Fall leaves and Leopard Heels

The changing season was evident in the vines of Saint-Emilion France.  I am convinced the fall vines are even prettier than summer or spring. I guess I have been away from orange and red fall leaves too long.

On our last full day in Bordeaux we spent the morning exploring the city and having coffee at comfortable outdoor cafes.

My oldest daughter, AJ requested we bring her some truffles. I don't think that will be a problem.  Sweets stores are on every corner.

it is very ironic that we just moved from a country that thought pork was sinful and now we are traveling in a part of the world that celebrates pork.  Hummmmmm. 

There were so many blue doors in Paris and they continued in Bordeaux.

We were crossing the street and I saw this pretty French woman.  I wondered if she could pedal her bike. When the light turned green she took right off.

OO la la.

Our last wine adventure was in the Saint-Emilion appellation and was scheduled for the afternoon.

Signs along the way hinted to a tasty experience.

Saint-Emilion is on the Right Bank and only a short drive from our hotel. First we stopped at the hillside vineyard of Chateau Tour Saint Christopher. Many of their vines grew on terraces.





This 100+-year-old olive tree was planted by the King of Spain to celebrate the construction of the terraces. It was a very lovely scene. The wine was good as well.



The same group as the Left Bank governs the wine classifications in Saint-Emilion on the Right Bank however the ranking of the wines is much different.


There have been vineyards around Saint-Émilion since Roman times, and today the Saint-Émilion wine appellation is one of the most prolific in the Bordeaux region, generating more than 250,000hl of wine each vintage.

However early on the Medoc area of the Left Bank was easier for shipping and became much more popular in the 1800’s.

The official classification of Saint-Emilion wines was first conducted in 1955. It was updated in 1996, 2006, and most recently in late 2012. The classification has two principal tiers: Grand Cru Classe and the higher level Premier Grand Cru Classe. The latter is further subdivided into tiers (A) and (B).

It should be noted that the Grand Cru Classes A and B (of which there are 85) mark a significant step up in quality from standard Saint-Emilion Grand Cru wines (of which there are many hundreds).

The fields of grape vines were stunning.

The historic town of Saint-Emilion is everything you would expect from a quaint French village. However after UNESCO designated it a historic site, most of the people moved away. To make changes or update your home became very difficult.

Now there are only 200 people who actually live in Saint-Emilion but there are 46 wine stores.  




Our wine tasting in Saint-Emilion included 5 wines. Four from Saint-Emilion and one from Pomerol. I had been looking forward to tasting something from Pomerol.



Pomerol has a totally different type of ranking. The soil and wines there are deemed to all be superior and all at the highest rank.  It is not a very large area.  There are only 200 Chateaus producing wine.  I suppose they are all good.  Who would have known?

Those dark spots on the top of the church are bullet holes from the French Revolution.  

I could not resist taking a picture of this door knocker.

It was a wonderful experience. I think we like French wines even more than we did before we traveled to Bordeaux.  I can only hope the rest of the trip will be as satisfying.

Tomorrow – on to Spain and San Sebastian then Bilbao and the Guggenheim Museum.

Cheers,
Brenda