One day, Simon and I are going to have a wine tour that runs in tandem (ha ha) with the Tour de France; we shall follow the cyclists and drink the local wines.
This year we would have got off to a poor start in the north of France where there are few vines, but by day 6 we would have been knocking back the champagne in Epernay. Today is day 9, and not a marvellous one in vinous terms, but as day 10 on Wednesday begins in Mâcon, there is at least the opportunity to arrive early and have a good day of vineyard visits and tastings in the Mâconnais, a wonderful part of France for classic, good value wines made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and excellent food (great cheeses).
We tested Simon's bike to make sure it can hold wine with a bottle of Louis Jadot Château des Jacques 2009 which fits perfectly, not only on the bike but also in terms of where we are up to with this year's home-based wine tour. Next stop, the mountains, some very pretty wines, and tired legs.
