Following yesterday evening's explorations of the Medoc vineyards on the left bank of the Gironde, this morning we ventured in the other direction to explore the world of another celebrated Bordeaux wine, that of Saint-Emilon. Crossing first the Garonne, then the Dordogne, we entered the region of Entre-deux-mers that takes its name from these two tidal rivers. For lovers of great wine there is something magical about passing through so many villages whose names are familiar from the labels on bottles of wine. Beyond the Dordogne, we entered the enchanting region of Saint-Emilion.
The wines of Bordeaux are not made from single grape varieties (cepages); rather, they are skillfully blended by each vintner using different proportions of merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, and mailbec (for red wines) and sauvignon, semillon, and muscadelle (for white wines). Each year, depending on the quality of the harvest, the proportions vary. We arrived within a few weeks of the start of harvest time, an activity carried out mainly by students before the start of the new academic year. It was wonderful to see the fields of vines, stretching as far as the eye could see: the clusters of ripe black grapes glistening in the bright September sunshine. Our visit to the charming chateau of Fonplegade was both pleasurable and instructive as we toured the winery and tasted some contrasting vintages.
The medieval village of Saint-Emilion, attractively situated on a limestone outcrop, would be much visited even without its oenological associations. We toured the medieval village with its narrow streets and market place. We entered Europe's largest monolithic church, with its high vaulted roof, stone carvings and catacombs. We descended a flight of stone steps to visit the monastic cell of Saint-Emilion himself, an eighth century Celtic saint who hailed from Vannes in Brittany and whose reputation as a holy man first turned the village into a medieval center of pilgrimage. For twenty-first century lovers of history and gastronomy, a pilgrimage to Saint-Emilion is both an obligation and a privilege.
