Wednesday, June 30, 2021

Wine & Food of Le Tour 2021, Stage 5: Changé to Laval Espace Mayenne

Where are we? Having left Brittany, onto the Mayenne.

Changé:  Le Tour tells me that: The locality goes down in history under the Latin name of Cambiacus, then from the Middle Ages it was called Changeium. Around 1697, Miroménil wrote that the region only produced rye, oats and "Breton wheat". After the Revolution of 1789, several Changéens paid with their lives for their participation in the Chouannerie. The castle was built on the vaulted cellars of the ruined Priory - which had been sold as national property in 1790 - at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries. Until its acquisition by the commune in 1962 to house the town hall, this castle remained the property of the d'Elva family, of Piedmont origin, established in France under Louis XV, three of whose members held the position of first municipal magistrate for three generations, from 1813 to 1925. The old parish church of Saint-Pierre, in poor condition and considered too small, was demolished to make way for the present building, the construction of which began in 1869 and was not completed until ten years later. In the 18th century, Changé had six lime kilns, some of which still remain. Changé has known various industrial activities: as early as the 14th century, wash houses and cloth laundries in the districts of Bootz and Maillarderie (attached to Laval in 1863); later slate, stone and sand quarries; in the last century, a brick factory and a laundry-dyeing factory with a steam engine; since then, many companies have come to settle in the commune.

Laval Espace Mayenne: Let's see the sites: Château de Laval
The dynasty of the lords of Laval has been a part of French history: the town was for a long time the crossing point between the Île-de-France and Brittany. A thousand years ago, a first castle was founded on the current Place de la Trémoille, followed in the 12th century by a stone building on the rocky spur overlooking the river Mayenne. The keep then became a symbol of the town. The main tower, erected at the beginning of the 13th century, dominates the Mayenne River and the Old Bridge which spans it by more than 34 metres. The courtyard of the castle, which is freely accessible, offers a remarkable view of the main building, whose tufa windows are decorated in Renaissance style. Transformed into a prison during the 19th century, the castle has housed the Museum of Naive Art and Singular Arts since 1967.
www.patrimoine.laval.fr

Tour specialties:
Changé: honey from Changé, educational vine
Laval Espace Mayenne: Pommeau du Maine, Sabot de Pégase (chocolate), le M (cake), le véritable Trappe (cheese of the nuns of Laval)

Christian Prudhomme says: The first week of the Tour hadn’t offered such a long individual time-trial since 2008, year of the last Grand Départ in… Brest! Geography commanded to break an eventual litany of flat stages and this gift to the time-trial specialists shows our will to vary the scenario and reshuffle the established positions.

The stage: Hello, first time trial. This would be, as they like to say, a few races in one: a race for the stage win, a race to see if we would have a new rider in yellow, and a race between the gc riders to see who could gain or lose time. A time trial, for those new readers, is probably how most non-fans think of racing--one rider alone doing his best to make it to the finish line as fast as possible. They set out at timed intervals, so at least in theory, our solo the entire time, though in reality, they sometimes catch the rider in front or are caught from behind. 
Our early leader was Mikkel Bjerg (Den) UAE Team Emirates with a time of 33:01. An update from an earlier stage: the sign holder has been arrested. 
After a long time in the hot seat for Berg, Mattia Cattaneo (Deceuninck–Quick-Step) bumped him with a time of 32′55″ His time in the seat would be short as Stefan Küng came in at 32:19!
Coming soon were the gc riders and we were expecting to learn a lot about which were healing after early crashes. Speaking of, Roglic had gone out well. Geraint Thomas had not, but would improve on course.
Indeed, Roglic would finish only 25 seconds behind Küng, a good time for him under the circumstances. Thomas would come in down 59 to Küng. 
A little later, it was Pogacar on a great ride, looking like he could be riding into yellow. Also looking great. Wout Van Aert, another possible contender for yellow today.
He would finish at 32.00, gaining 43 seconds over Roglic. To stay in yellow, Van der Peal would need 32:39. Van Aert in at 32:30. Yikes, Alaphilippe came in 33:11, 13th on the day. And, wow, Van der Poel did it, retaining yellow!

