Touring vineyards in France

Everything to do with cycling
User avatar
JohnToo
Hero Member
Hero Member
Posts: 620
Joined: 6 years ago
Location: Leatherhead

Touring vineyards in France

Post by JohnToo » 5 years ago

My wife and have conceived a romantic vision of a lazy tour in French sunshine, staggering from one wine tasting to another. Any suggestions or experience of the best way/place to turn that vision into something approaching reality?
0 x

Iris
Hero Member
Hero Member
Posts: 755
Joined: 5 years ago

Re: Touring vineyards in France

Post by Iris » 5 years ago

Unless you like the full-on snob experience, look for the caves co-operatives - likely to be spit and sawdust places where you can pick up a few litres of vin en vrac for a few Euros if you supply the bottle. Or you can buy bottles or bag-in-box for a bit more.

Many years ago we did a driving tour through Champagne, Beaujolais, Burgundy and Rhone - the length of France over about 3 weeks - and came back with a boot full of bottles. But do it this month or next, because no-one knows what the import duty situation will be like in April.
0 x

User avatar
JohnToo
Hero Member
Hero Member
Posts: 620
Joined: 6 years ago
Location: Leatherhead

Re: Touring vineyards in France

Post by JohnToo » 5 years ago

Iris wrote:
5 years ago
Unless you like the full-on snob experience, look for the caves co-operatives - likely to be spit and sawdust places where you can pick up a few litres of vin en vrac for a few Euros if you supply the bottle. Or you can buy bottles or bag-in-box for a bit more.

Many years ago we did a driving tour through Champagne, Beaujolais, Burgundy and Rhone - the length of France over about 3 weeks - and came back with a boot full of bottles. But do it this month or next, because no-one knows what the import duty situation will be like in April.
Thanks. I think the basic choice of bicycles may place some limit on the number of bottles involved....

Having driven through each of those wine regions, which would you feel lent itself to cycling best?
0 x

Iris
Hero Member
Hero Member
Posts: 755
Joined: 5 years ago

Re: Touring vineyards in France

Post by Iris » 5 years ago

A bike tour? A bike tour?! Why didn't you say? What is this? Some sort of cycling forum?!

In that case I'd suggest the Rhone valley. Less pretentious than the areas further north (mostly) and a wider range of wine styles, plus things to do other than drink and ride. And eventually you end up at the Camargue, which is gorgeous and wild.

Alternatively, there's always the Loire valley - but the weather is better further south.
0 x

User avatar
JohnToo
Hero Member
Hero Member
Posts: 620
Joined: 6 years ago
Location: Leatherhead

Re: Touring vineyards in France

Post by JohnToo » 5 years ago

:)
5EF7D731-5EFF-4A49-885A-E9E1A7FD456A.jpeg
1 x

User avatar
Joan
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 3117
Joined: 6 years ago

Re: Touring vineyards in France

Post by Joan » 5 years ago

Easter 2011 I spent a few days near Amboise, on the Loire. We took our folding bikes and had a lovely 30+km pootle around the area. Cycling was great, You could stay in the valley where most of the wineries had their "caves" or venture up into the hills where the vines were. There was a cycle path along the river, which is good and bad: it meant we got tooted on the road because drivers knew there was a cycle path parallel, but we didn't.

The hotel we stayed at which was very basic, but lovely in it's own way told me they the cyclists that departed as we arrived at to checkout had left most of their luggage with the hotelier, who was sending it on (via cab, I assume) to their next hotel.

There was a wine and food expo in the literal cave under Amboise. It was hot (even for 3 Australians in April) so we went underground. My partner noticed that they were reading numbers over the PA, and further that the numbers were on his entrance ticket. We won a hamper.

I would definitely recommend Amboise/Loire.
2 x

User avatar
Joan
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 3117
Joined: 6 years ago

Re: Touring vineyards in France

Post by Joan » 5 years ago

Oh, I've got that pootle on strava.

It's nearly an animal!

2 x

User avatar
Regulator
Global Moderator
Global Moderator
Posts: 1880
Joined: 6 years ago
Location: Cambridge

Re: Touring vineyards in France

Post by Regulator » 5 years ago

Joan wrote:
5 years ago
Oh, I've got that pootle on strava.

It's nearly an animal!



We were just along the road in Monteaux...

...albeit we were in a car (we had my mother with us).
0 x

User avatar
Greg
Hero Member
Hero Member
Posts: 634
Joined: 5 years ago

Re: Touring vineyards in France

Post by Greg » 5 years ago

Regulator wrote:
5 years ago
We were just along the road in Monteaux...

...albeit we were in a car (we had my mother with us).
I was just up the hill in the Novotel, I was only there one night though (work).

Have we all been to Amboise?
0 x

User avatar
Rutabaga
Hero Member
Hero Member
Posts: 1727
Joined: 5 years ago

Re: Touring vineyards in France

Post by Rutabaga » 5 years ago

I have been there too, on a CTC cycling holiday some years back. It was lovely.
2 x

ransos
Sr. Member
Sr. Member
Posts: 335
Joined: 6 years ago

Re: Touring vineyards in France

Post by ransos » 5 years ago

Greg wrote:
5 years ago

Have we all been to Amboise?
No.
0 x

User avatar
Regulator
Global Moderator
Global Moderator
Posts: 1880
Joined: 6 years ago
Location: Cambridge

Re: Touring vineyards in France

Post by Regulator » 5 years ago

ransos wrote:
5 years ago
No.
Now you have something to look forward to...
1 x

LowlifeDes
Hero Member
Hero Member
Posts: 1365
Joined: 5 years ago

Re: Touring vineyards in France

Post by LowlifeDes » 5 years ago

ransos wrote:
5 years ago
No.
You are Spartacus.
1 x

User avatar
Greg
Hero Member
Hero Member
Posts: 634
Joined: 5 years ago

Re: Touring vineyards in France

Post by Greg » 5 years ago

ransos wrote:
5 years ago
No.
You surprise me.
0 x

Planetary Gear
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 13
Joined: 5 years ago

Re: Touring vineyards in France

Post by Planetary Gear » 5 years ago

I've cycled down the Rhone valley, in the dim and distant. It's quite fun, as the prevailing slope and wind are both in your favour, by and large. DO NOT try and go up the valley, as everything is against you and you will cry.
There's a big hill nearby too, if you get as far as Avignon.
Alsace is also worthy of consideration, although it varies between really flat and far-too-hilly-by half, with not a lot in between. The wine and food are excellent though.
3 x

Post Reply