Gourmet Jogging in France

10K Loop in the Center of Dijon

Okay, choose a Sunday morning for exploring the old quarter delights of this medieval jewel. No traffic, few pedestrians and only nature’s sounds to keep you company. Dijon, capital of the powerful Dukes of Burgundy in the middle ages, began as little more than a minor Roman fortress town (Divio) on the road between Lyons and Mainz. Robert the First chose it as his ducal capital in the year 1015, and during the next century or so successive royal leaders strengthened its fortifications to include an expansive enclosure with 11 separate gateways. Under the Valois dukes in the 14^th and 15^th centuries, Dijon was transformed into one of the richest, most splendid cities in the western world.

Start your run at the place de la Libération across from a cluster of buildings that comprise the Palace of the Dukes and States-General of Burgundy. Designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, the architect whose vision shaped Versailles, this monumental assemblage built around a central courtyard (the Cour d'Honneur) now contains the magnificent Museum of Fine Arts. Before hitting the old quarter's side streets, climb the massive, dominating Tour Philippe-le-Bon for a preview of today's 10-kilometer loop. The 46-meter high perch affords an exquisite view of the palace grounds and the tightly-packed lanes and colorful rooftops of the old city. Let your eyes follow the broad boulevards as they radiate out from Dijon's compact urban center through wooded parks and flower-rimmed plazas to the regional capital's nearby pastoral surroundings. 

Now that you have traced the route visually, descend to street level and pick up the rue des Bon Enfants on the left cusp of the semi-circular plaza. Jog past a 17^th century mansion that houses the period-furnished Magnin Museum and bear right on the rue Philippe Pot to the Palais de Justice, another sumptuously adorned Renaissance colossus that was once host to the duchy's parliament. Follow the rue du Palais to the tiny rue de l'École de Droit; turn left past the history-rich municipal library and left again on the rue Chabot Charny as far as the place du Théâtre. In former times, the 15^th century church on your right – now a small museum with sculpture of François Rude – was the Saint Etienne Abbey. Turn right onto the rue Vaillant and proceed to the place Saint-Michel – site of a towering white sandcastle that frames the eastern edge of the old quarter. The St. Michel church, built between the 15^th and 17^th centuries, is a blend of flamboyant gothic and renaissance styles.

Next, follow the rue Vannerie (basket-making) for several blocks and take a left on the rue Chaudronnerie (coopersmiths) past the Maison des Cariatides at No. 28. Lovely maidens adorn all ten upper floor windows of this sparkling renaissance town-house, including the large gable that brings sunlight to an otherwise bleak garret. Continue threading your way through the narrow passageways directly behind the palace grounds by turning left on the rue Verrerie (glass-making, of course). Store-front antique shops and rustic cafés abound in this neighborhood of half-timbered houses with ornately sculptured door-frames resting below lightly corbelled overhangs. Bear right on the rue de la Chouette, named after an owl sculpted on a pillar across from Dijon's Notre Dame church.  Locals maintain that rubbing the owl will bring wisdom and happiness. It is here where you'll also discover the multi-colored, glazed roof-tile patterns that are Burgundy's unmistakable signature.

Hemmed in by the church lot's narrow dimensions, the 13^th century Notre Dame is a marvel of ornate gothic architecture topped by the archetypal Burgundian zig-zags of yellow, black, red and green. With its two bell-turrets and gargoyle-ladened galleries, this medieval landmark rivals Munich's town hall that mesmerizes onlookers with its famous glockenspiel. Located high up in one of the bell-turrets is a purloined Jacquemart clock whose lonely old clock-striker was given a wife, then a son (Jacquelinet) and finally a daughter (Jacquelinette) to help with his daily chores.  Jacques' hammer strikes the hours, and his children tend to half- and quarter-hour notices. Pick up the rue des Forges and jog past uncountable medieval and renaissance façades to the place François Rude. Surrounded by curb-side cafés and more than a dozen 16th and 17^th century buildings is a fountain with a statue of Bareuzai – hands on hips, trampling grapes brought in from the harvest. Cross the plaza and follow the rue de la Libérte one block to the rue Bossuet. Turn left past the watchtower of the coin du miroir and proceed to the place Bossuet, a charming niche named after a 17^th century prelate whose statue on the chevet of the Saint Jean church overlooks his boyhood neighborhood.

Loop around the church square and take the rue Danton past the romanesque church of Saint Philibert to the place Saint Bénigne. The Cathedral of St. Benignus is another wonder of gothic architecture built over and around a former Benedictine abbey and basilica. The exterior features a Flamboyant spire, brightly-colored tile roofs and twin octagonal towers that afford a panoramic view of Dijon and its surroundings. Inside is the original Romanesque rotunda and a maze of pillars and colonnades. Pilgrams come here every November to commemorate the life of Benignus, a third century martyr who was among the first to bring Christianity to Burgundy prior to the Germanic migrations.

