Wine selection and Tour de France Highlight: week two of the Tour de France

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Wine Calais Presents: Wine Selections and Cycling Highlights: Week Two of the Tour de France

Well having predicted a gentle start in the Basque Country last week. We were quickly having to eat our words after the first stage proved to be a high-speed blast to Bilbao, culminating in an unprecedented one, two for British twins Adam and Simon Yates, and plenty of the big hitters well to the fore! What then followed was one of the most exciting starts to any recent tour. Featuring epic Pyrenean battles between some of the sport’s most famous names. We don’t know about the riders, but we certainly needed a drink, certainly after stage six’s events, played out by Wout van Aert, Tadej Pogačar, and Jonas Vingegaard.

So, what will week two bring…

July 8 - Stage 8 - Libourne > Limoges

The second week of the Tour de France starts with a 200km stage taking the peloton through the Gironde region and into the Dordogne. Truthfully, as this is serious wine country, today’s selection could be one of hundreds of famous names. Think Bordeaux wines, Médoc vineyards, Graves, Entre-Deux Mers, Saint-Emilion, Pauillac, Pomerol, Sauternes, Saint-Julien, Moulis, Margaux, Fronsac, Saint-Estèphe, Pessac-Léognan… to mention but a few! However, before revealing today’s selection, what about the cycling?

Starting out mostly flat, the route then climbs, via a couple of fourth category hills, to the stage finish in Limoges. After just one kilometer, the riders will pass through Pomerol, known for its exceptional wines and the prestigious chateaux. Wine names to roll off the tongue include Le Pin, Lafleur, La Conseillante, Gazin, Maillet, Rouget, and many others. Not to mention Petrus, one of THE most famous wine names in the world. Away from wine, after 150km, the riders pass through Chalus. Ring a bell? It was in Chalus, in 1199, that Richard the Lionheart was mortally wounded by a crossbow bolt. Chalus also played a part in the education of T.E Lawrence – Lawrence of Arabia – who celebrated his 20th birthday here during his bicycle tour of France. So today we toast two great British warriors with a glass of St Emilion Grand Cru Clos Des Menuts, this deep colored red is a round and powerful wine with subtle tannins and a successful barrel aging. Cheers!

July 9 - Stage 9 - Saint-Léonard-De-Noblat > Puy De Dôme

Stage 9 is a day for the climbers. Up and down all day, and culminating in the mighty, hors catégorie, Puy De Dôme – The Giant of the Domes volcano. A regular feature of the Tour de France, the Puy De Dôme rises to 1415 meters, and is perhaps best known for the legendary battle between Jacques Anquetil and Raymond Poulidor that took place on its slopes in 1964. Who knows, and we really shouldn’t attempt predictions, perhaps today will see an equally epic mano e mano between Pogačar and Vingegaard? Having moved a bit out of classic wine country, today selection comes from the Auvergne region, close to Clermont-Ferrand, on today’s route. Domaine Pluchot Le Retour aux Sources, 2021 Côte Roannaise Rouge is produced by the brothers Marc Antoine and Edgard Pluchot, just outside Roanne. This light, fruity red offers fantastic value for British tax-free shoppers at just €8.46 a bottle! Special mention also today to another classic French drink: at the 155km point, the riders pass through Volvic, home to the eponymous water, that rises from a spring here. The Clairvic deep spring is located in Volvic, in a protected public park, the Goulet and Cheires de Bruvaleix, created about 10,000 years ago from volcanic emissions and flows!

July 10 - Rest Day

Well after watching the opening week, who would begrudge the peloton their rest day in Clermont-Ferrand? So, to enjoy today, as we look back at 10 days of highlights, we will move away from wine and suggest a famous French liquor from the region. Verveine du Velay 55° is an aromatic liquor, distilled to a secret recipe, from verbena leaves and 32 aromatic plants and herbs; the perfect after-dinner digestif!

July 11 - Stage 10 - Vulcania > Issoire

Back in the saddle, today the riders face a 167km slog over five categorized climbs from Vulcania to Issoire. This is a land created by volcanic activity, home to famous thermal baths and pure water springs. On the way, the riders will pass famous castles, medieval churches, caves, and, of course, spas and springs! They may not know it, but one kilometer from the start in Vulcania Puy De Dôme, in Orcines, the riders will pass the Michelin family’s tomb… a brand so synonymous with France and the Tour de France. For today’s selection, we will head slightly south into the Côtes du Rhône region and recommend a famous and classic Côtes du Rhône from the Jaboulet winery, a classic combination of Grenache and Syrah(shiraz) grapes. The Parallele 45 Organic Red Côtes Du Rhone wine by Paul Jaboulet is a firm favorite here at Calais Vins. Perfect as an aperitif or with red meats; in fact, a classic barbeque wine!

July 12 - Stage 11 - Clermont-Ferrand > Moulins

Today’s stage returns to Clermont-Ferrand for the start, before winding 180km to Moulins, staying in the Central Massif region. Again, expect castles aplenty and medieval villages, plus mining towns and quarries. This is Beaujolais country, so it really has to be a classic example of this fine wine. Today’s recommendation, on this three-week Tour de Vins, is Brouilly Cuvée ‘L'enfer De Balloquets’ By Robert Perroud. This complex, fruity red comes in at well under €10 for tax-free visitors to Calais Vins!

July 13 - Stage 12 - Roanne > Belleville-en-Beaujolais

Almost 170km of hilly terrain awaits what remains of the peloton, now at the halfway stage of the 2023 Tour de France. This is one of France’s seven UNESCO Global Geoparks, so recognized for their unique geological heritage. Which, happily for us, creates the terroir that gives so much to the region’s wines. For more leisurely riders than the Tour’s pros, there are actually a series of marked cycle rides, the Boucles à vélo des crus du Beaujolais, for those wanting to explore the region. Meandering over hills and through vineyards, these loops have something for everyone, both on the bicycle and at the table, with easy loops that wind their way around châteaux, cellars, and appellations. Though wine will probably not be front of mind for today’s Tour riders, the stage is truthfully characterized by the six Beaujolais vintages crossed by the race today: Chiroubles, Juliénas, Chénas, Fleurie, Villié-Morgon, and Régnié! As you can probably guess, we are a bit spoiled for choice when selecting a vintage for today’s stage. But with our loyal customers in mind, we have finally chosen a fine example from the newest of the Beaujolais AOCs, Régnié. Régnié Beaujolais by Jean Michel Dupré is created from vines planted as long ago as 1946 and is a perfect advert for this famous wine and the region.

July 14 - Stage 13

Just 137km for the riders today. And we would happily characterize it as an easy stage if it wasn’t for the presence of the very brutal hors catégorie climb of the Grand Colombier at the end of the day. There are four ways up this famous climb and, in fact, for the crazies out there, there is a club for riders who climb all four passes in a day. Rather you than me! So, definitely not a day for the sprinters, who will be cursing the organizers as they ascend the Grand Colombier, carefully checking their computers to try and avoid the elapsed time cut-off point that could keep them from Paris and their charge up the Champs-Élysées! The race is now almost on the Swiss border, with today’s finish close to Aix-les-Bains, before they head on Stage 14 into the Alps… So, appropriately we thought, after a run of rich reds, today we stay in the Savoie region with a crisp white favorite of ours. Rousette Prestige Cave De Cruet Savoie white wine is great paired with fish and poultry, and at just €8.16 tax-free for UK customers, offers fantastic value. So, there you are, the Tour is two-thirds of its way around France, and we look forward to sharing our selections for the final stages into Paris this time next week…

Links:

More suggestions, our wine selection of the first week of the Tour de France

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