Hotellerie Beau Rivage
69420 Condrieu - France
Phone: 04 74 56 82 82
Fax: 04 74 59 59 36
Lunch at the Hotellerie Beau Rivage in the Condrieu
region overlooked the Rhone River, and was our first introduction
to a French luncheon. If you want to know why the French
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| Tuna Tartare |
businesses are closed during lunchtime for three
hours, its because they need the time. In contrast to America's
"Lunch Free if not served under 10 minutes", this 7
course lunch lasted for 2 1/2 hours. Starting with complimentary
hors d'oeuvres and wine, we read through the menu and ordered
tuna tartare and foie gras du canard., while we languished over
the rest of the menu.
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French
Frog Legs
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Our main courses ran the gamut between salads,
seafood, the vast cheese platter, the pre- dessert while we pondered
the final dessert, and then of course, the wines. We chose the
wines of the Condrieu region to drink with our meal, the most
memorable being the 1997 Yves Coilleron Condrieu "Les
Chaillets" - a wonderful peach flavor with apricot overtones,
had a good, full flavor, with a clean finish.
The traditional French Frog Legs course was the
true work of art of this meal.
Judie Vacchina |
Guiliane Dominici |
Ron Holden |
Maison Guigal
69420 Ampuis
Ph 04 74 56 10 22
Fax 04 74 56 18 76
A third generation winery, Chateau d'Ampuis is
a very special success story. Etienne Guigal founded the winery
in 1946. His son Marcel Guigal is currently at the helm, but will
have no trouble passing the reigns to his son Philippe, a young,
intelligent, and well
educated enologist, who has captured the beat
of both worlds. With a passion for technology, Philippe has designed
and implemented the new technology that will bring the winery
into the new millenium. His love and admiration for his parents
and grandparents heritage in winemaking before him have eased
the transition from manual to computerization, insuring that the
winery will be able to stay in the family. We met him on a rainy
day in mid October.
Philippe greeted us at the door with a big smile,
wearing a rain slicker, water running down his rain hat, with
" It is raining outside, and it is no concern of MINE! The
harvest is IN!" and he laughed a most contagious laugh. We
were immediately ushered into a modern
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| Marcel and Philippe Guigal |
elevator with marbled floors, and whisked two
floors down into the cellars for our tour. As we passed through
the various caves and levels of storage, we reached the vinification
room where the computer system was set up. Philippe set himself
at the helm and began explaining. "The controls start even
before the first flower arrives on the vine, selecting just the
right amount of growth and timing for the harvest, so critical
for a perfect yield." Maintaining 8,000 - 10,000 vines per
hector, the vines are maintained on their steep slope by horse
and plow. Utilizing the biodynamic system, the eco system is balanced
out by natural controls. Plants fight off unwanted insects, and
then other insects fight off unwanted insects. Only the strongest
vines survive, as the roots compete with each other, and go deeper.
"If you have good grapes, there is no chance
to make bad wine." Phillipe said . That is why it is so important
to make sure you have good grapes. Grapes are not crushed in 50
kilos. They are done in small quantities for quality. They are
twice sorted, and 8 people sort the grapes. The computer process
allows them to grade the quality. When the system was new in 1993,
10 growers had their grapes refused. In 1994, only 3 growers had
their grapes refused.
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Philippe
Guigal and Judie Vacchina
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The winery itself owns 2 hectors and buys from
between 40 - 50 growers. The hectors that they own produce about
4,500 bottles. As they are Negocients, they buy from the local
growers and make over 4 million bottles of wine a year, mostly
under the Cote du Rhone label. Their own hectors produce the highest
quality of wine, the Hermitage and Croze Hermitage appelations
- 60% of all wines they produce are exported. US represents 1/3
of that 60% followed by Japan, at 18%, then Germany. It is predicted
that 1999 will be the best harvest ever.
As we toured through the cellars, Philippe pointed
out some of the cellars that were more than 250 years old. As
we began tasting, Philippe noted to us that White Hermitage is
classical - could age 10 - 15 years. But Condrieu is here
for now. It is flowery, pleasant.
The 1995 white hermitage was elegant,but
strict with a hint of fruit, classical and could age for ten years.
It had a bright straw color, with smokey vanilla and spicey undertones,
highlighted by a fruity taste of apples, pears and apricots. The
grape used was 93% Marsanne. We then tasted a 1996 Red Hermitage
-a deeper, earthy, straight forward taste , with a deep sustained
color. This wine would be great with a nice meat. The 1996 cote
rotie, brune and blonde- blended, had great flavor and balance,but
was still very young. We then moved on to a 1998 Condrieu - catching
us with its golden color and peachy nose, a straight forward taste,
with a slow finish. Our treat or course, was the 1996 la Turque
- the least seen out in the market, and has the smallest production,
single vineyard wines. It comes from Cote Brun, and is produced
from relatively young vines. Nice, powerful, aged 42 months. This
wine is 1% of their production, and made 350 cases of it last
year, and is one their greatest Rhone valley wines. It has a deep
color, with a spicy nose,and holds our attention with superb deep
flavors.
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