Wine Festivals France
Feb0
February 10th, 2010
Alsace has been singled out as one of the hot regions in the world to visit this year by the Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2010.
The annual Best in Travel guide aims to give “a collection of the world’s best journeys, destinations and experiences for the year ahead” to “take travellers out of the ordinary”. One of the highlights of the guide is the Top 10 regions which brings Alsace to the forefront.
Located on France’s eastern border, on the west bank of the Rhine river, Alsace is widely acclaimed as one of the most beautiful and distinctive regions of France. It received global recognition in 1988 when Unesco awarded Strasbourg’s Grand Ile the World Heritage status (the first time this accolade was given to an entire city).
Lonely Planet describes Alsace as a “mountainous, vine-ribboned region” and according to the guide the “defining experience” would be “cycling among vineyards and wine cellars along the rural Route du Vin d’Alsace (Alsace Wine Route) one day and overdosing on city culture the next.”
The Guide recommends the Fêtes du Vin (wine festivals) taking place in villages all over Alsace during the summer, the “Chambres d’Hôte” (B&Bs) in the wine country, the Winstubs (literally “wine rooms”, local wine bars also serving food) offering local gastronomic specialities.
Wine tourism
Alsace has been a pioneer in wine tourism in France with the development of the Wine Route which has, over the past 50 years, contributed to the success of Alsace wines. Famous for its exceptional natural beauty, the Wine Route leads visitors across rows of undulating, vine-covered hills, and through delightful quaint villages with narrow streets and charming flower-decked houses.
Visitors can easily explore the heart of the vineyards, along one of the 46 wine trails. Lined with countless signs posting maps and information, each trail reveals the work of the winegrower, the art of Alsace wine and the specific characteristics of each grape variety.
Sheltered from oceanic influences by the Vosges mountains, Alsace enjoys some of the lowest rainfall in France (just 400-500mm or 16-20 inches per year). It is blessed with a semi-continental climate – sunny, warm and dry, which while offering a fantastic advantage to tourists, also provides the perfect conditions for winemaking as it encourages the slow, extended ripening of the grapes, resulting in elegant, complex aromas and flavours.
With a very rich gastronomic heritage, Alsace has all the cards in hand to make the perfect holiday destination. To get your share of this “unforgettable experience” don’t forget to place Alsace Wine Route at the top of your destination list for 2010.
Rene and I had a wonderful time photographing one of the naples wine festival dinner’s hosted by festival trustees Linda & Jim Malone and John Scot Mueller & Judith Liegeois Mueller at the Malone’s Pelican Marsh home.
The dinner theme for the evening was Birds of a Feather. On hand to bring the vision to life was designer Gary Shanabarger, partner at 50Fifty Flowerphilosophy.
Celebrity chef for the evening was Richard Reddington of Redd and the vintners for the evening included Piero Incisa della Rocchetta of Bodega Chacra in Rio Negro, Argentina and Marc Perrin of Château de Beaucastel in Courthezon, France. Unfortunately, Mr. Perrin was detained in France but his wine made it all the way to Naples safely!
Aside from the fabulous smells emanating from the kitchen, the senses were flooded with beautiful bright shades of emeralds and burgundys, bright vivid reds and regal whites. Two peacocks graced the dinner providing a beautifully elegant backdrop and a visual feast for the eyes!
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