Today we visited the hilltop town of Saint-Émilion which has both exceptional architecture and historic vineyards. The Romans were the first to plant grapes here and this was the first vineyard region to be protected by UNESCO because of its history. The town itself has medieval ramparts, steep cobblestone streets and many wine shops.
I was then part of a group that visited Château Beauséjour Bécot. We were taken on a tour of the property including a massive network of quite dark underground cellars. I was surprised to see large pottery receptables being used for part of the wine production process.. Another surprise was seeing vine roots growing through into the cellars.
Our tour ended with a tasting of four red wines including two that were designated as Grand Cru.
Roses are planted at the end of rows of vines as an early warning system for the winegrower. They attract insects like aphids before the vines. They also get fungal disease like black rot and mildew before the vines do. The strain of mildew that roses are susceptible to is not the same as for vines but if the conditions are good for mildew on roses then almost certainly are good for downy mildew on vines too.
After the Château tour we went back to the town of
Saint-Émilion for free time and lunch. I
found a delightful terraced restaurant where I had a meal of veal tartare with
potato salad.
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