|
|
|
|
 |
|
In honor of the French grape harvest and fall wine making, we would like to share with you
a few of our properties from the many wine regions throughout France.
|
|
| Bordeaux |
 |
|
|
|
Located on the very southern edge of the pineau grape region, Le Petit Reve is an ideal location for wine lovers, with fascinating excursions, wine tours and day trips to famous wine villages.
Charming and comfortable restored home within a few miles of the Bordeaux "Grands Crus" and the Cognac region. "Claret", as the British call red Bordeaux, has been exported since Roman times. The region produces over forty-four million cases of wine per year.
Many of the world's most spectacular and sought-after wines come from this region, including Chateaux Lafite-Rothschild, Mouton-Rothschild, Petrus, Cheval Blanc, Haut-Brion, Latour, d'Yquem. The greatest red wines of Bordeaux come from the Medoc, Graves, Saint-Emilion and Pomerol vineyards. The red wines are almost always blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, with sometimes small amounts of Malbec and Petit Verdot. The white and dessert wines consist of mostly Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.
|
|
|
|
| Burgundy |
|
|
|
|
A sensational house, ideal for three couples, in a region of world famous vineyards and great cultural attractions.
North Burgundy produces sharp white Chablis and a wonderful Vézelay Bourgogne Blanc. Vézelay is a hill town crowned by Basilique Ste Marguerite where Kings planned the 2nd and 3rd Crusades in the 12th century. The charming countryside of Burgundy is dotted with villages whose names are those of famous wines: Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune, Côte Chalonnaise, Maconnais, and Beaujolais. The map of this whole region reads like a wine list: Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny, Vougeot, Pommard, Meursault.
Le Clos de Vougeot, a former monastery, has a wine cellar going back to the 1200's. Don't miss towns like Beaune, Tournus and Cluny where beautiful restored farmhouse "Le Plaisir" stands. The Benedictine Monastery in Cluny was founded in 910. Its power and influence, greater than Kings', were felt all over Europe. Impressive ruins are all that is left. South of Macon lies Beaujolais. The best Beaujolais "Crus" are as good as Burgundy and age as well. Not all Beaujolais is the cheap ubiquitous "Nouveau" version.
|
|
|
|
| Champagne |
|
|
|
|
"Grenelle" is a romantic one bedroom in the heart of the sought-after St. Germain-des-Prés area. If your party is larger, up to six, we recommend "Trinité", a luxurious apartment with large balcony and impressive view.
From Paris, an exciting day trip to the Champagne region with our favorite tour guide and chauffeur, Henri, will leave you with great memories. Henri will share knowledge of how champagne is made by world famous vineyards and small producers. Gourmet restaurants and beautiful churches abound. Reims, Epernay, and Chalons-en-Champagne are a few of the famous wine areas of Champagne.
Champagnes should be enjoyed cold but not too cold. After about 20 minutes in an ice bucket or 3 hours in the refrigerator, champagne is at the ideal temperature of 8-10 degrees Celsius. To open a bottle of champagne, remove the "Muselet", hold the bottom of the bottle in one hand and the cork in the other and make the bottle turn upon itself: the cork will come up easily.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
| Loire Valley |
|
|
|
|
La Chatelaine, a handsome, traditional Ile de France house sleeping up to eight, is conveniently located in the vicinity of 620 miles of wine country.
Vineyards were in this region before the Roman occupation, as the Celtic named village of Vineuil near Blois, testifies. In Touraine, as all over France, monks were at the origin of organized wine growing. From the white wines of Vouvray, Sancerre and Muscadet, to the red Bougueil, St. Nicolas de Bourgueil, Chinon, Cheverny, Cour-Cheverny, the Loire Valley wines are usually light, smooth and affordable. There is also a much-appreciated sparkling variety of Saumur white wine. François Rabelais, Gargantua's 'father', was born in Chinon and spent 30 years in different Loire Valley abbeys.
|
|
|
|
|
| France: Homestyle, your French vacation specialists. |
| To discontinue receiving these special offers, please send us an e-mail. |
|
|
|
|
