I just ordered a used copy of Rick's France book. For those who have it and used it and on top of it wanted a wine vacation......how informative was it for us winos? I also ordered "The Wine Atlas of France for Travelers" just in case I am disappointed by the lack of wine info in RS book. Edit: I am not looking for what to drink but want to know if his book gives us some details about wine tasting and wineries when in the many wine regions of France
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
Use the book behind Door Number Two. RS is hit and miss. Burgundy might be okay, but gives too much attention to Beaune and bike rides. St Emillion is blown off as a place with a bunch of wine shops. And so it goes. Full disclosure: I can't stomach the stuff, but was the tour conductor/chauffer for my wife and a couple of her pals a few years back. I studied like the very dickens to pull it off and got nothing but quirky villages out of the RS France. Umpteenth reminder to self: never again be the only guy on a girl-trip.
Posted by
Twin Cities, Minnesota
1825 posts
I have an old copy of the Wine Atlas of France for Travelers and have been studying it for my May trip. RS only has the basics-the wine atlas has much more information.
Posted by
Monein, Pyrenees, France
425 posts
Is there a mention of the Jurançon wine region? Roger
Posted by
St. Louis, MO USA
1976 posts
Hi Kelly. If your PBS station airs European travel shows by Rudy Maxa, you should take a look. He usually mentions local wines (or beers, whiskeys, etc.) in every program about a European country or city. I'm not aware of any books he may have written, but his website is www.smarttravels.tv.
Posted by
Texan in CA
4407 posts
I'd say RS' strength is in GETTING you to a particular wine region (although perhaps not all of them); I'd look elsewhere for info on wineries - hours of operation, do they allow tourists to drop in, etc.
Posted by
Boston
4132 posts
No. At least, not at a level that would satisfy anyone who would ask such a question. Rick might spend one sentence saying something like, Try the Alsatian Reislings, which are dryer than their German counterparts, or something like that. Good advice, but that is all you'll get.
Posted by
Portland, OR, United States of America
59 posts
I'm a wine newbie, especially for France, but I think it is safe to say that you need some backup wine guides, especially if a major part of your trip is going to be wine. As an example, look at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hVYWVIaXMA Skip to around 2:30 and the following scene pretty much tells you the answer to what you are asking ;-) That said, the books have a number of contributors, and Steve Smith (also in the video) is probably handling a lot of the heavy lifting on the wine info. French wine and food appear to be a much bigger deal to him than Rick.
Posted by
Texan in CA
4407 posts
"So......tasting is different from drinking..." ROFLMAO I love you, Kevin! (wiping tears from my eyes)
Posted by
San Clemente, Ca.
408 posts
Kelly,
I went to Reims a few years ago and I had asked my local wine shop to set up a wine tasting for me while I was there. They were able to get us a private tour with Cunard Duchene champagne house. It was awesome! My husband was taught how to open a champagne bottle with a saber. It is worth asking your local wine shop for help, it worked well for us.