Stage Results
Pos.Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Tadej Pogacar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates0:32:01
2Stefan Küng (Swi) Groupama-FDJ0:00:18
3Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Jumbo-Visma0:00:27
4Wout Van Aert (Bel) Jumbo-Visma0:00:30
5Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Fenix0:00:31
6Kasper Asgreen (Den) Deceuninck-QuickStep0:00:36
7Primoz Roglic (Slo) Jumbo-Visma0:00:44
8Mattia Cattaneo (Ita) Deceuninck-QuickStep0:00:54
9Richie Porte (Aus) Ineos Grenadiers0:00:55
10Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana-Premier Tech0:01:00
11Mikkel Bjerg (Den) UAE Team Emirates0:01:00
12Magnus Cort (Den) EF Education-Nippo0:01:06
13Rigoberto Uran (Col) EF Education-Nippo0:01:08
14Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Deceuninck-QuickStep0:01:11
15Pierre Latour (Fra) TotalEnergies0:01:14



The wine: Domaine Les Maisons Rouges Coteaux du Loir Blanc Dans les Perrons 2017
Chenin! From the importer: Domaine Les Maisons Rouges was established in 1994 among the vineyards of Jasnières in the Loire Valley.  This terroir was chosen for its great potential; its high quality soils, native grape varietals, and accessible land presented rich possibilities to Benoit and Elisabeth Jardin.  Initially encompassing a mere half hectare of red grape vines, the estate has now been expanded to 10 hectares of which 2 are planted with red grape vines and 5 with white.  This change took place with some difficulty, as the vineyards (composed of a great quantity of very old vines) had to be returned to a healthy, productive state.

When Les Maisons Rouge first began over 15 years ago, it was planted with several red grape varietals, including Pineau d’Aunis, Gamay, and Cabernet Franc.  Today, the domaine exclusively grows l’Aunis for its red wines and Chenin for the whites.

In 2002, the Jardins made the choice to practice organic agriculture for which they were certified in 2007.  At the same time, they began aging on the lees in oak barrels in order to obtain more complex wines with good structure and longer cellaring potential.  The goal of this aging method is to produce wines that favor the minerality of the terroir over the fruitiness of the grapes.

In 2009, the domaine became certified biodynamic under the Biodyvin label to reaffirm their commitment to viticulture that is respectful to the environment.  This method results in healthy grapes, allowing the winemakers to produce wines without the use of sulfur (except during unfavorable years and bottling).

Very fresh and pleasant to drink; blossom and peach aromas dominate, complemented by a distinct minerality and fresh woodsy notes.  This wine is round and creamy on the palate.


The food: I so tried to find one of these: The Pegasus hoof
A Mayenne speciality, the Sabot de Pégase (Pegasus Hoof), presented in a 380g box, is a chocolate sweet created by the pastry chef Moïse Derval as a tribute to his hometown. Indeed, Pegasus, the winged horse, is the symbol of Mayenne, a department known for its numerous stud farms and its renowned horse races. The Pegasus hoof is presented in the form of a half horse hoof and is available in white, milk or dark chocolate with hazelnut caramel.

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Tuesday, June 29, 2021

Wine & Food of Le Tour 2021, Stage 4: Redon to Fougères

Where are we? Still in Brittany!

Redon:The local tourist site tells me that we should visit an abbey: This beautiful south-facing site between rivers and hills was chosen as the setting for an abbey during the Middle Ages and the town and its port subsequently grew up around it, as described in detail on guided tours and on the Redon history trail.
 The Benedictine abbey rapidly grew rich and powerful, receiving large amounts of taxes. Its cartulary, a register of legal acts, is a precious source of information for medieval historians. The abbey built strong links with the Abbey of Landévennec, the other major religious centre in Brittany. Gradually, over the centuries, the buildings were transformed : the nave is Romanesque, the bell tower and apse are Gothic and the ‘cloitre Richelieu’ (cloisters)  date from the 17th century.  
 The Romanesque tower with its small vaults and columns of red sandstone and granite is an absolute gem. An underground passage, which can be visited with a guide in summer, comes out at the foot of the ramparts on the Quai Saint Jacques (St James). Redon is on one of the pilgrimage routes to Santiago (St James) de Compostela.

Fougères: The local tourist site tells me that: The main reason to visit Fougères is to see its magnificent castle, one of the finest fortresses in Europe, but this little town on the Brittany-Normandy border also has a lovely medieval district and a lively Saturday-morning market.
There has been a castle in Fougères for more than 1,000 years as this site, on a promontory sheltered by hills and surrounded by marshes, was identified by the Duchy of Brittany as the perfect spot to defend its lands from the French. The current castle dates from the 12th century and consists of three enclosures whose walls are dotted with towers: the most impressive is the Mélusine Tower. The castle, where history is brought to life via images and sounds, is a must-visit for both adults and kids alike and a walk around the ramparts is not to be missed.

