Food, Wine, Photography Cycling & Gardening. Discover more about Life in Burgundy on The Hungry Cyclist Blog
Lantignié is an exceptional off-the-beaten-path terroir of the Beaujolais that faces due south on the slopes below the Avenas pass. Here the granite subsoil is full of rare and precious minerals such as quartz, fluorspar and baryte, that provide plenty of fuel to the vines and complexity to the wines.
Read MoreWhen I was idly daydreaming on a beach in Rio de Janeiro, after completing a two and half year bicycle ride researching food across the Americas, I sketched out a picture of what I felt my dream building might look like for the gourmet cycle lodge I was planning in France.
Read MorePeaches from the south of France cover the tables in the local markets at this time of year, and the secret in this heat is to eat them as fast as you can before they turn. While there are few greater pleasures in life than taking on a peach whole, juices pouring down your shirt this recipe is a little more elegant.
Read MoreA rigid wind tugs and pulls at tree-tops. In the low sky, herds of dense cloud push East across the horizon. There is a promise of rain in the air and as the church bells ring out the hour, vingerons in their tired white vans hurry from their lunch tables, along dirt roads back into their vines.
Read MoreTorrential rain is driven by a stiff wind. Falling on the steep hillside it forms streams that run energetically between rocks and vines. Beneath dense clouds, that roll in from the west, the village of Meursault wakes up to another cold and wet February morning.
Read MoreIn January the previous season vine growth is cut away from the vines and burned in make shift braziers. In freezing temperatures and wet conditions this work goes on late into the month filling the air with a sweet scent.
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Taking a break from renovating The Hungry cyclist Lodge and planning tailor-made cycling holidays in Burgundy I decided to slip into my wellington boots and pick grapes for a few days in the prestigious village of Gevry-Chambertin. Last year the pickers and porters were bathed in late summer sunshine that ripened the fruit. In 2012 an autumn chill filled the air while heavy rains mixed with the regions famous 'terroir' to create thick mud. Waking in the dark, getting back into damp clothes and trudging in heavy mud is not a huge amount of fun, but like it or not, these weather conditions are vital in creating another unique harvest for Burgundy wine in 2012.
Here is a gallery of images that I hope give some insight into the human element that goes into each years vintage. Click on the thumbnails to scroll through the gallery.
