What was the best part? Ask three people who have shared a vacation—even in the same family—and they will each likely have a different answer.
Maybe it was a superb meal, maybe it was scoring a designer bargain at a vintage store. Maybe it was stunning scenery or doing something completely out of your comfort zone or allowing your kids to lead the way for the first time.
Often, the most memorable moments are unexpected when everything goes right. As anyone who travels these days knows, that’s not always the case. All the more reason to embrace those special moments when they happen.
Lyon is surrounded by three famous wine regions: Rhone, Beaujolais, and Burgundy. Some call Beaujolais “little Tuscany” because of its “golden stones” landscape in some parts of the region. The houses there are built of the region’s yellow stone, similar to Tuscany. Because this area has so many different kinds of rock in the soil, it was the first wine region designated a GeoPark by UNESCO.
To be called Beaujolais wines, they are made only with gamay grapes, and the white wines only with chardonnay grapes. But the wines at every winery are different depending on the terroir—the climate, the soil, and the grapes. “Give each wine maker the same grapes and the wine will taste differently,” said Justine Poncet, a wine expert and our guide for the day. (Email Poncet at [email protected]). “It is like different chefs in the kitchen with the same ingredients.”
Our day will include stops at three quite different wineries, as well as the medieval town of Oingt, which is considered one of the most beautiful villages in France with its narrow, winding streets, hilltop views, cafes spilling onto the sidewalks, and tiny, charming studios of artists and potters. Only about 1,000 people live here, just a few hundred inside the ancient walls.
There are more than 96 villages in Beaujolais; this region, as well as Lyon, was a center for the French Resistance during World War II, but the history here goes back thousands of years.
Typically, the wineries here are small and have been owned by the same families for generations.
Poncet says that when children are part of the group, there are wineries that offer scavenger hunts and plenty of places to run and play. And there are the friendly dogs—every vineyard seems to have at least one.
Instead, this picnic is perhaps the best we’ve ever enjoyed, and with two weeks of great meals, one of the best. We have a crusty baguette and three kinds of cheese, rabbit terrine, mortadella, ham, salami, tabouli, tomato salad, and cucumber salad, accompanied, of course, by one of the Chateau des Bachelard’s wines. Most of the ingredients are locally sourced. Dessert includes a pink praline tart (a Lyon specialty), as well as chocolate caramel, raspberry tarts, and a chiboust with cream, meringue, and an apricot filling. We eat until we can eat no more.
We learn it was traditional for workers to have a “Machon,” traditionally eaten by Lyon silk workers and vineyard workers in the late morning—cold cuts, pate, sausage, cheese, and, of course, wine. The term comes from the verb “to chew,” as these meals were easy to eat. Not only is the food spectacular, but so are the views in Fleurie in the northern Beaujolais region. It boasts nearly 45,000 acres, including nearly 15 surrounding us, some of the vines dating back 80 years, others much newer. This chateau has been a pioneer of biodynamic viticulture in the region and holds certification in organic farming and biodynamic practices.
Though these wines, typically a light red, though there are some white and rosé, are typically very affordable (mostly between $15 and $30), not many from these small vineyards are available in the United States, and with the coming tariffs, they are getting more expensive. Shipping from here is more expensive than the wine.
All the more reason to drink up here—and eat too. Salut!
