The Beaujolais Châteaux Wine Route | EUROtoday

Beguiling Beaujolais is a spot to unwind, benefit from the beautiful countryside and go to enchanting castles to sip divine wines says Janine Marsh as she follows the Beaujolais Châteaux Wine Route…

Beaujolais Châteaux Wine Route

There is an outdated saying that goes “three great rivers flow into Lyon – Saône, Rhône and Beaujolais wine.”

It’s simply 25km north from the gastronomic metropolis of Lyon to Villefranche-sur-Saône at the beginning of the magnificent Beaujolais vineyards, nevertheless it seems and feels utterly totally different. It’s a relatively secret a part of France, the locals name it “little Tuscany” due to its hilly villages with historical buildings of glowing golden stone. And on this unspoiled, inexperienced and luxurious a part of France, you will see that essentially the most fabulous wines which have lengthy provided the Lyonnais who know an excellent wine once they style it.

The Beaujolais wine route is well-known to those that go to, however there is a much less recognized route that crosses these rolling hills – the Beaujolais Châteaux Wine Route. It gives ample alternatives to find the secrets and techniques of the vineyards, take pleasure in wine tasting periods and distinctive experiences in essentially the most beautiful places at nearly a dozen Château domains.

Never one to shirk a problem, particularly the place meals and wine are concerned, I adopted the Beaujolais Châteaux route by way of essentially the most stunning countryside the place iconic castles open their doorways to those that have a ‘Notebook’ – a little bit journey ebook of unique visits. Fortunately for me, my good friend Coraline was the designated, non-drinking driver and as I solely had someday to make my visits, I did not make it to all 9 castles although I did handle 4 visits comfortably, together with tastings in any respect of them, and a protracted lingering lunch – they take their gastronomy critically right here.

First – get your Roadmap (obtain it from the Châteaux en Beaujolais web site – hyperlink on the finish of the article). Book your visits immediately with every citadel no less than 48 hours prematurely (e-mail/telephone), and point out that you’ve got the Notebook. When you go to, get your Notebook stamped, as by doing so, on the second citadel and subsequent visits you’re going to get 10% off any purchases you make within the Château wine retailers. At the fifth citadel you go to – you may get a free bottle of wine.

But crucial a part of the Carnet are the unique visits it provides you entry to. For occasion, on the 17^th century Château de la Chaize, designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, Louis XIV’s favourite architect. The structure is unmistakeably that of one of many main architects of Versailles – elegant and completely attractive, surrounded by gardens designed by André le Nôtre, Louis XIV’s gardener, so stunning you possibly can’t assist however assume it seems as if it has been transported from a fairy story to the little village of Odenas on the foot of Mont Brouilly. You’ll get to go to the citadel’s historic vineyard and cellar, and unique entry to the underground cellar and vineyards.

The tasting consists of three of the Chateau’s best vintages. There’s a ready listing of as much as a 12 months for a few of their wines that are matured in enormous oak barrels in a 108m lengthy cellar, the longest in Beaujolais. Their wines are amongst one of the best of the area and seem on the best tables on the planet together with that of British Royal Family (Fleurie “La Chapelle des Bois”- sure, I did have a drop and it is potential I’ve royal blood as I too prefer it very a lot!).

At Château Champ-Renard, which was based in 1250, the pocket book grants you an inside go to – actually, as you get the “Château Life” expertise – a tour of the citadel from its medieval rooms to the dungeons, a go to to the vat room, a wander within the beautiful gardens, and a tasting of 4 fabulous wines (they’re all natural) paired with cheeses or sweets.

At the sixteenth century Château de Corcelles, constructed on the location of an eleventh century fortress, with the Notebook tour, you may go to the grounds and the Château the place you possibly can see work made with wine, and go to the chapel, dungeon, kitchens and luxuriate in a tasting of 4 glorious wines. It’s such a novel and particular place and the tour is relaxed and welcoming.

My ultimate go to was to the Château de Lachassagne the place I may have sat all day and soaked up the fantastic views over the Saône Valley from the walled vineyards the place you possibly can take a stroll as a part of your Carnet tour. I managed to tear myself away for a ultimate tasting of a number of wines, each purple and white, within the cellar. Absolutely very good.

Dine when you wine

If you get peckish en route, you are in luck, there’s loads of feasting available alongside the wine. Stop off at fairly little villages like oingt, the place the native café will for positive be serving traditional French dishes to go together with all these fabulous native wines and the place you may rub elbows and clink glasses with the locals who all appear fairly comfortable to be residents of Beaujolais. And in case you fancy staying in a single day, a number of of the Châteaux provide lodging on website.

How to get there: A practice from Lyon to Villefranche-sur-Mer takes simply 22 minutes. From Paris it is round 2 hours. You can rent a motorbike or lease a automotive within the city.

Download the Carnet de Route: chateauxenbeaujolais.fr

Discover extra about Beaujolais: Beaujolais-tourisme.com/en

Janine Marsh is the writer of a number of best-selling books about France and editor of The Good Life France journal and web site.

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