The cheese cart! Matt got really into the cheeses on this trip and choose the cheese course whenever possible. So many goats!
The highlight of Bordeaux (and the best lunch of the trip) was a visit to Les Belles Perdrix at Chateau Troplong Mondot. We drove out to the gorgeous town of Saint Emilion – I had read this winery had a restaurant with good views, but I had no idea we would spend 3 hours on a 3 course lunch!
It was splendid!
I just love how the French take eating very seriously and take their time! We need to learn how to do this in the US. But we don’t have time:)
We shared a glass of sparking rose, and each had a glass of white with lunch.
After lunch, we took a tour of the facilities and learned about French wine-making. It was interesting to compare it to California wineries.
At Troplong Mondot, everything is organic and done by hand. They are not allowed to use irrigation systems, so they depend on the natural weather – imagine that!
Of course, our visit ended with a few tastes. Most wineries in Bordeaux only produce 2-3 wines per year and they are mostly blends. The tour leaders would get annoyed when we asked about the varietals, saying that Americans always want to know the percentage of each in a blend:) It should not matter if you trust the winemaker, they would say. Most of the tastings we did in Bordeaux consisted of two [small] samples comparing a young and old version of the same blend.
On our second day, we did a full day wine tour. Although we booked a group tour, no one else signed up, so we scored a private tour! Our guide was an intern at the Bordeaux wine school, and it was so interesting to hear about about his journey.
Château Troplong Mondot
July 28, 2015 at 3:25 amThank you for such nice pictures and wonderful comments. We sincerely hope to welcome you again shortly at our estate and send you our warmest regards. Sincerely, Château Troplong Mondot & Les Belles Perdrix de Troplong Mondot.
Emily
July 29, 2015 at 2:11 pmI have a serious case of wanderlust now.
Joanna
July 30, 2015 at 1:05 pmI saw that you used to suffer from IBS, which I recently had issues with… My doctor recommended the FODMAP diet- with no dairy or gluten. sounds impossible for me since I only eat fish (no meat). how did you do it? any tips? Thanks.
Laura
July 31, 2015 at 7:51 amI found the FODMAP impossible too so my doctor told me not to worry about it and focus on dairy and gluten – that way I can eat a lot of vegetables, fish/meat, eggs, and gluten free grains. I do avoid some of the FODMAP foods like brussel sprouts, apples and some beans. I’ve just tried to pinpoint which ones are worse for me.