Continue up the rue Dr. Maret past the Archeological Museum – itself once part of the St. Benignus abbey – and proceed to the place Darcy. Take time to loop through this thickly-treed public garden with its fountains and swan pond before heading down the boulevard de Sévigne to the Arquebuse Gardens. Named after a company of 16^th century riflemen (or harquebusiers), this large botanical garden is another shady landmark on the western edge of the old city.

One has several options at this point. Proceeding west along the avenue Albert the First leads to the Charterhouse of Champmol, the famous 14^th century monastery built originally as a royal burial place for Philip the Bold. A more southerly course down the rue de l'Arquebuse and along the rue de l'Hôpital crosses the river Ouche and spills into the busy port on the Canal de Bourgogne. For this run, however, I've chosen to head back on the rue Mariotte toward the Cathedral of St. Benignus and continue across town to the rue Pasteur until reaching the place Wilson. At this large circle just south of the old quarter, proceed down the magnificent, tree-lined Cours Général de Gaulle to the Parc de la Colombière. To complete the run, come back up to the place Wilson and follow the rue Chabot-Charny back to the ducal palace.

Our friend Smiljana's olives ripening on the island of Hvar

Gearing up to share gourmet travel experiences in Croatia this past fall.

Gourmet Jogging Prep for Burgundy, France

The Burgundian wine country offers a world of road running pleasures. So to prepare for this feast, let’s consider the region’s physical and cultural terroir writ large. Aloft in one of the region's trademark, brightly colored hot air balloons, this enormous expanse of wooded highlands, lush glens, jagged coombs, and undulating river valleys is the apotheosis of Planet Earth. True, all but one of Burgundy's viticultural titans lay at the western edge of the Saône plain. Yet most of the region's natural and man-made wonders are within a day's trip of the famous routes des vins.

The terrain of the four départements comprising this important section of France forms a lumpy, marquee-style tent between the Saône and the Loire. The pinnacle of its roof – in the center of a veritable covered-market – is the Morvan, a massif that reaches 3,000 feet at the Bois du Roi. To the northeast are the Auxois hills and the Langres plateau. Most of the waterways emanating from this thickly forested bulge of the earth's crust drain north and west into the Paris basin.  Impressive rivers illuminate the region's deep-green valleys, mirroring the billowy white puffs and light-blue backdrop of Burgundy's clear country sky. The Aube and Seine travel well into Champagne before converging west of Troyes. The Armançon trundles north to Semur-en-Auxois and Tonnerre, and the Serein bubbles through Chablis before both flow into the Yonne valley north of Auxerre. The fast-moving Yonne, whose headwaters are on the northern slopes of the Morvan's Mont Beuvray, continues its descent until meeting up with the Seine just east of Fountainebleau. East of this rugged geography, in a line between Dijon and Lyon, lie slopes which have achieved unparalleled renown among wine connoisseurs over the course of many centuries. We're talking about the string of hills that has made Burgundy an international standard among wine lovers for two thousand years – la Côte d'Or, le Maconnais and le Beaujolais. La Côte extends from Dijon southwest past Beaune. This bountiful escarpment is 30 miles in length and seldom more than a mile wide.  Just below Chagny and west of Chalon-sur-Saône, the ridge begins to break up into the irregular hillocks of the Chalonnais. North of Tournus, the distinct crest reappears in the Maconnais range, only to become a jumble of hills again as the country reaches its southern limit in the Beaujolais Mountains.

Coupled with the region's varied natural landscape is Burgundy's long history as a crossroads of diverse peoples and cultures. We first hear of this part of Gaul in 52 BC, when Julius Caesar's Roman legions defeated the combined Gallic armies at Bibracte. Then the capital of the Eduens tribe perched at the summit of Mont Beuvray, Bibracte was the site of an annual fair attracting peoples from throughout the Gallic confederation. And when the Emperor Augustus shifted the regional capital to nearby Autun, this new Gallo-Roman cultural center became a major link in the strategic road between Lyons and Boulogne. By the end of the fourth century, early Christian missionaries had begun spreading their new religion throughout the province. This process was a slow one, however, as barbaric Germanic tribes were also on their move westward into Gaul and elsewhere along the Mediterranean Sea.  Fleeing the advancing Huns, the Burgundians left their homeland in the Main valley and moved across the Rhine near Worms. They swept down into the Saône and upper Rhône valleys in the fifth century and remained there until a combined Frankish army defeated them in 534 AD. The Salian Franks, a Germanic people whom the Romans had previously given land in the low country south of the Rhine, had since established a new capital at Soissons between the Seine and the Loire. By displacing the Burgundians, the intruders expanded Frankish rule over much of southern Gaul.   

