Grapevine: The Wines Along the Final Stages of the Tour de France
In my last two columns, readers have been immersed in my virtual tour of this year’s Tour de France. I’ve focused on the history of the Tour (103 years), the contestants (198 riders from 22 countries) and the route (21 stages over three weeks, covering 2,200 miles). The 12 million spectators along the course, and the 3.5 billion worldwide viewers have witnessed the race at its best – and worst.
On our virtual tour we also highlighted the broad range of artisanal French wines. At each stage of the race, wines are featured from local vineyards along the circuit.
The route, and the local grapes, began in Normandy on July 2, 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 traversed the Cahors (Malbec) and Languedoc (blends of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre) regions.
Last week, the route turned east, along the Mediterranean countryside into Provence (Rosé). The riders then headed 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.
This week is the final test of this grueling race. 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, a first. The final stage is the celebratory ride into Paris along the Champs-Élysées next Sunday, July 24.
The roads, hills and mountains along the route are dotted with so many wineries it is difficult to single out a handful as representative of the regions. So, for this leg of the Tour de France virtual tour, I turned to a reliable importer/distributor of fine French wines.
Serge Doré Selections, www.sergedoreselections.com, with headquarters in Chappaqua, is headed by its founder, Serge Doré and his highly knowledgeable assistant Robin Burke. For over 20 years he has sought out artisans who are typically small, multigenerational farmers, with unique wines but limited production, generally under 1,000 cases.
Here are Serge and Robin’s suggestions from the portfolio of excellent price/quality wines and are sold throughout The Examiner coverage areas. Most are current releases.
In the Languedoc and neighboring Roussillon regions, blended wines prevail. Just as bikers must rely on their core strengths to prevail, so too in this land of Syrah and Grenache blends. Dore recommends Domaine Clavel – Copa Santa (83 percent Syrah, 17 percent Grenache) competes well with much more popular wines – a sleeper in a crowded field.
Provence is generally considered the birthplace of reasonably priced Rosé. In today’s hotly contested arena for these wines, Dore recommends Domaine du Garde Temps – Tourbillon and Essencial de Paradis, both with Grenache bases.
As the race moves into the Rhone Valley, it is key for each team to select members that complement one another in support of the team leader. So too these wines. From the Southern Rhone, Dore recommends a blend from the Châteauneuf-du-Pape subregion: Domaine de Dionysos Cairanne (50 percent Grenache, 30 percent Syrah, 10 percent Mourvèdre and 10 percent Carignan), and one from the Gigondas subregion: Domaine du Grand Montmirail (60 percent Grenache, 30 percent Syrah, 10 percent Mourvèdre).
Moving north up into the Rhone region, performers with strong singular skills stand out. Here, Dore recommends a white from the Condrieu subregion (100 percent Viognier), a standout in a crowded field.
Down the homestretch in the Champagne region on July 24, everyone is in a celebratory mood. The winners have been decided and the losers lament what could have been. As Napoleon famously stated: “I drink Champagne when I win, to celebrate…and I drink Champagne when I lose, to console myself.” Dore recommends Fabienne Prie, Brut Reserve, and Philippe Prie, Brut Tradition.
I recommend you raise your wine glass to several of the selected wines, as an introduction to reasonably priced fine wines and to cheer on the Tour de France contestants. Dore recommends likewise.
Collectively, we have shared the jubilation of multiple riders donning stage-winning shirts, and first-timers and veterans exceeding expectations. And we watched as an injured and flu-infected veteran dropped out of the early race, visibly dejected.
Nick Antonaccio is a 40-year Pleasantville resident. For over 20 years he has conducted wine iNtastings 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.
