Esslingen
Vine in Beaujolais
Outside Obertuerkheim
Sign on the Trail, Fleurie
Hills outside Fleurie
Above Fleurie
Gallery February 2016
Tag Archives: France/Beaujolais
A Flowery Winter Hike
Fleurie means flowery, which this village undoubtedly is in spring and summer. But on my winter weekend break it was wet and windy. The weather only worsened as time went on. The rain turned into downpours. But after almost two days of rain, the forecasts called for a two to three-hour break in the rains. I decided to embark on one of Fleurie’s four circuit trails before leaving the area. Four great trails, seemingly designed for someone like me: wanting to hike, but with some time constraints. A great and convenient feature of the Entre Vignes et Bois (Between Vines and Woods) series of trails in Fleurie, is this: They are circuits that radiate out from the village in increasingly wider circles. Therefore, hikers can choose between one or another depending on time, capabilities, or in this case, weather.
Optimistically choosing the 12 kilometer (red) circuit, I set off from the Place de l’Eglise. But within 10 minutes, rain began to fall. A quick look at the sky confirmed that thick black clouds were rolling in faster than anticipated. So I switched to the four kilometer circuit instead. It was an easy decision to make on the spot. Should the downpours suddenly return, the map showed that this circuit also allowed for a couple of possible shortcuts, on tarmac, no less. This kind of flexibility created by interconnectivity is another great feature of the Entre Vignes et Bois trail series.
Wine Notes: Beaujolais
What I Learned
Beaujolais falls within the wine region of Burgundy, although it is outside the political boundaries of the region. It has three different quality levels: a simple Beaujolais produced in the southern-most reaches of this area; a Beaujolais-Village appellation; and in the northern part of this wine region, ten villages with their own appellations due to their special crus. It is a singular geological area of often steep hills and hidden valleys. Schist and granitic soils in the Beaujolais give a distinctive minerality to the wines. The best of these wines, the ten villages/areas of appellation (Brouilly, Chenas, Cote de Brouilly, Chiroubles, Fleurie, Julienas, Morgon, Moulin a Vent, Regnie, Saint-Amour) offer good value for quality wines. Overall, there are 12 different appellations within the Beaujolais region to look for on a bottle label.
Entre Vignes et Bois: Trail in a Nutshell
Trail Name: Fleurie – Entre Vignes et Bois
Trail Type(s): A series of four circuits, short, medium and long distances, circling out from Fleurie (in the Beaujolais district); trail surfaces partly paved, partly hard-packed, otherwise grass or earthen surfaces (sandy or compacted); Route(s) mostly marked.
Length(s):
Total: 4, 12, 16 and 25 kilometers/2.5, 7.5, 10, and 15.5 miles respectively
Convenient to: Lyon, France
Marking: Colored rectangles (blue, for the four kilometer circuit; red for the 12 kilometer circuit, green for the 16 kilometer circuit, and yellow for the 25 kilometer circuit.), some with arrow to indicate direction; and sometimes a square placard with the words “Entre Vignes et Bois” and a bunch of grapes and a grape leaf.
Gallery March 2015
Moulin a Vent, Beaujolais
Quiet Corner in the Beaujolais
Moulin a Vent – Chateau at Dusk
La Russie – Vineyards in the Woods
Les Thorins
View from Montagne des Chasseurs
In the Center of Chenas
Orderly Rows Ranging Forever
Vineyard Artwork
On the Trail by the Weisses Haus
Volkacher Ratsherr Stone
Volkacher Ratsherr Vineyard and Maria im Weingarten
Beaujolais and the Giant Trail
Gargantua is a literary character developed by Francois Rabelais, a 16th century French writer. Gargantua is known as an epicurean giant of awesome adventures, son of a wine estate-owning nobleman. The adjectival form has become synonymous with humungous. And it was also the name of a trail I recently hiked. So, I wondered as I hiked, does the name refer to the big-name Beaujolais wines from here enjoyed by epicureans world-wide, or does it refer to epic adventures to be found along the 16-kilometer route, or the size of some of the hills the trail traverses?
It certainly did not refer to the size of Moulin a Vent, the Wind Mill, an iconic landmark, as well as a renowned wine appellation, in the Beaujolais region. It is often easier said than seen for hikers in this very hilly landscape. But that was my start point and my end point on this circuit trail to discover two great crus of Beaujolais.
Wine Notes: Beaujolais Crus
What I Learned:
Beaujolais is a wine region just south of Burgundy. It has three different quality levels: a simple Beaujolais produced in the southern-most reaches of this region; a Beaujolais-Village appellation; and in the northern part of this wine region, ten villages have their own appellations due to their special crus. It is a singular geological area, once part of an ancient sea bed. The hills are often steep and hide valleys between them. Schist and granite soils in the Beaujolais give a distinctive minerality to the wines. The best of these wines, the ten villages/areas of appellation (Brouilly, Chenas, Cote de Brouilly, Chiroubles, Fleurie, Julienas, Morgon, Moulin a Vent, Regnie, Saint-Amour) offer good value for quality wines.
A Gargantuan Trail in a Nutshell
Trail Name: Circuit de Gargantua, also known as Circuit 1 Gargantua
Trail Type: Medium distance circuit; trail surface partly paved, otherwise grass or earthen surface (sandy or compacted); Route mostly marked.
Length:
Total: 16 kilometers/10 miles
Shortened: 9.5 kilometers/6 miles
Convenient to: Lyon, France
Marking: Red squares with stylized grapes and leaves, and white lettering identifying the trail name: “Circuit 1 Gargantua”, the name of the location (example: “Chemin des Bois”), and with white italic lettering below identifying the next destination (example: “En Remont”). An arrow below indicates the direction to follow.