For the next several centuries, Burgundy experienced the kind of stability provided by despotic rule. The region fell within the exacting realm of a succession of Merovingian dukes and counts. And while the Burgundians gave their tribal name and many Germanic customs to posterity, the Franks provided a more profound legacy. When Clovis, King of the Salian Franks, converted to Christianity, he became a champion of all Catholics under Germanic rule and an ally to the bishops of Rome. Although his successors were not as ardent in their support of the Catholic faith, they nevertheless aided the monastic orders' efforts to Christianize pagan peoples within Frankish dominion. This movement to spread Christianity increased dramatically under Charlemagne, who himself was crowned emperor of the Holy Roman Empire by Pope Leo III on Christmas Day, 800. After Charlemagne's death in 814, Burgundy experienced protracted turbulence that eventually led to the collapse of Carolingian rule. The future duchy passed from one kingdom to another – even being annexed to Germany before Robert II the Pious, son of Hugh Capet, reconquered it in the eleventh century. It was during the next 230 years, under the stable rule of Capetian overlords, that the Duchy of Burgundy gained prominence as a leader and bulwark of the Christian faith.

Beginning in the early tenth century, Cluny and other Benedictine monastic communities began to add their mark to the region's colorful medieval landscape. The cultural center of the Clunisian congregation was at Cluny near Mâcon. Other brilliant stars of this reform-minded order could be seen in the ornate abbatial churches and priories at Auxerre, Paray-le-Monial, Vézelay, Nevers and La Charité-sur-Loire. By the twelfth century, the Cistercian order was forging a simpler monastic movement based on hard work and self-denial. Led by St. Bernard, a key fund raiser for the Knights Templar during the crusades, the movement's sedate foundation was centered at Cîteaux – a prudent 20 kilometers east of lively Dijon. Although little remains of this extensive medieval settlement today, the abbey at Pontigny and the sprawling grounds at Fontenay recall the tranquil setting and subdued beauty of Cistercian art and architecture.

The Duchy of Burgundy reached its political and cultural zenith under the powerful Valois dukes. Philip the Bold, son of King John II, was first to assume this mantel in 1364 – the same year his older brother Charles succeeded his father as King of France. By marrying into the royal family of Flanders, Philip brought unparalleled riches to his court at Dijon. Just as the charm and craftsmanship of the monastic congregations had attracted attention to Burgundy in the middle ages, so too did the region's reputation for magnificence and splendor soar during the 14th and 15th centuries. Today, as in so many parts of France, local communities and regional associations have preserved the enduring flavor and patina of medieval and renaissance life and made it accessible to the countryside ambler. Fortunately for us, the route du vin is a perfect vehicle for experiencing the pulchritude of this bygone era. Unlike Alsace, which pays greatest attention to the cépage, the focus here in Burgundy is on the village and specific parcel of land that yields the famous nectar. With few exceptions, all the reds come from pinot noir grapes; whites from the chardonnay. The major departure from this rule is the unruly gamay plant in the Beaujolais and the sprightly aligoté in the Haute Côte d'Or and parts of the Chalonnais.

Decided to post a gourmet jogging prep for Burgundy before proceeding any further. Should be up later today or tomorrow. Meanwhile, savor these pinot noir grapes.

Been away from this blog for too long. But I've cleared the decks and expect to begin posting again in earnest next week - including lots of runs, wine grower interviews and wine road photos, like this view of the Pouilly-Fuisse valley from the top of Solutre.

Running the Velvet Banks of the Côte d'Or – Burgundy, France

Perhaps the choicest wine region in all France, the Côte d'Or is less than 40 miles in length, extending from the tiny hamlet of Fixin just south of Dijon to the hillside village of Santenay, 10 miles southwest of Beaune.  

This priceless stretch of viticultural hectares embraces two districts: the Côte de Nuits, home of the noble, robust reds (from Pinot Noir) north and south of Nuits-St-Georges; and the Côte de Beaune, birthplace of great whites (from Chardonnay) and delicate reds rooted in the hills north and south of Burgundy's wine capital.

