Following the Wines Produced Along the Tour de France
The 2016 Tour de France is in full swing. The first two of the 21 stages began last weekend at Mont-Saint-Michel in northwest France (near Normandy) and will conclude at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris on July 24.
Although I am not an avid biker (my engagement is leisurely weekend bike riding on county trails), I still follow the Tour de France as a spectator, if not an aficionado. I must admit my interest has waned since the (now disgraced) glory days of Lance Armstrong’s dominance. I now follow the race as much for its cultural intrigue as for its competitive intensity. The landscape, the spectators along the route and the signposts for famous wine cities and towns, all combine for a unique television/tablet experience.
The Tour de France is emblematic of the French joie de vivre. In every town along the route, the locals celebrate the Tour with picnic banquets of food, cheese and wine. The momentary distraction of the bikers passing through their towns enhances the conviviality of the daylong party.
I feel inspired – and compelled – to thread a wine theme into the professional sporting aspects of the Tour de France. For the next three weeks, I will tie in wines with the regions along the route. Having been to several of these regions, the race has become a virtual journey for me – with memories of wineries and wines – as well as an exciting sporting event.
The Tour de France has a long history and has become a national event in France. The 103rd race will bring out ardent supporters and casual spectators alike. It is estimated that 12 million people will line the course over the three-week competition, encouraging the bikers as they race by in the span of a few highly exhilarating minutes.
One of the most popular, and grueling, professional sporting events in the world, there are 198 riders, representing 22 countries, at the start of the race. The course covers 2,088 miles in four countries and passes through miles and miles of vineyards. While predominantly in France, it also traverses the Spanish and Andorran Pyrenees and the Swiss Alps.
In 2016, for the first time, local wines of France are being showcased at each stage of the event. This focus was not the promoters’ original plan. However, wine producers in Languedoc were threatening to protest, and even block, the roadways of the race in their southwestern region. They already received the attention of French politicians and the public last month when they commandeered wine tanker trucks coming into France from Spain and spilled thousands of gallons of wine into the road, protesting bulk foreign wines being permitted into the country (see my earlier column). The French wine showcases are meant to appease them.
The route, and the local grapes, begins in Normandy, wending its way south into the western Loire Valley (home to Muscadet, Vouvray and Chenin Blanc), then Spain and Andorra along the Pyrenees. Back into France, it traverses the Cahors (Malbec) and Languedoc (blends of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre) regions.
Next, east along the Mediterranean countryside into Provence (Rosé). The route then heads north, up the Rhone Valley (many blends, including Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Southern Rhone and Syrah in the Northern Rhone) and the steep, arduous Mont Ventoux.
After passing though Jura (Chardonnay), there is a brief ride into Switzerland, before turning west again, heading toward the foot of Mont Blanc. The bikers eventually pass through the outskirts of the Champagne region, for the first time in Tour history. The final stage is the celebratory ride into Paris along the Champs-Élysées.
Interested in celebrating the Tour de France with the above wines produced along the route? Visit your favorite local wine merchant for their recommendations. I have received samples of several representative wines from a public relations firm and will share my notes with you next week.
Nick Antonaccio is a 40-year Pleasantville resident. For over 20 years he has conducted wine tastings and lectures. He also offers personalized wine tastings and wine travel services. Nick’s credo: continuous experimenting results in instinctive behavior. You can reach him at nantonaccio@theexaminernews.com or on Twitter @sharingwine.
