Immersed in Wine (and Food)

Our wine week ended on Sunday by celebrating Leah‘s birthday with a day trip to a fabulous winery and a tour of the medieval village of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, which is officially one of the most beautiful villages in France. We had tried to visit it five years ago but couldn’t find a place to park. The commune of 250 residents hosts roughly 800,000 visitors a year. It makes Traverse City seem almost unvisited by comparison.

A path in Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert. Not easy to get a photo without humans!

But I shouldn’t skip too far ahead.

The last chapter in my travelogue was the visit on Wednesday to Chateau l’Engerran, and if the week had ended there, it would have been more than enough.

The best was yet to come. And I can’t even decide on the best. Was it Thursday? Was it Saturday night? All are winners here.

Thursday was the day of the hike for which I had been “training.” And first, there was wine, which was a visit to two wineries in the Pic St. Loup appellation, the most northern and eastern of the Languedoc region.

We started at Domaine de l’Hortus, and this was a winery I was eager to visit for personal reasons, the explanation of which would require a digression from my narrative so I have it on a separate page if anyone is interested.

We were greeted with the equivalent of a royal welcome at the domaine, probably because we were accompanied by the eminent wine writer, Andrew Jefford, a lovely person who gave us a master class on Languedoc wines on our bus ride to the domaine. Two of the three sons who run the winery took us on a tour of the gorgeous vineyard and modern production facility, and we were surprised and thrilled to be joined by their father, estate founder Jean Orliac, who was beyond charming and generous.

And the tasting presentation was simply the best I’ve ever experienced, and y’all know I’ve been to a few. Monsieur Orliac presented his wines by discussing his philosophy, the estate’s history, the growing of grapes and the making of wine. We sampled all of the current offerings as they should be, served at the proper temperature, decanted when appropriate and poured by the dashing Yves Orliac. Everyone in this group of serious wine connoisseurs and professionals was overwhelmed. And that L’Ombrée? It was undoubtedly the best wine John has ever enjoyed with his spaghetti.

Andrew Jefford (l) translating for Jean Orliac’s presentation of his wines.

Our next stop was radically different in style and presentation. I’ve never visited one of those cult-favorite California wineries that operates out of a garage or warehouse, but this was perhaps a similar experience.

We drove up to a nondescript building across a parking lot from a Purina pet food factory. No vines in sight. Maybe we were at the wrong place? No, this is it, Andrew assured us. We entered a small room that was perhaps a tasting room. Bottles of wine were visible. A young man was clearing some things up and would be right with us. Meanwhile, I observed through an open side door one of the largest cats I’d ever seen making its way across the street from Purina.

Then the young man, who was our host, Guilhem Viau of Bergerie du Capucin, started pouring his wines. They were incredible. This winemaker began his career selling grapes to a local cooperative and has been bottling his wine only since 2008. He says he’s still experimenting and learning to be a better winemaker. I think he already deserves his PhD.

Lunch followed at Le Pic St. Loup restaurant in the village of Les Matelles. More delicious wine and food.

Andrew, we hang on your every word.

Most of the group took a sensible approach to the hike that followed. They skipped it, taking the bus back to Montpellier. But I had been training! And I brought my hiking boots all the way to France! So on to the mountain I went.

I was probably on the trail for about half an hour when I was confronted with an incline of what looked to me like boulders in the shape of enormous horizontal razor blades. I was to climb that? Maybe, but how would I ever get back down? I decided to turn around and wait at the bottom. Three hours later, when the five who were braver than I returned from the “two-hour hike,” the first thing I heard was, “Sharon, you made the right call.”

So, if you ever want to climb the Pic St. Loup, John tells me the views are magnificent but it is the most challenging climb he’s ever done, and we lived in the Rockies for a year.

Friday we rested.

Saturday night was the grand party at the home of Princess & Bear founders Carol and Steve. At least three winemakers were in attendance, including John from Kentucky. This American married a French woman and agreed to move to her tiny village near the Pyrénées and buy some land and make a little wine. You mean, that’s hard? One of his reds I wanted to drink all night, but that bottle emptied fast. Seriously, people, if you can get the Princess & Bear to ship to you, order some Clos du Gravillas. You can thank me by inviting me over for a drink, although I might just drain the bottle.

That’s John from Kentucky on the right, arriving with his terrific wines. Those in front from Vignoble Puy were very good also.

We also met Colin Duncan Taylor, author of two books about the region, who the very generous Carol and Steve invited just to meet the two other writers on their guest list (that would be me and John). We immediately recognized a kindred spirit in Colin, and we bought both of his books even though I spent the summer trying to purge books and said I would buy no more. I’m already reading his Menu from the Midi and I love it. Last night I was reading a chapter on the Lucques olive, which is only grown in the Languedoc and is called the green diamond. This morning, I walked over to the outdoor market right outside our apartment and purchased some. I definitely need to finish his book before I leave France to avoid frustration.

I’m almost 60 years old. I’ve been to a lot of parties in my life. I’ve never been to one as magical as the party for the Princess & Bear’s Mediterranean Club.

As for the bus ride back to Montpellier, those of you who know John (from Michigan and North Carolina), ask him about the karaoke. He’s now a legend.

On to Sunday, which was Leah’s birthday, so she joined us for our last day of wine week.

We had only one winery to visit that day, but it was sufficient. We rode through the lovely country north of Montpellier to Terre des 2 Sources, which is in the AOP of Terrasses du Larzac, a relatively new appellation established in 2014. The owners greeted us. Kirsten, a New Zealander who was a “flying winemaker,” (she traveled a lot to make wine), and husband Glen, an American viticulturalist (he tends the vines), showed us around the place, treated us to a tasting, and then served lunch. Kirsten made the lunch. She’s an overachiever, not content just to make great wine, she has to be amazing in the kitchen also.

Lunch at Terre des 2 Sources, with winemaker Kirsten talking about the wines and her neighbor’s delicious food products that went into our meal.

Kirsten’s pavlova, one of two desserts she made for us. I told ya: overachiever.

The group. Winemaker Kirsten (holding Luna, her puppy) and master grape grower Glen (brown jacket) in front of their domain.

After that, we toured Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, which brings me back to the beginning of this post, and then we went back to Montpellier to collapse in exhaustion for the past two days.

So I’m caught up. The food and wine extravaganza is over. From now on, it will be just normal life in Montpellier. Reading, writing, flaneuring, and figuring out what it means to be “retired.” Or are we?

Stay tuned.