By Eileen Ogintz
BEAUJOLAIS REGION, France — Ready for a picnic? Not just any picnic. We are sitting under a big shade tree at a table set with beautiful green china and a jug of sunflowers overlooking vineyards first established in 1100 by Benedictine monks.
Welcome to Chateau des Bachelards. Welcome to the wine region of Beaujolais outside the city of Lyon where we are staying at the Sofitel Bellecour Lyon. (A great pick that’s centrally located, has a fabulous breakfast buffet and where I can see the Rhone River from our room!)
A wonderful Lyon-based company called My Travel Angel has arranged our all-day tour with our knowledgeable guide and wine expert Justine Poncet. The company offers tailor – made unique tours all over France , from a day like ours in Beaujolais to shopping in the Marais district of Paris and at the flea markets and breakfast at Versailles to cooking with a chef in a historic chateau fireplace in Medoc to a Tai Chi session in an Alsace vineyard.
We decided to spend a few days in Lyon, a city we had never visited, after an AMAWaterways river cruise on the Rhine River that ended in Basel Switzerland. (There are many river cruises here on the Rhone River; once we drove our own barge from Lyon on the Rhone.)
Besides being treated to tastings—and explanations at three different wineries, our picnic is a high point of our entire two-week trip. We have crusty baguette and three kinds of cheese, rabbit terrine, Mortadella, ham, salami, tabouli, tomato salad and cucumber salad, accompanied of course by one of the Chateau des Bachelards wines. Most of the ingredients are locally sourced. Desert includes a pink praline tart (a Lyon specialty) as well as chocolate caramel, raspberry tarts and a chiboust with cream, meringue, and an apricot filling. We eat until we can eat no more.
It was traditional for workers to have a “Machon” traditionally eaten by Lyon workers in late morning—cold cuts, pate, sausage, cheese and of course wine. The term comes from the verb “to chew” as these meals were easy to eat. Not only is the food spectacular but the views in Fleurie in the northern Beaujolais region as well. It boasts nearly 45,000 acres, including nearly 15 surrounding us, some of the vines dating back 80 years, others much newer. This chateau has been a pioneer of biodynamic viticulture in the region and holds certification in organic farming and biodynamic practices.
What a perfect experience for those traveling without kids, though Poncet says when children are part of the group there are wineries that offer scavenger hunts and this one with plenty of places to run and play. And there are the dogs—every vineyard seems to have at least one.
We learn that from as early as 59 BC Romans contributed to vine growing here; The terroir suitable to grow grapes, the proximity of the Saone and Rhone Rivers led to vine growing and winemaking in the 17th century. Typically, the wineries are small and have been owned by the same families for generations.
In the morning, we start our day at the Domaine de Prevelieres owned by two brothers in their thirties, Quentin, and Gaetan Morel whose parents, Odile and Serge Morel, live on the estate though they are now retired. Their dad ‘s family has been winemakers for five generations, dating back to the mid-19th century though they established this winery in 1995. The brothers, both married with young children whose wives have other jobs, make all organic wines.
To be called Beaujolais wines, they are made only with gamay grapes and the white wines the chardonnay grape. But the wines at every winery are different depending on the Terroir—the climate, the soil, and the grapes. “Give each wine maker the same grapes and the wine will taste differently,” said Justine Poncet. “It is like different chefs in the kitchen with the same ingredients.”
This region because it has so many different kinds of rock in the soil was the 1st wine region designated a GeoPark by Unesco. In fact, the southern part of Beaujolais is called the Golden Stone area because the houses are built of the region’s yellow stone, reminiscent of Tuscany.
We stop at the medieval village Oingt with its narrow, twisting roads and tiny artisan shops. Only about 1,000 people live here, just a few hundred inside the walls.
There are 12 main appellations of Beaujolais wines in more than 96 villages. These were originally established in 1936 with some added later. During WWII, this area as well as Lyon was a center for the French resistance.
Beaujolais is typically a light red wine with only a small percentage produced here while or rose. Beaujolais AOC covers 6 villages producing 75 million bottles a year including the popular Beaujolais Nouveau. Cru Beaujolais is the highest category and accounts for production within 10 villages in the foothills of the mountains. Brouilly and Cote de Brouilly refer to the vineyards around Mont Brouilly and Moulin-a-Vent named for a historic windmill. Though they use the same grapes, they are called Brouilly and Cote de Brouilly.
Our last stop of the day is at Chateau des Ravatys that produces these wines and now that it is owned by the French hotel group Lavorel is a popular venue for local weddings. Auguste Solet bought the property in the mid-19th century and when he died, his niece, Mathilde Courbe took over at age 20 and built it up. She is much loved for her efforts on behalf of the region’s poor, the Red Cross, and the hospital she established here for injured WWI servicemen.
This year ‘s harvest will be the first designated as organic. Though these wines are very affordable (mostly between 15-30 dollars) few are available in the US and with the coming tariffs, they are getting more expensive. Shipping from here is more expensive than wine.
All the more reason to drink up here. Salut!