“You don’t have to use the spittoon,” remarked Rosemary George, our wine
guide, on a balmy evening in Corsica with a table positively heaving with
assorted bottles behind her. That was all the encouragement that some of us
needed.
I confess I had a few qualms about spending four days in the company of wine
enthusiasts, travelling by coach between estates and vineyards for tasting
sessions. I had developed a not entirely encouraging mental picture of those
with whom I would have to be billeted. The party would be full of men called
Jeremy or Sebastian, dressed in blue blazers augmented with bow-ties or
cravats, whose conversation would be peppered by remarks such as “decent
bouquet on this one” and “shades of raisins here, or possibly sultanas”.
My approach to wine is more that of the enthusiastic amateur than the polished
professional. The last thing that I wanted was to feel peer-group pressured
into swilling wine around the mouth for a few enticing seconds and then
propelling it elsewhere. If I want that sort of activity, then I buy
Listermint, not an enticing rosé.
Yet none of my assumptions was to prove more than mere prejudice. There was
someone called Jeremy, but he wore neither a bow-tie nor a cravat and was a
civilised fellow. Rosemary, the wine expert, did indeed tend to spit her
helpings out, but not all the time and in a discreet, rather than an
ostentatious, manner. The schedule was punishing. The band of two dozen
souls rose for breakfast, headed off into the Corsican hinterland
(spellbindingly beautiful) for the first estate, the Domaine de Pietri,
where they produce a jolly white called vermentino, and our initial tasting
of the day (a dozen or so bottles, kicking off at 10.30am). Then we moved on
to Domaine Pastricciola, which produces patrimonio, Corsica’s most famous
red, for the next tasting, pushing on to lunch (with wine), before rolling
back to the charming hotels selected for an afternoon swim (or, more likely,
a tactical snooze) in advance of gathering again for dinner (with another
range of bottles).
Rosemary patiently explained what it was that we were drinking, where it came
from, its distinctive features, etc, before letting the thirsty hordes reach
their own conclusions. It was meant to be fun, and it was.
The Corsican wine was rather enjoyable as well. It is not seen much in
Britain, mostly because the influx of tourists from mainland France each
summer drinks enough of the stuff to make the notion of exporting it appear
a tiresome hassle. Rosemary told us that it had improved enormously over the
years and that the muscat, in particular, could hold its own by
international standards.
Midweek trips, such as ours, tended to attract an older crowd. But according
to Rosemary, shorter dashes to France (especially the champagne weekends)
have a somewhat younger fraternity. Long-haul expeditions to Australia,
California or South America appeal to those with a serious sense of
adventure. Having someone competent to do the organisation for them and
provide the accommodation, food and wine while they are at it is an added
bonus.
Need to know
Arblaster & Clarke Wine Tours (01730 263111, www.winetours.co.uk)
has a one-week trip to Corsica and Sardinia leaving on September 16, from
£1,799pp. The cost includes return flights from Gatwick, seven nights in
three and four-star hotels, with ferry between Corsica and Sardinia, seven
meals with wines, and vineyard visits with Master of Wine Jane Hunt.
Among the vines: other French wine breaks
Caroline Hendrie
Help with the harvest in a sauternes vineyard and learn about wine production
in Bordeaux. Vitivinitour (00 33 5 56 92 32 31, www.lesacabailles.fr)
has a two-day Destination Wine Harvest in English on September 22-23 and
October 6-7. The cost of 450 euros (about £300) includes one night in a
three-star hotel, tasting course at the Bordeaux wine school, excursions and
some meals, but not flights.
Buy the bubbly for your next party, or just go for a fizzing mini-break. Wine
Trails (01306 712111, www.winetrails.co.uk)
offers four nights’ self-drive to Champagne. Two nights at a
family-owned vineyard and two in a private château, with three tastings,
three dinners and breakfasts are from £550pp. Channel crossings extra.
Sharpen your nose for chardonnays and pinpoint your favourite pinot noir in Burgundy.
Grape Escapes (0870 7667617, www.grapeescapes.net)
has a two-night trip leaving on August 30, with a full-day tour by coach to
vineyards and the wine cellars of Beaune guided by a local expert. The cost,
from £273pp, includes lunch with wine, tastings, B&B in a
three-star hotel in Dijon and Dover-Calais car ferry.
Stroll through the Loire sampling the vintages. Inntravel (01653
617724, www.inntravel.co.uk) has a
one-week Châteaux and Vineyard self-guided walk (departures until October
31). The cost, from £585pp, includes seven dinners, B&B, four
picnics, luggage transfers, but not travel to the Loire.