 

10 Mile Run on the Route des Grands Crus

For our first run in the wine country, let's begin in the upper reaches of the Côte de Nuits with a relatively flat, yet eye-pleasing, 10-mile loop starting from the 12th century Romanesque church in Gevrey-Chambertin. Monks from the Bèze Abbey were planting vines in this prosperous canton seat as early as the 7th century, leaving to posterity the Clos de Bèze - one of Gevrey's Grand Cru (great wine) offerings. According to local experts, the famous wine village derives its name from a Gallo-Roman fief-holder named Gabriacus. Others trace Gevrey's name to the flocks of sheep (chèvres) that made their descent down Lavaut's Coomb to Bertin's field (le Champ de Bertin). Legend has it that the Bertin family was of Burgundian or Frankish origin, having settled in the area well before the monks arrived. 

 

During the summer of 1992, Karen and I stayed at a local wine-grower's chambre d'hôte (B&B) on the Clos Saint-Jacques. Located at the extreme west end of town just around the corner from the St. Aignan church, Monsieur Bartet's vineyards begin 10 meters beyond his backyard patio and extend gradually up the fertile marlstone outcrop. One memorable evening, his wife Geneviève left us the patio for a gourmet picnic supper which we shared with a vacationing British couple we met while food shopping that afternoon. Used to staying at bed-and-breakfasts every summer, our new Northumberland acquaintances were too late for reservations and had to settle for a crowded hotel on the Route des Grands Crus (road of great wines). With the informality of a chambre d'hôte and the Bartet's backyard all to ourselves, the four of us feasted on local delicacies, shared family and France stories, and sampled Côte d'Or wines under the stars until well after midnight.

 

Oh I forgot; the 10-mile run. From the church, follow the rue du Château past the small, but impressive 10th century castle on your right. The high walls and square keep are reminders that the fortress was built by Vergy nobles to protect Gevrey's precious wine casks from marauding bandits. The interior, much of which was restored by Clunesian monks for the abbot Yves de Chasan in the 13th century, is worth an hour's tour followed by a dégustation (tasting) in the dimly-lit, vaulted wine cellar that holds thousands of bottles with the château's own label.  According to medieval abbey records, there is a second vaulted cellar beneath this one that has not yet been unearthed. Who knows what treasures lie below?

 

Leave town heading north on the Route des Grands Crus (D122) towards Brochon. Nothing but vineyards on the left extending almost a full kilometer up the hillside; on your right, vines planted onto the Gevrey plain beyond Route Nationale 74. As you enter Brochon, its attractive turn-of-the-century château on the right, bear left through the little wine village and proceed up the slopes towards Fixin. Entering Fixin from the southwest, proceed past the chapter-house and stone-quarry manor as far as the 12th century St. Martin church. Turn left at the rue Noisot and continue jogging up the Combe de Fixin to the Parc Noisot. Established by one of Napolean's most loyal grenadiers, Claude Noisot, the park is just right for a lunchtime picnic followed by a visit to the small ethnographic museum devoted to Napolean and his imperial campaigns. Take the stairway to François Rude's bronze memorial sculpture of Napolean and continue along a path to Noisot's tomb and a belvedere with an extensive view of the Saône valley.   

 

Next, come back down the road and turn left on the rue des Hervelets proceeding north to Fixey. As you enter this tiny hamlet, stop long enough to admire the colorful, tiled steeple of Fixey's Romanesque church on your left. 

Constructed at this high point overlooking the village and its vineyards in 902, the church is the oldest one of its kind in the Côte d'Or. Turn right onto the rue Abbé-Chevalier past the stone 15th century stone bake-house. Continue heading east bearing right on the Route des Grands Crus and take the wine road south back to Gevrey, swinging left on the rue de la Mairie past the village center to the place des Lois and back out of town past the choicest real estate in the Côte de Nuits.  The next five kilometers are pure gold. Lope past the large Grand Cru vineyards of the Clos de Bèze, Chambertin, Latricières and a dozen other patches that line D122 through Morey-Saint Denis to the outskirts of Chambolle-Musigny tucked away among the steep slopes of the Combe d'Ambin. To complete the outing, proceed as far as the town center and return to Gevrey for an instant replay of this world-class, gourmet run.

 

Six Mile Run up in the Hills

To obtain an altogether different perspective, consider heading up the slopes for a six-mile loop in the thickly wooded hills west of Gevrey. Begin the run at the place de la Mairie and follow the rue de l'Eglise west until it crosses the rue de Lavaux. Along the way, you'll pass some of the best wine dealers in town: Domaine Tortochot, Alain Burguet,

Lucot-Javelier, and Charles Mortet et Fils.  Turn left at the rue de l'Aumônerie (the almonry), past the 13th century chapter-house and its tiny vineyard (the Clos du Chapître), and proceed left up the Combe du Lavaut on D31 towards Chamboeuf.

