A reminder : this is the latest in a continuing series recalling Ken's and my 1989 road trip from Grenoble through southwestern France and back to Paris. Any and all errors stem completely from my faulty and faltering memory. ;>)
This post is not really about wine, but I'm sipping some while I type and that should count for something.
This post is not really about wine, but I'm sipping some while I type and that should count for something.
Fall vineyards in either Corbières or Minervois - I don't remember which.When Ken and I left Sète we headed toward Béziers, then through Narbonne and Carcassonne. We were roughly following the course of the Aude and the Canal du Midi, and thus, the border between two well known A.O.C.'s in the Languedoc-Roussillon wine region : Corbières and Minervois.
The low mountains reflected shades of muted green and purple and the vineyards shone in bold oranges and yellows. We found a shady spot on the canal to have a picnic lunch - it was much warmer here than it had been on the coast.
Ken sets up our picnic lunch next to the Canal du Midi while I wander around with the camera. Check out the dark hair !We did picnic lunches a lot on this and subsequent road trips through France. It's much more economical than going to restaurants all the time, and it can save time, too. Besides, part of our sightseeing took us to many outdoor markets where we could buy something to build a lunch around. Most of the time we had pâté or rillettes of some kind, cheese, a salad like carrottes rapées or concombres, and fruit or pastry for dessert. Always with a baguette and a bottle of wine.
More autumn-tinted grape vines.
Yes, I let my hair go natural years ago.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds so wonderful, picnicking all the time. I don't know why I don't do it more often - we are forever going out. But oh, the cheese looks so good!
ReplyDeletePersonally, I find the countryside of the Minervoir to be one of the most charming in France. Rolling hills dotted with medieval villages. Its lack of major tourist attractions has kept it "relatively" unspoiled. A great destination for someone who has done all the big sites and is looking for a more intimate exploration of a charming region.
ReplyDeleteWine note: The Minervoi, the Corbières and most of the huge surface of wine growing regions in Languedoc have a historical reputation for mediocre table wines. But in recent years have made leaps and bounds in the number of quality wines which are produced. A Minervois bottle has even been touted by certain French critics as no less than the best wine in the world. - Of course it is practically impossible to get your hands on a bottle, even if you can afford it.