Burgandy, France - Famous for its Wines

by: Melinda Carnes
The terroir is a group of vineyards or vines from the same area which have a common soil and climate. And nowhere else, other than Burgundy in France, is it held so fondly. Burgundy is a region situated in central east France, which experiences bitter cold winters matched with beautiful warm summers. It is the home of 1.6 million inhabitants. Burgundy (Bourgogne) is famous throughout the world for its wines. Spanning over 31,500 square kilometers (over 12,000 square miles), with a 360 km (225 mi) strip stretching 100km (60 mi) south of Paris, down from south of Dijon to north of Rhoône, houses 99 different wine appellations. Ranging from the vibrant red Pommard and Corton to the medium Beaune — to the sparkling whites, the dry Chablis or Chassagne Montrachet, over 180 million bottles of some of the fines wines are made in this region. As an aftermath of the French revolution the vineyards belonging to the monasteries were broken down to smaller plots – which exist even today. The finest quality wine, designated as “Premier Cru” – is available from 600 of the vineyards in the region while 33 of them is credit to produce the even more classy “Grand Cru” wines. Among these the most renowned are Montrachet, Chambertin and Clos Vougeot. Made from the pinot noir grapes, the burgundy red wines taste best with Boeuf Bourguignon or pheasant. On the other hand a Chablis or their sparkling white wines go best with anything from shrimps to goat cheese. The famous white wine called Chablis derives its name from a village of the same name. These are dry whites with an acidity that refreshes. The special Chardonnay grapes thrive in limestone that has been made richer with remains of fossils. As an accompaniment to lamb or grilled chicken, the best choice is the fruity-flavored, world famous Beaujolais made from the Gamay grape. These grapes grow in granite limestone. The ever-popular and delicious red is grown in Volnay for the last 8 centuries. The grapes are Pinot Noir grown across 600 acres which is responsible in producing 1.3 million bottles of this amazing wine which has the flavors of raspberries and violets. And then there is Meursault, located close by, famous for its Premier Cru labels of finest white wines. 2.5 million bottles of the finest wine, Chardonnay, aged anywhere between 3 to 15 years is grown in just over 1000 acres. Fish in white sauce go extremely well with this fine wine with its almond and apple flavors. But what still makes the headlines is the red Pommard with its tannic and manly flavor, staging a comeback after many years of decline. From just 780 acres of Pinot Noir grown in limestone and red clay are produced 1.8 million bottles of this wine with the flavors of black cherry and black currant. Goes excellent with game venison and roasted red meat with Livarot cheese, these can age from 5 to 15 years. Whatever your taste buds need, there is very little chance of returning home disappointed with a Burgundy.

Reasons to visit the Dordogne region of France

by: Marcus Smith
There are many reasons to visit and explore the Dordogne region of France. Some of the key highlights inlude: Lascaux caves. The prehistoric paintings at Lascaux are probably the most renowned cave paintings in the world. The cave paintings you can now visit are a copy of the prehistoric paintings contained in the original Lascaux caves, 200 metres away, because human breath was damaging the originals. The replica paintings have been made using the same materials and techniques as were used for the original paintings, 19,000 years ago. The Lascaux cave paintings are mostly pictures of large animals, including the 'auroch' - a now extinct early relative of the ox (it is thought that the Auroch was worshiped as a sacred beast in prehistoric times). Truly a remarkable experience, and you quickly forget that you are looking at modern day replicas. Sarlat Sarlat is a beautiful medieval town a few kilometres north of the River Dordogne. The old town, dating from both medieval and renaissance times is a pleasure to visit, especially during the spring and autumn, or early in the morning. If you can catch the early morning sunshine on the yellow sandstone buildings, so much the better. Wander through the back streets around the cathedral to get a feel for how the town must have been 500 years ago. Les Eyzies Les Eyzies is at the centre of a very beautiful area, in the Vezere Valley, with numerous cliff and rock formations, surrounded by rivers, hills and tranquil countryside. At the centre of prehistoric life in Europe, there are several interesting cave systems and prehistoric relics to visit around Les Eyzies. Les Eyzies is also home to the National Prehistory Museum which houses one of the world’s most complete collections of prehistoric artefacts. Just a couple of hundred metres from the National Prehistory museum is Abri Pataud, a cro-magnon shelter dating back almost 40,000 years. The cave-lined Vézère valley has been classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO Chateaux In the Dordogne region there are reputed to be 1001 chateaux. Many of the most magnificent are open to the public. Start perhaps with the Chateau de Commarque, Chateau de Castelnaud, or (my personal favourite) Chateau de Beynac, set high above the Dordogne river and the attractive village of Beynac. Each has its own impressive tale to tell of centuries of conflict, often between the French and the English during the Hundred Years War, and each has its own magnificent views over the surrounding countryside. Most beautiful villages There are several villages in the Dordogne region that have received the prestigious ‘Most Beautiful Villages of France’ award. These include Monpazier, a perfectly preserved medieval bastide town to the south of the region; La Roque-Gageac, a picture postcard village spread out along the Dordogne river, with troglodyte dwellings and a tropical garden spreading up the cliff behind; and Beynac, mentioned above for its castle but equally attractive as a village in its own right Several other villages in the immediate vicinity also have the award. The Dordogne region provides a glimpse into a world virtually unchanged as the centuries have unfolded, and a visit is always an unforgettable experience.

Mountain Wildlife in France

by: Marcus Smith
Visitors to France expect to see medieval villages and magnificent scenery, but the wild animals that live in the countryside are usually forgotten. However, France has very large areas of unspoiled countryside, allowing many rare and unusual species to live in peace, above all in the forests and in the mountainous regions. Perhaps best know, because they frequently get in the news, are the Pyreneean bears. Several of these brown bears have been released in the mountains in recent years, to the pleasure of environmentalists and the annoyance of local sheep farmers. Although sheep farmers get full compensation for any sheep killed by bears, they still object noisily to their reintroduction and the danger they present. The problem has emerged because over the last 100 years, with bears being almost extinct in France, the shepherds have stopped breeding the ferocious hunting dogs that used to protect the flocks. So now that the bears are being reintroduced from Slovenia, the sheep have little protection. While you are thinking about the threat from bears in France, remember there are perhaps 20 bears in France and 5,000 in New York City! The second large mammal to get a hard time in France is the wolf. Hunted to extinction in the country by the 1930’s, the wolves have now re-entered France from Italy and live in remote places in the Alps, especially the Mercantour Alps. Not surprisingly, as with the Pyreneean bears it is the sheep farmers who complain the loudest, about the wolves killing their livestock. But the statistics seem to show that the threat from wolves is really extremely small. Despite what you might expect, wolves will almost always run and hide rather than seek a confrontation with humans, and on a visit to the mountains you are very unlikely to see a wolf. The lynx, a large wild cat, has also been successfully reintroduced in the mountains following earlier extinction across France and most of Europe. They are now a highly protected species. Some other ‘mountain mammals’ are also unlikely to be seen. The Alpine Marmot is very similar to (and closely related to) the American groundhog, and lives above the tree-line in these mountainous regions. You may hear the curious marmot sound, half whistle and half bark, as it warns of your approach. Two other unusual mountain animals are the ibex and the chamois – both are ‘large goat’ types of animal. Both are also very good mountain climbers, and may even be seen on mountain tops if food is present. A chamois has even been reported as seen near the summit of Mont Blanc. By preference they live in the lower regions where food is more plentiful– it is the presence of man that has forced them high up the mountains. So you can feel safe to visit France, even the mountains, but be aware that when you are walking a quiet path through a high, rugged, region you might not be alone…