 

About one kilometer outside town, follow the French Alpine Club's Blue Trail (le sentier bleu) off to the left. Another kilometer along the path, stop at the Judry Grotto and make your way through the brush to an impressive belvedere overlooking the peaceful wine communes nestled into the Côte de Nuits. Follow the Blue Trail for another two kilometers until you see the marker for the old route on the right. Take this path back across the Combe de Lavaux road, continuing north past the Combe Bossière to what remains of the Renard Castle. Jog along the winding trail as it passes by gurgling springs, and turn right at the Combe au Moine heading back down the valley

towards Gevrey on the chemin de l'Argilières (clay-pits). While most of this run is up in the hills away from the wine road, the last leg affords a lovely view of the vineyards – particularly the final stretch in between two premier cru holdings: the Combe au Moine and Champeaux.

Hitting the Trails in Alsace - Wineroads around Obernai & Barr

Hitting the Trails in Alsace - Obernai & Barr

My first visit to Alsace was a one week stay during the summer of 1985, and I’ve returned three times during a twenty-year span that has seen many changes in this bastion of Franco-German and regional tradition. To get you started in this harrier's wonderland, I’ve sketched a variety of runs through dozens of colorful towns and villages, in the midst of endless fields and vineyards, up in the Vosges alongside glistening glacial lakes and the ruins of medieval castles and within the cities of Strasbourg and Colmar. Along the way, you’ll also get to meet some of the vignerons and viticulteurs (and vigneronnes and viticultrices) whose personal stories I had the pleasure of hearing as we dutifully tasted each and every cépage. We begin in the Bas Rhin – the lower section of the Rhine Valley, where the Vosges Mountains have provided the reddish sandstone (grès) used for constructing the churches and châteaux strewn across the craggy landscape.

Bas Rhin

Obernai
Our first run in the Bas Rhin area is a ten-mile loop in the vicinity of Obernai, an unspoiled renaissance town noted for its annual folk festival celebrating the marriage of l'Ami Fritz. As early as the 7th century, Obernai was home to the Frankish dukes of Alsace. The brutish Adalric (or Etichon) maintained a residence here, and it was in the ducal manor that his daughter, the future Saint Odilia, was born. Later, Obernai became one of the ten free cities of Alsace – the powerful Decapole. Start your run at the place du Marché, across the street from the Piatti-Mauler green-grocery (graineterie). At one end of the plaza is the 16th century corn exchange. Its neighbor at the other end of the plaza, the town hall built in the 15th century, has a sculpted stone balcony adjoining the large council chamber and a beautiful oriel extending up the masonry wall. Just behind the building is a clock tower from the same period, capped by a 13th century belfry that – if you’re up to climbing it – affords an excellent view of the wine road west of town. 

Continue west on the rue du Général Gouraud past the colorful Place de l'Êtoile and the 12th century ramparts. Once part of a fortified double enclosure rimming all Obernai, this ancient bulwark is now shaded by tightly woven clusters of bulbous linden trees. Leave town on D426. Jogging along the road's left shoulder you begin noticing the abundance and luxuriance of the Alsatian wine country. Not only are the vineyards and dense foliage impressive as they roll up the gentle slopes like a thick verdant carpet, but across the valley stretch expansive fields of ripening corn, golden grains and bright yellow sunflowers.


Four kilometers west of Obernai is Ottrott – home of one of the few red wines produced in the region (le rouge d'Ottrott made of Pinot Noir). The Beau Site restaurant at 1 rue du Général de Gaulle – decorated as most half-timbered structures with red geraniums – is a convenient place to enjoy Ottrott's regional cuisine and uniquely fruity yet rustic wine. Run to the western edge of town and gaze up at the ruins of two castles that remain from the 12th and 13th centuries. Built into the northern ridge of Mount Elsberg, the round tower of Lutzelbourg and the more imposing Rathsamhausen are harbingers of the château-capped skyline that awaits the traveler as far south as Eguisheim.

At this point you can either follow signs along the hiking trail that lead to the castles (jogging and/or hiking another two miles roundtrip) or continue north on D35 through Boersch with its proud town doors. Next, follow D35 to Rosheim, perhaps the best preserved and most charming medieval wine town in this part of Alsace. Rosheim boasts several outdoor treasures worth ogling before turning back down the wine road. Come into the center of town and circle the stone well, shaded by its handsome canopy and ample array of brightly colored geraniums and petunias. With the obligatory town door, customary clock tower, splendid floral motifs and old edifices, this colorful ensemble typifies the orderly but warm ambiance of Alsatian wine country. Nearby is the restored 12th century yellow-sandstone Church of St. Peter and St. Paul. Across the way is the equally historic House of Pagans, a rustic, two-story stone dwelling that remains the only Romanesque house in the entire region. To finish the run, retrace your steps south along D35 and turn left on D322 back to Obernai.

