Chablis and around
Bienvenue to our newest post! And yes, as the title hints, we will be talking about France, more specifically about Burgundy. We will stick to the trip template set in the last post to keep it as easy, breezy as possible.
This was our first post-1st wave-COVID19 plane trip which in itself sounds fine but in reality, it meant re-booking our flights and car rental. The reason was that they cancelled our flight to Lyon and we had to fly to Paris instead (so glad we had another option!). Of course, ideally, it'd be best to fly to Dijon but if you find a suitable flight you'll have more luck than we've had. Also flying to Paris wasn't that bad because it also meant only 2h drive instead of 3 hours from Lyon (we wanted to do Lyon because we wanted to see another part of France as well). So if you ignore the re-booking process itself and the higher pricing for the car rental from Paris, it was totally fine.
Our final destination and home for the next couple of days was Montigny-la-Resle which lies almost as close to the French-Swiss border as it does to Paris - making it very accessible for all those who need to fly as those who want to do a little (or not-so-little) road trip. The village of Montigny-la-Resle with its 588 inhabitants is an oasis of calmness. All the more so, if you are not staying directly in the village but just on its outskirts. This meant the ideal location! Mind you, if you prefer a touristy place, you should check out the village of Chablis and find some accommodation there. But let's get to the important stuff - wine and wine tastings with a pinch of great food and tips! First, the map:
Now the trips. :)
1st Trip
Our first two trips were dedicated to red wine and crémant in Irancy and Saint-Bris-le-Vineux, respectively. Combined with some great lunch and some walks to sober up a bit, it was basically a whole-day affair. Starting at Irancy we had a tasting at Domaine Benoit Cantin where they offered us some nice red wines. It was a lovely family winery where the only small flaw was that we did not speak French (and they did not speak English). So we did not spend that much time there and rather went to check out the village which seemed sleepy and deserted. However, there was at least one place that despite seeming like closed and empty, was alive and full of guests - restaurant Le Soufflot. And I will tell you this much: this is really a must-visit if you're in the area. Not only is the main area amazing with the roof of grape leaves and the sun shining through, but their gougére (cheese bread) is simply fantastic! The rest of the lunch was very good as well so we will definitely be back if in the area! Btw there is a great viewpoint just above the village with a little pick-nick table that literally IN the vineyards. Perfect to enjoy a romantic sunset!
Our next stop was at the amazing Caves Bailly-Lapierre where they specialize in the production of crémant. The entrance is unbelievable, you drive inside the cave where you can park your car - you feel like James Bond - and then you can go and taste or have a guided tour (which we would probably do if we weren't wearing 30 degree plus clothes). Despite that, we tasted some of the crémant and bought a little something for the evening and then we were ready to re-enter the outside world.
Useful tip: if we went again, I'd definitely plan the visit of the caves with some cycling along the Yonne river. The area looked fantastic and they seemed to have a bike rental in almost every village we went through so that should not be a problem.
2nd Trip
Our plan for the next day was to go check out the market in Noyers and then go for yet another tasting. However, we had a lazy morning and we made it to Noyers at the time when the sellers were packing up their stands. That did not stop us, though, and we went and bought some eclairs in the local bakery/patisserie. We liked them so much that we went back in 15 minutes to get some more but they had already closed for lunch - which did stop us actually :D.
and that meant we were going to do the tasting without any lunch - great, isn't it? :D
And wine did we taste! We discovered one of the very few positive outcomes of COVID19 at Brocard Domaine in Préhy. Thanks to the lockdown, we met the amazing sales manager (who'd probably be somewhere in Japan hadn't the situation be different) who was ready to explain and show and taste and discuss and do whatever we felt like.
This was the biggest and most dumbfounding winery we had visited. Not only size and offer-wise but also (thanks to Sebastien) information-wise. We probably spent some 3 hours there and really had to have a little walk before we could drive back. Also, we got to meet the owner, his dog (separately) and the owner's wife which, despite the winery being huge, gives you the feeling of familiarity and cosiness.
Useful tip: strongly recommended! You definitely need to add this one to your itinerary! And prepare to pack some bottles! (yes, the wine's that good!)
3rd Trip
However, if you buy some bottles at Brocard's and you're still planning a trip to Troyes, you need to consider that Troyes is located in the Champagne region. So, if you like champagne (and who doesn't?!), you will be extremely tempted to buy everything you see because it is so amazingly cheap there! Also, Troyes is very French and very picturesque. You could spend all day here, people-watching, bakeries-exploring and/or walking around. This little town has it all!
And it's only an hour or so away from the Chateau d'Ancy-le-Franc which was our second and last stop of the day. The chateau is like any other well-preserved amazing and breathtaking chateau that you can visit at sooo many French (also European?!) towns. But still, why not add it to the list? If you consider the proximity of the bakery/patisserie from the chateau - not even 100 meters - it's a win-win - some cultural experience in the chateau and some baguettes? and some cheese from the near-by little supermarket? Well, dinner'd been sorted.
Useful tip: be careful when driving on these roads. We saw young wild boars, a fox, a deer and some rabbits. The roads are not separated by any fences or something like that (with the boars, I almost had a heart attack). So drive safe!
I could imagine living somewhere there, with an unlimited amount of great pastry and cheese and bread and wine...oh, am I day-dreaming? Seems like that, although these wine-trips are definitely not a dream. Also, would I be able to eat and digest all that bread and pastry?
Not really sure...so I will stick to my current address and go on travelling (while Telchac is checking out properties in Colombia... :D). Well, we will see you in two weeks with some more of our travels, meanwhile, we're definitely on our IG so we'll C U there!