Savoie Mont Blanc: wine & castles
Last month I was in France to visit the beautiful region Savoie Mont Blanc for a wine trip. How awful;-). Special about this wine region in Europe is the fact that there are a lot of different grapes growing in a small area. 70% of all the wine that is produced here is white, 10% red and the rest is sparkling wine & rosé. Let the tasting begin….
We drive over winding roads, past castles and slumbering villages, the stunning blue lake Lac du Bourget and arrive at our first wine stop of the day: Cave Edmond Jacquin, in the tiny village: Jongieux. We taste the soft sparkling wine that they are famous for.
Although I could taste another glass of this lovely wine, we need some lunch first. We sit down at restaurant Ô Lac, where I eat a delicious pulpo salad.
Aix-les-Bains is a beautiful city, with a lot of spas and stunning old architecture, like the abandoned Grand Hotel. They say the spring water has healing powers here. Have lunch at Le Bistrot du Port in the harbour and order the mussels. Another must visit is Chocolatier Sébastien Fautrelle! He creates and sells over 700.000 chocolates in this shop every year. The shop opened 29 years ago and Sébastien has a ‘Maître Artisan’ certificate. Enter at your own risk…
Photos above: Chanaz.
We visit the fairy tale like village Chanaz, where time seems to stand still. We hop on a boat for a peaceful afternoon on the water. What a great way to unwind and visit Lac du Bourget!
The vineyard Xavier & Jacqueline is run by a warm family. They produce over 25.000 bottles with delicious, ecological wines. Daughter Mathilde used to work in PR in Paris and Canada, but decided to come back to her roots and help her father run their vineyard. Stunning place!
We stay at the wonderful Château des Allues in Saint Pierre d’Albigny… A real castle! The owner used to work for Louis Vuitton and fashion brand Céline, so no surprise the interior is absolutely fabulous. There are 5 huge, luxury rooms, all with a different, unique interior.
Photos above: Château des Allues.
Breakfast is a party and made with local products and herbs from the garden. We try a warm, homemade delicious rhubarb cake…DIVINE! The recipe is by the owner’s grandmother. You can rent e-bikes for stunning bike rides; a great way to visit some vineyards. If you fancy a bit more adrenalin, you can go paragliding at three different locations close by. Another great way to spend the day is a cooking workshop at Maison d’hotes Tamaris. We made some delicious, authentic French dishes!
The last stop of this wine trip to Savoie Mont Blanc is a great dinner & tasting at Domain Dupraz vineyard. I can’t believe how many special wines we tried during this trip. I learned so much and hope to go back some day. Cheers!
Click HERE for more information about Château des Allues.
For more information about Savoie Mont Blanc: click HERE.
Click HERE for my post about the Caribbean in Europe….