Barr
The next run takes place in and around Barr, a busy viticultural center whose 17th century town hall is the site of a bustling annual fair. Starting at the hotel de ville with its roofed gallery and sculpted balconies, head north on the wine road (D35) through Heiligenstein, a little village noted since 1742 for its Klevener wine. This dry, fresh wine made from the Sauvignon grape owes its existence to the stubborn ancestors of today's winegrowers. They persisted in cultivating the grape, similar to the Traminer which once produced Rotedel or Edelrose, which now yields a bright nectar with distinctive golden highlights. Locals point to unusual geological features of this micro-climate for the Klevener's unique taste, particularly the clay soil with its blend of pebbles, sand and gravel.

In 1991, my wife, Karen, and our oldest child, Leyl, and I stayed at the gîte chambre d'hôte of Charles Boch. Representing his family's fifth generation of vigneron (wine-grower), Monsieur Boch was the first to become a viticulteur (wine-merchant or bottler). Aside from educating us on the obscure history of the Klevener grape, Charles also introduced us to the joys and unique merits of his Crémant d'Alsace. This sparkling blanc de blanc wine made by the méthode champenoise can employ various local grapes and (in 1985) could be guzzled on all occasions at one-third the price of the method's namesake. Just off the wine road on your right at the southern end of town is the Relais du Klevener, a quiet hotel-restaurant set in the vineyards owned by R. Meckert and sons. Take a momentary detour to 29 rue Principale to peruse the inn's menu and wine list. My favorites include the generous serving of escargots d'Alsace and the ample goblet of sorbet arrosé au framboise. The Meckert family bottles its own wines and also operates a gîte rural in town.

Continue north as far as D109 and hang a left toward St-Nabor. At this point the road begins to twist and climb up the ridge toward Mont Ste-Odile. Follow signs to a dirt trail that leads through the woods to Landsberg Castle. This 13th century edifice offers a panoramic view of Barr and the broad Rhine plain to the east. If you want to stretch the run, go back to D109 and continue climbing to the Convent of Ste-Odile, or simply turn back and return to Barr along the same route. The short loop yields 8.5 miles; the extended run covers 12 miles. 

Sidetracked by international travel and other publishing assignments. Back to gourmet jogging posts between now and year's end - including runs in Burgundy, the Jura, northern Rhone and along the Loire and its up-river tributaries.

Running the Wine Roads of Alsace

The Alsatian wine country is a road runner's paradise. Viewed from an airplane, the wine road can easily be seen snaking its narrow way along the eastern foothills of the heavily wooded Vosges Mountains (pronounced "vozh" as in "loge"). Officially, the route du vin traverses some seventy miles and descends more than 500 feet – from the small, up-valley town of Thann to Marlenheim farther north. So much a part of Alsatian viticulture are the Vosges, that rarely do the vineyards stray more than half a mile eastward onto the Rhine plain. And the region's choicest vineyards lie in the south central stretch of the lush wine country, where higher peaks and ridges shelter the sun-soaked, limestone foothills from the moist North Sea winds.

Geography    

The Crystsalline and Sandy Vosges

If it's hilly terrain you’re looking for, the Vosges chain, which looms high over the Alsatian plain for 100 miles, has more than enough challenging paths for even the most dedicated marathoner. The mountains consist of two strikingly different ranges – the Crystsalline and Sandy Vosges. The Crystalline Vosges, comprised largely of granite and located to the south astride the Ill River, are capped by rounded summits called ballons. The four principal rivers that cut this colossal range evolve into broad, beaming valleys as they drain into the north-flowing Ill and the smooth Rhenish farmland to the east. The Thur flows by Thann and joins the Ill at Colmar; the Lauch wends its way through Guebwiller trundling on to Colmar; the Fecht courses through Munster and joins the Ill just south of Illhaeusern; and the Bruche, whose valley separates the two ranges, meanders through Molsheim as it heads toward its final rendezvous with the mature Rhine at Strasbourg.

The Crystalline Vosges are also home to the route des Crêtes, the strategic network of roads built during World War I that links the region's riverine valleys and offers breathtaking panoramas in every direction. Ranging north from Thann, the route des Crêtes climbs more than 3000 feet as it passes the Grand Ballon and   Hohneck, two of the most celebrated summits in all the Vosges. On either side of this fantasy roadway, dotting the waves of emerald forests and chartreuse pastureland, float more than a dozen sapphire pools - inviting glacial lakes within easy reach of the Alsatian wine road. If it's your quadriceps that need work, jogging in this spectacular territory is surely more inspiring than running up and down countless rows of high school bleacher seats.

