production). The average estate size is 6.5 hectares (16 acres). There are 3,500 wine-producing estates in Burgundy.
- There used to be more wine made in Burgundy. The desire for higher quality and prices gradually reduced the volume produced. Today production in Burgundy is about 200 million bottles per year (15 million cases) worth around 2.3 billion euro. This is 4% of French wine production and .5% of the world’s production. Half of Burgundy wine is exported. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the leading grape varietals grown. Blancs (white from the Chardonnay grape) compose 60% of production; Rouge (red from the Pinot Noir grape) is about 30%.
In Pommard we visit Domaine LeJeune, a small-ish pinot noir producer. It was owned by seven generations of women in the family, but was sold six months ago to a man who “just wants to make good wine”. We like the wines, especially the 2018 village vintage. The tasting room manager exhibits stereotypical French bravado, self-assurance, slight arrogance and abandon to destiny.
We continue on to Puligny Montrachet and have a glass of the local white at Caveau de Puligny-Montrachet, then stop at La Rochepot where there is a large chateau, St Romain which has a nice vista viewpoint above the village, and Pernand-Vergelesses which has a fine old golden-color stone church and a panorama viewpoint looking southward toward Beaune.
Later we head to the Cote de Nuits to the north. Here there are many very small, very old villages of white limestone and narrow, twisty streets. Some appear to be a bit more affluent, others not. Domaine’s abound but are working farms / wineries; not flashy.
First we find Magny-les-Villers, a very modest village at the beginning of the Cote de Nuits. Nuits-St-Georges, for which the region is named, is next. We notice that many of the vines here are taller than in the Cote de Beaune – perhaps a meter high – with more space between the rows, especially where the ground is more level so that a tractor can be used in the vineyard.
Vosne-Romanee is the next village we reach. It is the home of the famous Romanee-Conti grand cru vineyards; although these vineyards don’t look to us to be any different than others in this area. We pass Vougeot village where the monks from the abbey of Citeaux first built their wine-making facility, Chateau de Clos de Vougeot, in the 1100’s and perfected their knowledge of Burgundian terroir.
We also drive through Chambolle-Musigny and Morey-St-Denis to arrive in Gevrey-Chambertin where one-fourth of the grand cru vineyards in Burgundy are located. All are red wines. “Gevrey” is the historic name of the village; “Chambertin” is its most important vineyard. In the center of the village, we drop by Domaine Phillippe LeClerc for a tasting.
LeClerc, now 72, was the first tasting room to open in the village – in the early 1970’s. His large, multi-level shop is part tasting, part dining, part museum. Downstairs in the cellars are bottle storage (of course), a fireplace (!) and two large dining rooms each decorated with many stuffed animal heads (deer, boar, fish, etc); even some of the furniture is made with antlers for legs.
A knowledgeable and personable man revolves around the rooms orchestrating the tastings. He pours sips of six of LeClerc’s wines: a regional from 2020, two village from 2020 and 2021, three premier cru from 2016, 2017 and 2018. We discuss the differences with him:
- Although the plots (or climats) of these wines are very near each other, some are mostly clay soil, some limestone, some limestone with clay beneath which accounts for their differences. The premier cru vineyards are higher on the surrounding hills. The vines there are 40 to 70 years old and can have roots going down 15 meters or more.
- The temperature of the growing season significantly affects the grapes. For
example, in 2016 and 2020 the weather was hot and dry; the grapes were smaller,
more concentrated, and the wine is more complex. In 2021 there was more cool
and wet weather; the grapes are more fruity and medium bodied.
- He believes that the wines mature in an arc-like trajectory; at first they are young, fruity, and not as complex; then the fruit “stews” and the wine is best with everyday foods; then the fruit dissipates and wine is best with roasted meats or aged cheeses. Usually, the middle part of the arc occurs after 3 to 5 years. How long you age the wine depends on what flavor profile (what part of the arc) you prefer with your meal.
Back in Beaune, we discover that the village of Savigny-les-Beaune just north of us and is having an open-door wine festival. You buy a glass, walk around the village, and 17 wineries are open for tastings of their wares.
Each usually has 4 or 5 wines on offer ranging from regional wine to premier cru. Most are 2022, but there are also offerings at some sites back to 2018. And most are reds, since that is the dominant grape in this area. In addition, there is a musical group which wanders from winery to winery playing New Orleans jazz, and a family of magicians / animal trainers who perform in the central square. It is jovial, party atmosphere even though the weather is overcast. The village is generally upscale and prosperous, with a nice-looking chateau and park space.
The following weekend as we leave our gite for more touring, we see groups of people meandering toward the vineyards carrying little identical wineglasses, like we saw in Savigny-les-Beaune. After a quick google search we see that there is a wine fest today – Saveurs de Vignes – “vine flavors”! It is a 7 km walk through the vineyards of Beaune with 5 stops along the route for progressive courses of lunch and wines. A picnic in the vineyards!
We find the starting point, sign up, and join in. The festival brings the nicest weather we have had during our stay – sunny, bright skies, with a little breeze. There are a few hundred participants carefully following the marked path through the vineyards toward the tent with the next course of the meal and a refresh of wine. A 15-piece Dixieland style band plays at several of the venues. At the end of the day, there is a little party with a trio of Spanish guitar players. Nice day.
Our adventures continue in France, 2024: Part 2.
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