Bugey-Savoie: the Tour de France on the wine side

After an exceptional route in the heart of the Rhone Valley, new challenges await the Tour de France riders before climbing up the Alps. Let's go for our last wine breakaway in the heart of the vineyards of Bugey and Savoie!

A tour in the heart of the Savoie and Bugey vineyards

Before tackling the alpine stages, the riders will be able to enjoy a slight respite even if the route holds some major surprises with a very contrasting relief. In the heart of these hilly landscapes, popular with cyclists, our last stages of the Tour de France also reserve for us beautiful discoveries and wine surprises.

• Stopover in the Bugey vineyard: While many cyclists come to confront the summit of Grand Colombier, wine lovers also come to appreciate the charms of the Bugey vineyard and its many wines. Ideally located between Lyon, Bourg-en-Bresse and Chambéry, this vineyard covers only 500 hectares but has a great geological and climatic diversity.
• Stopover in the vineyards of Savoie: As we approach the first slopes of the Alps, we find many wine tourists who have come to discover the different terroirs of Savoie, and especially their white wines which represent 70% of the production. Following the example of the neighbouring Bugey vineyard, the vineyards of Savoie have very varied climatic and topographical conditions.

Marked by a great diversity of terroirs, these two vineyards are home to numerous grape varieties, including several local varieties that give the typicality of the regional wines. Among the local grape varieties, we can mention the mondeuse for the red and rosé wines as well as the jacquere, the highness or the roussette for the white wines. Wine lovers will also be able to find well-known grape varieties such as Gamay, Chardonnay or Chasselas.

Tour of the main appellations of Savoie and Bugey

After this beautiful wine escape, let's take stock of the stage rankings. The vineyards of Bugey and Savoie have been rewarded with 5 regional appellations thanks to the determination and hard work of the men and women who work every day in the vineyards and cellars.

Stopover in the Bugey vineyard: We discover the AOC Bugey and the AOC Roussette-du-Bugey, followed by other appellations within these AOCs.

Stage in the vineyard of Savoy: Same situation in the classification, we find the AOC Savoy and the AOC Roussette-de-Savoie.

Surprise in the general classification: The AOC Seyssel can be found in the Bugey vineyard as well as in the Savoie vineyard.

Gourmet stages of Savoie and Bugey

To take advantage of our latest wine and food break, Savoie and Bugey are full of many gastronomic specialities that will delight our taste buds and accompany the wines of the region.

At the start of the 15th stage in Bourg-en-Bresse, we can taste the famous Bresse chickens but we can also find many seafood products such as carp, pike, perch or crayfish. The latter are used to prepare the famous Nantua sauce, often served with dumplings.Melted from cheeses as well as wines, we then let ourselves be seduced by the diversity of cheeses offered by the terroirs of Bugey and Savoie. One finds in particular the ramekin of Bugey, the bleu de Gex, the beaufort, the reblochon, the abundance as well as numerous tommes.

Finally, we could not evoke Savoie without mentioning its mountain specialties such as the famous Savoyard fondue, the salty-sweet stuffing, the polenta or the crozets offered au gratin or to accompany a meat in sauce.

Stage commentary: A popular spot for cyclists, the Grand Colombier offers an exceptional panorama of the Bugey vineyards which will also delight all wine lovers. While waiting for the alpine stages, the vineyards of Savoie reserve some nice gustatory surprises with their typical white wines as well as their red and rosé wines.

Quentin (Les Grappes)