While the northern range, the Sandy Vosges, lacks the height and majesty of its companion to the south, it provides the reddish sandstone (grès) used for centuries in this part of France for constructing churches, cathedrals and châteaux of all manner and size. North or south, granite or sandstone, thick forests blanket the Vosges, at the base of which one finds many varieties of fir, spruce, sylvester pine and beech. Above the forest lies the high pastureland, once the domain of wild horses and such game as bison, elk and the now extinct aurochs. Today, these pastures make excellent grazing grounds for the dairy herds that support an extensive cheese-making industry, most notably in the towns of Munster and Gérardmer (or Geromé in the Alsatian patois).

 

The Wine Road

Today, Alsatian towns and villages present a colorful, highly textured picture of serenity and contentment. Nowhere is local flavor in greater abundance than along the route du vin and its gastronomic tributaries such as the route du fromage - an ideal setting for vacationing, road running or exercise in good living generally. Wherever they cultivate their seven major varietals (cépages), Alsatian winegrowers take the same meticulous care as a gardener at Versailles or a Parisian housewife preparing her table for dinner guests. Almost invariably, the wine here is known by its cépage rather than the village or plot of land on which it is grown. Regional mainstays include:

·         Sylvaner: an all-purpose Alsatian white wine – fresh, light and dry – with a greenish skin that begins to turn golden near harvest time. The nose is typically  honey-like with a hint of mineral, it’s fresh and round in the mouth and quaffed routinely with cold-cuts, terrines, quiches and sea food.

·         Pinot Blanc: a versatile, well-balanced white wine – more vigorous than other whites and often used as a base for the highly praised Crémant d'Alsace.  Its skin turns pinkish near harvest time, its nose is invariably fruity – flowery with hints of mandarin orange and lemon – and it’s full and fresh in the mouth. One typically serves the pinot with cold appetizers, such as salads, cold-cuts, or with quiche lorraine and other warm plates (e.g., tarte flambée, pâté en croûte, etc.) and meat terrines, mussels and goat cheese.

·    Riesling: the "king" of Alsatian wines – dry, exquisitely fruity, with a delicate bouquet and lots of  breeding.  Borne of a muddy clay soil, this greenish grape produces a full-bodied wine, with a backbone that will stand up to just about anything Alsatians can put on the plate.  It can accompany mature fish (such as pike-perch), stews and other potted dishes (e.g., baeckeoffe and choucroute) and pares equally well with veal, chicken and strong cheeses.

·         Muscat d'Alsace: a Muscat that’s dry and has a fruity bouquet – distinctively perfumed and flavorful, with a slightly burnished green skin at harvest time and typically served as an aperitif – not unlike the Spanish fino – or with the ever-popular white asparagus and vinaigrette.    

·         Tokay Pinot Gris: heady, rich and full-bodied, possessing a fruity fragrance (e.g., peach, honey), and typically violet-colored in late season.  It pairs well with a brioche of foie gras or escargots in a white sauce, smoked salmon or virtually any game bird prepared with a white sauce.

·         Gewurtztraminer: an elegant well-constructed white wine with a strong, spicy bouquet, pinkish skin around harvest time and a juice of golden hew – deliciously mellow in great years. It hints of white pepper and bay leaves, has a floral nose and can be served as an aperitif, with smoked fish or Caribbean dishes, zesty Asian combinations and with strong cheeses or curry preparations.

·         Cremant d’Alsace: typically produced exclusively from the Pinot Blanc grape, a light, fruity, méthode champenoise wine served on any festive occasion matched with kougelhopf.  (Note: As I discovered in my many wine tastings – dégustations – not all Alsatian wine makers rely on one cépage alone. But it’s almost invariably blancs de blancs; that is, a sparkling white wine from white grapes.)

·         Pinot Noir: the only red or rosé wine of Alsace – dry and fruity, with a pleasing bouquet, oftentimes reminiscent of cherries, vanilla and coffee. Heavy in the mouth, it’s usually put away for ten years or more until the tannins fully break down and is served with serious red meat (e.g., Chateaubriand, giblets and prunes, etc.) or with mature cheeses. (Note: Don’t expect a Burgundian-style wine. The Pinot Noir here in the granite hills of the Haut-Rhin near St. Hippolyte and Rodern or the sandstone ridges of the Bas-Rhin around Ottrott and Obernai give a totally different experience – to the eye, the nose and the mouth.)

