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Sipping & Savouring…the wines in and around Collioure

3/18/2015

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Templiers Sign in Collioure
Grapes in the Banyuls vineyard
Where we live in Ontario, there is a wonderful wine region called Niagara-on-the-Lake.  Over the years we have thoroughly enjoyed exploring both large and small wineries and their distinct wines that are unique to this area.  We actually even thought of retiring to this lovely area that enjoys a slightly milder winter and has many charming homes on the banks of the Niagara River.  However when we really thought about our goals for retirement, they included extensive travelling which prompted us to research locations in Europe and eventually led us to purchase in France.  Collioure has so much to offer from a climate and culture perspective but they also have some really fantastic wines.  For us, this just sealed the deal!

Collioure is located in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.  This region happens to be the single largest wine producing area in the world with 700,000 acres of vineyards and provides the grapes for more than a third of France’s total wine production.  That is one massive region and a whole lot of wine! 

The region has an extensive history with grape vines being traced back as early as the 5th century BC and were planted by the Greeks. The Languedoc region has belonged to France since the 13th century and was initially producing very high quality wines.  Unfortunately the area was hit very hard in the 19th century by an insect infestation and during the recovery period, many lower quality grapes were planted.  This resulted in the focus being directed towards quantity versus quality.  Starting back in the 1970’s new winemakers started shifting the direction back to quality wines and began experimenting with new varietals.   This resulted in a raising of the reputation and implementation of a classification system in the 1990’s leading to a flourishing of the area once again.

Terraced vineyards in Collioure
Bottle of Banyuls wine at tasting bar
The Mediterranean climate in this area provides an exceptional growing environment.  The region’s frequent sunny days, winds that provide dry weather and chalky, limestone soil all meld together to make some outstanding vintages.

In Collioure specifically, we are lucky to have wonderful varietals such as Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre.  They produce red, white and rose varieties and are fortunate enough to also create the specialty wine Banyuls.  This fortified wine can take on many different forms but essentially the grapes are left much longer on the vine and are grown on a bush vine that results in a much smaller yield.  Wines produced in Collioure must not exceed 5grams of residual sugar per litre meaning Collioure wines are classified as dry.  However due to the warmer climate and ripeness of the grapes, many of the fortified wines will tend to have a sweeter taste.  

The Cellier des Templiers has incredible Banyuls wines that you can taste in their tasting bars in every surrounding town.  You can visit the main winery in Banyuls-sur-Mer to see the production and some of the vineyards.  It is a real treat to taste some of the wines that are 20-30 years old.  These wines are so unique and only get better with age!

We love to visit the wineries in the immediate area and see the incredible terraces where the vines have been planted and are tended by hand.  And as you venture outside of Collioure, you only need to drive a short distance to be in the middle of acres and acres of vineyards.  

Each time we visit we try new wineries and different grapes.  It is almost overwhelming to see all the choices and determine what we should try next.  However we have discussed it and have decided we are definitely up to the challenge of exploring this amazing region! 

Tasting at the Celliers des Templiers wine bar
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Stepping Back in Time over the Pont du Gard

3/4/2015

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Pont du Gard, France
Surrounding are at the Pont du Gard
While visiting Collioure, you may decide you would like to do some sightseeing around the area.  If you are interested in a slightly longer drive up the coast, perhaps 2 ½ hours, you can visit the Pont du Gard.  We made an overnight trip to Uzès and stopped to see this magnificent structure on our way.

The Pont du Gard is a Roman Aqueduct bridge built in the 1st century.  When you arrive to the location, you see only the ticket office and museum building.  It is not until you travel the tree-lined path and you come out into a clearing when you see the enormous structure in front of you.  It is truly awe inspiring to look at this impressive bridge that is so incredibly preserved.

The bridge is actually part of a much larger underground aqueduct system that spans more than 50 kms and was built by the Romans to carry water from Uzès to Nîmes.  Part of its path to Nîmes included crossing the Gardon River, which required a bridge to be built.  The structure itself has three tiered arches and stands almost 50m high and 275m long.  It is said that the aqueduct carried 200,000 cubic metres of water to Nîmes each day!  This supplied the fountains, baths and homes of the residents of Nîmes until sometime in the 6th century.

After the Roman Empire collapsed, the Pont du Gard functioned as a toll bridge and for centuries the lords of the area charged a toll to travelers in exchange for maintaining the bridge.  For many years it was abandoned, until the 18th century when the government of France started a series of renovations.   Over many 100’s of years, the bridge was restored and attracted a lot of interest from tourists.  This resulted in it becoming an UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985 because of its important historical significance. Finally in 2000 all traffic and buildings were removed from the surrounding area and it became an official tourist destination. 

We spent a lot of time just marvelling at the construction of the arches.  They were built with almost no clamps or mortar and it is estimated that there were more than 50,000 tons of limestone used to finish the bridge.  With some of the blocks estimated to weigh more than 6 tons, it seems impossible to imagine how something so huge was built back at a time when there were no modern machines. And not only was it a construction phenomenon but the structure has remained relatively intact for so many years.  The museum exhibits do an excellent job of explaining the history of the Romans and their industrious ways along with providing a detailed explanation of the plans and probable construction process of the bridge using life-sized models.  The displays are well laid out and the entire visitation area is modern and creatively designed.  Be sure not to miss this part, which is included in your admission price.

We found this to be an amazing place to visit and would highly recommend it to everyone to see at least once.  The visitor website is quite extensive and can be accessed by clicking here.


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    Our dream to own a place in France started in the summer of 2008.  We stumbled into Collioure while staying...read more

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