|
With a bumper harvest last year, France's largest wine-producing
region is gearing up to celebrate
 Bordeaux,
France - It is definitely Bacchus, the gaudy gold statue of the
Roman god of wine and intoxication, who sets the tone for this
city's massive celebration of the humble grape.
This "Char de Bacchus" takes centre stage in the largest public
square in Europe and grins stupidly from ear to ear as he hoists a
glass, all the while straddling a gigantic golden wine bottle. We
get it right away — wine snobs need not apply. This is all about
having fun.
In this wine capital of France, every two years, Bacchus is
rolled out to kick off Fête le vin, a true celebration of the
product that starts its journey in the endless rows of vines that
encircle this city.
And while it is technically called "Celebrate wine," this
particular party is all about us — the people who drink the stuff.
Fête le vin is held in the sprawling fairgrounds alongside the
Garonne River in this port city with its grand avenues, sleek
tramways and friendly reputation.
The festival runs each year that Bordeaux does not play host to
its incredibly influential cousin, the Vinexpo wine and spirit trade
show, by far the most prestigious professional wine show in the
world. By contrast, the wine fair has an informal, relaxed feeling
to it and is unabashedly geared at the casual wine drinker, embodied
by Bacchus himself with that silly smile on his face.
Winemakers responsible for everything from local table wine to
some of the world's best known vintners are on hand to pour a
healthy tasting and chat amicably about the work they clearly love,
without the pressure of impressing international buyers, critics and
agents.
Nobody is asked to sniff their wine in the hunt for that elusive
hint of leather, cherry or anything else that wine experts use to
describe a particular vintage. No, Fête le vin is about simply
enjoying the bounty of France's largest wine producing region, all
the while tasting regional food and soaking up the sunshine that
helped produce it all.
There are mini seminars hosted by the French Wine School for
those wanting to learn more and several displays walk visitors
through the creation of a good bottle of Bordeaux from vine to
table.
There are more than 100,000 vineyards in the region and recent
years of overproduction, along with stiff competition from new world
wines, means that winegrowers are anxious to promote their product
at every price point and lure in as many new wine lovers as possible
to the unique blends that make up a Bordeaux.
The good news for anyone planning ahead for a French holiday this
summer is that the festival is on again from June 29-July 2 and is
well worth dropping in on, even for just a day.
Wine makers will happily chat about the season's weather and the
quality of the grapes they are expecting to harvest and pass along
some tasting notes as you sip and enjoy before moving along for
another taste. Just to get the taste buds tingling a little more,
it's worth mentioning that the buzz in the wine world is that this
year's selection of Bordeaux — based on last year's harvest — is
said to be one of the best in recent memory.
While casual might be the catchword for the entire event, it goes
without saying that Fête le vin does come with a healthy dose of
French style.
No plastic cups for the wine-taster in Bordeaux, even the rank
amateur.
Along with the price of admission (12 euros, $17 Cdn), each guest
is given a finely crafted stemmed glass. At first glance this seemed
a bit awkward. How to carry it around? What about rinsing it out
between tasting? Won't everything taste like a rosé after 10
minutes?
The woman selling the tickets in the nearby Bordeaux tourist
office for the 2004 event smiled and assured us that everything is
taken care of. She could not have been more right.
Each of our party of four were then handed little red holsters
designed to carry our glasses. Once inside the fairgrounds, the
glass-rinsing stations made complete sense.
The little booklets of "degustation" or tastings offered tickets
to 11 different generous tastings across a variety of pavilions
representing wine districts, including Medoc/Graves, Côtes de
Bordeaux and Saint-Emilion.
The booklet, easily bought at the tourist office just a five
minute walk from the fairgrounds, can be used all in one day or
spread out over the course of the four-day event if visitors want to
drop in several times during a visit to the city and surrounding
vineyards.
In 2004, an amazing 460,000 wine tastings occurred and this year
organizers expect 300,000 people to visit over the course of the
festival.
Despite the numbers, the sprawling fairgrounds easily accommodate
the crush and even on a balmy Sunday afternoon it did not feel too
crowded to enjoy.
While a wine festival might sound like a very adult event, the
French do not hesitate to bring along the family, with children
entertained by parades, plays, wine barrel races, dancers and
comedians. There is no admission charge for the festival itself; the
only cost is the booklet of tasting tickets to use once you arrive.
In the evening, there is a full lineup of concerts ranging from
classical to the latest offerings from the French rock scene for
those hoping to party late into the evening.
This being France, of course no one will go hungry.
At Fête le vin, local producers of everything from sausages to
foie gras to pastries to cheeses rim the entire fairgrounds, luring
hungry wine-tasters to nibble while they sip.
Picnics are the order of the day and if a tasting produces a
newfound love affair with a particular wine, a bottle can be quickly
procured, opened and enjoyed on nearby picnic tables along with
baguettes bulging with seared duck liver.
For the sweet tooth, the array of cakes and pastries that make
use of the seasonal cherries, apricots and quince are abundant.
Wine lovers looking for an up close look at Bordeaux wine
production can pop in at the tourist information office in the
centre of town each day to book a bus tour of area vineyards.
The tours, which vary daily, cost between 25-30 euros ($35-42
Cdn.) per person and stop at two or three different vineyards along
the way for a chat with the winemaker and a taste.
Most vineyards on the tours are about 40 minutes outside of
Bordeaux and the excursion takes about four hours, easily filling an
afternoon.
A word of warning, though: While these tours are a great way to
see some of Bordeaux's sweeping countryside without having to rent a
car, and the winemakers are genuinely pleased to show off their hard
work, the wines on offer are rarely bargains and some can be picked
up for less at the supermarket back in the city.
Back in Bordeaux, the compact city centre offers beautiful
churches, wide sweeping avenues and great examples of 18th century
architecture near the port in the quartier St-Pierre.
Work has been underway since the late '90s on a sleek,
above-ground tram system that has cleared the clogged streets of
traffic jams and opened them up for pedestrians.
Passes to Fête le vin even include a free tram ride to get you
back to your hotel after a hard day of "degustation."
|