·         Chasselas: Another surprise. It took me twenty years of traveling in Alsace to have this wine offered in a local wine tasting. Typically grown in a northern clime, the Chasselas is found in the Savoie (the only varietal of Crépy) and the Loire (blended with the Sauvignon Blanc in Pouilly-sur-Loire, as Pouilly, not Pouilly fumé which is made exclusively from Sauvignon). As I learned from a viticultrice in St. Hippolyte, the Chasselas is actually restricted in Alsace, in part because the grapes are large, producing great volume, and its vines have a way of spreading out and consuming large tracts of land. It makes a wine that’s fruity, but dry – perfect for an aperitif or to accompany a plate of cold-cuts and crudités.

·    Auxerrois: somewhat rustic, flowery with a hint of grilled vegetables, supple and fruity, and usually served as an aperitif or with luncheon plates such as rabbit salad, terrines of meat and fish, steamed asparagus with a white sauce or a variety of cheeses and fondues.

 

 

A Nod to Jim Fixx & Hugh Johnson

In a funny way, the genesis of this blog is rooted in the jogging phenomenon chronicled in the film “Forrest Gump.” For me, there was an instant connection with Jim Fixx’s 1977 book, The Complete Book of Running. It was directly responsible for getting me off my ass and out on the road in 1981. Indeed, it was Fixx’s stated “subversive” purpose to prod his readers to do just that and to change their lives in the process. At age thirty-nine, my days of playing amateur soccer – defending against eighteen-year old forwards from Latin America– were fast drawing to a close. In fact, as coach of my son’s traveling soccer team in Alexandria, Virginia, I could barely keep up with the nine-year olds at our twice-weekly practices. I needed a new fitness vehicle that would hopefully last for decades to come.

Discovery

 

When I began jogging regularly in summer 1981 – you know, with serious runner’s attire, stop-watch, sweat band, etc. – I had no plan to make competitive running my new sport. But that’s what happened. As my fitness improved, I was drawn to testing my performance at the locally-hyped weekend races – 5- and 10-milers, 10-, 15- and 20Ks, etc. After a year or so, I needed a new dresser just for the T-shirts. And two years later I decided to train for my first truly long race – the US Marine Corps Marathon run in and around Washington DC on the first Sunday of November 1984.

Inspiration

The idea for chronicling this journey first occurred to me while vacationing in Europe during the summer of 1984. My wife, Karen, and I had taken our three young children on a three-week jaunt to the cultural capitals of Western Europe. Accompanied by our neighbors, Gene and Shirley Browning and their three children, the ten of us arrived at Berlin's Kempinsky Hotel in time for Sunday dinner followed by an evening stroll up the gay Kurfurstendam. Inasmuch as I was training for a fall marathon, I rose early the next morning and, map in hand, put away a ten-kilometer run along the Kur'dam – through the Zoological Gardens (Tiergarten), past the Brandenburg Gate and down Kaiser Wilhelm Strasse back to the hotel.

The sunrise run was an inspiration that gave new purpose to the rest of my vacation. Without imposing on the other travelers, I managed to jog almost every day throughout our border-hopping sojourn – including several long runs to keep pace with the rigors of a marathon training schedule. I planned a run from Munich's Marienplatz through the English Garden and back. I logged more than fifteen miles in Vienna's Prater and another twelve miles along the Aare River below the perched citadel in Bern, Switzerland. I found Geneva's lakeside paths an easy place to rack up miles and discovered that the city's trails alongside the Rhône and astride the zoo were a perfect venue for a challenging, confidence-building run.

Voila!

By the time we reached Paris, I had thoroughly integrated the jogging routine into the two-family itinerary. And there was never a shortage of inviting possibilities. In Paris, I ran along the Faubourg-St-Honoré and Avenue Foch into the Bois du Boulogne and back down the Seine to the Champs d"Elysses. It was about this time that the thought of returning to France and running in the wine country first dawned on me. While in Munich, my old friend Bill Reese, who had been working for Radio Liberty, gave me his beat up, soft-cover copy of Hugh Johnson’s The World Atlas of Wine. As I read the chapter on France, with its topographical maps and photos of the wine country, I envisioned myself on the very same wine roads.

I reflected further on this idea in England, as I consummated additional runs beside the Thames and through Hyde Park in London, meandered with my son along the Avon-Kennet canal in Bath, and wove my way from one hyphenated village to another (like Stowe-on-the-Wold) in the runner-friendly Cotswolds. The idea of returning to Europe and having another summer like this – especially in the French countryside that Johnson helped illuminate – was beginning to take root.