Journey to the west coast

June 28, 2011

With over 100km of riding and heavy sweating under the sun I made it to Figeac. My route again took small sealed back roads all the way to my destination. The area I am currently in is very hilly so
I am constantly climbing and descending. It gives the day a nice rhythm though!

My campground was set alongside the river and was almost deserted. Through the night there was a loud storm that rolled through and soaked the ground. My tent again showed it's resilience to the elements. 

June 28, 2011

I awoke to light rain and colder temperatures this morning so I stayed wrapped in my sleeping bag and planned my route for the day. My goal was a short jaunt to the town of St. Céré which was about 50km away on backroads. 
I joined up with a route in my lonely planet guide but I'm doing it backward. I highlight it on my map instead of using the usual cue sheets provided. 
The route was surprisingly hilly, but nothing too challenging. However, my legs did not want to respond to riding today. I felt like i was riding on two flat tires with double the weight (don't worry, pressure was dead on). My speed was slow and even when I tried to pick it up my body just wouldn't respond... It was weird. But I made to my destination eventually and it's a nice little town. The day was cool which was refreshing and I'm actually hoping it stays this way for a couple days. 

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I am heading over to the Bordeaux wine region over the next few days and I will be smack dab in wine country again soon. It's not just any wine region though. 
Bordeaux is the largest fine wine producing region in the world. I don't recognize any of the names... But it's the who's who of wine in France. Its known more for it's reds than anything, but also makes whites, rosés, sparkling and dessert wines. The region produces a staggering amount of wine. 
In Canada's wine producing regions the finest get a rating called VQA. VQA is the Canadian quality-control system to regulate which wines are made under certain stringent regulations. 
The French use a system called Appelation d'Origine Contrôlée or AOC. These are the wines that you know are carefully examined from the beginning to end of production. I have noticed wines with different control initials... But they're usually cheap knock offs. 

When buying wine in Canada usually a wine store will split the wine by the country it is imported from. Then from there you can choose from a certain producer or a grape or mixture you're fond of. In Bordeaux it's split into 57 appellations, which each produce a different kind of wine. To make it simpler, these wines are categorized into 6 families.

First you have your Bordeaux and Superior Bordeaux. They are light reds and are in general pretty cheap. They are meant to be drunk early on. If I drink wine, it is usually from this family. The wines (as stated above) are cheap and still offer some decent flavor. They are obviously not going to be very robust or offer much to the drinker. But I don't have a budget for more expensive wine and quite frankly wouldn't want to buy a more expensive wine if I did. The supposed added value of spending 20€ on a bottle of wine compared to 3€ bottle of wine is not relevant. Maybe if I was rich haha. 

Next, there is Libournais. These are some of the most prestigious vineyards and the wines are usually made from Merlot grapes. The best appellations should be aged. Be prepared to spend. 

Another family, is vins de côtes. In this particular situation, côtes means hills. These wines are grown on Bordeauxs hillsides and are light or medium bodied. Knowing this the wines in general will mature quick. 

Next we have Médoc and Graves. The wines from this family also contain some of the big name châteaux. The wines should be aged, sometimes for decades! Some bottles cost thousands of dollars!!!! I can't even imagine spending that kind of money. 

For dry white wines, the usual appellation is again Bordeaux although there are others such as several côtes and graves. Some are light and crisp, while others are fuller bodied aged in oak. 

Lastly, the sweet white wines are usually produced with Sémillion, which is used for dessert wine. There are several appellations for this wine.

There are also quality gradings for the wine. 
You have your usual Cru ranging from Grand and Premier Cru at the top dropping down much lower.
Some of the others ratings from AOC include vin delimité de qualité supérieur (VDQS) which is usually a stepping stone to AOC. There is also Vin de Pays which are regional wines and can be pretty good. Also there is your Vin de Table which are very ordinary. 

Phew. I think I understand it... Barely. I hope you do to. 

I have been looking into visiting some of the wine producing chateaux in the region but I am not exactly fit for the experience. Many of the chateaux require bookings days or months ahead. These bookings places you in more of buying situation than a usual group tour. Furthermore, many of the more prestigious winery's are mostly interested in genuine buyers... Not me haha. I may do an organized tour through a tourist office that takes you to a couple chateaux and provides tastings. I simply dont have the know how or desire to spend on anything over a couple euro. 

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If anyone wishes to give their thoughts on the seemingly pretentious (at times) wine industry... Feel free. For or against!