Tour Specialties
Redon:  the chestnut, queen of Redonese gastronomy.
Fougères: shoes, glassware, galette-saucisse (sausage pancake), pommé ramaougerie (made from cooked apples) 

Christian Prudhomme says: This journey through Argoat, the beautiful inland Brittany entirely set in the Gallo country and going from one side to the other of the Ille-et-Vilaine area is another fine opportunity for the sprinters. Unless if audacious riders make the best of the hilly forrest roads or windy conditions on the few unsheltered uplands to remain clear of the hungry pack.
The stage: After  a rider protest and a slow start to the stage, our break of the day consisted of Brent Van Moer (Lotto Soudal) and Pierre-Luc Périchon (Cofidis). After all of yesterday's crashes, the only finisher to not start the stage was Caleb Ewan, though there were some very sore and bandaged riders.  Sixty eight kilometers to go and the gap was at 1:40. They wanted to keep them close, but not catch them with enough time for an attack. Fifty kilometers and it was 1:35. A broken saddle for Cavendish, but he would make it back to the bunch.
Next up on the day was the intermediate sprint. Taking maximum points from the bunch was Cavendish. As a long time Cav fan, I smiled.
An update on green: After the intermediate sprint, Julian Alaphilippe who added 2 points to his account remained in the lead of the points classification with 82 points. Mathieu van der Poel followed with 62 points, Michael Matthews with 60. The other sprinters who could mathematically take the green jersey in Fougères were: Tim Merlier, 50, Nacer Bouhanni, 44, Jasper Philipsen, 41, Sonny Colbrelli and Mark Cavendish, 39, Peter Sagan, 32.

Twenty five kilometers to go and the gap was 1:15. Related, I remain impressed at how well they time the catches, knowing exactly how long to wait to add speed. They are wrong, but it is rare. As they closed in, Van Moer attacked to go solo. Ten kilometers to go and he had one minute. It was looking like he might make it. Four kilometers to go and it was around forty seconds. Two kilometers, twenty seconds.
Wow! I could not be happier. Cav! Yes, reader, I cried.


The wine: Domaine Johanna Cecillon Nerios
The last cider day for this year's tour.
From the producer: Nerios is a Celtic god of gushing springs. This bittersweet apple orchard faces south on a moderately deep granite soil. The high tree orchards are less dense with grass strips, which promotes diversity. There are no added pesticides or insecticides in order to preserve the environment. We are committed to keeping in compliance with organic production.
Nérios is powerful, tannic and surprises with its alcohol content of more than 7°. A copper color, fine bubbles, and slight caramel, licorice, vanilla on the palate with a hint ofbitterness on the finish.

The food: Le Tour suggests goose: Sougéal goose or Couesnon goose
Sougéal, a small town in the Fougères region, is famous for its Goose Festival and for this local breed of goose, which is raised on 300 hectares of marshland fed by the Couesnon. These geese feed exclusively on grass. Two or three weeks before slaughter, they leave the marshes to be fattened on grain. The small goose from Sougéal, with its white plumage, is slaughtered when it is about six months old and weighs between 3 and 4 kilos. It has a firm flesh that can be used for roasts, stews, casseroles, rillettes etc. 
The geese of Brittany were among the great gastronomic products of the region in the 19th century and Sougéal maintains this tradition, which is being lost. 
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Monday, June 28, 2021

Wine & Food of Le Tour 2021, Stage 3: Lorient to Pontivy

Where are we? Spending another day in Brittany, with a turn inland. 

Lorient: Let's go to a festival, even if the idea of crowds is terrifying: The Interceltic Festival
In August, it will celebrate its 50th anniversary in Lorient, where it has become one of the highlights of the summer festival season in France. The annual gathering of musicians from the Celtic world, which took over from several bagpipe festivals held in Quimper and Brest, moved to its home port in 1971, attracting more audiences and more nations each year. Acadia, New Zealand, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Isle of Man, Galicia, Asturias and Brittany now send artists to Lorient for an event that attracts some 800,000 spectators. Founded by Polig Monjarret and developed by Jean-Pierre Pichard, FIL is now directed by the Asturian Lisardo Lombardia. Over the years, the festival has developed a number of unchanging events. The Grand Parade of Nations, which brings together some 3,500 artists from all the delegations, is undoubtedly the festival's most popular event.

Pontivy: Visit Brittany tells me that: Now a quiet market town where the River Blavet meets the Nantes-Brest canal, Pontivy was once the seat of one of Brittany’s most powerful families before becoming one of Napoléon’s ‘new towns’. Visit the castle then amble around the streets.
Pontivy was known as Napoléonville from 1804-14, March-June 1815 and from 1852-1870. Due to its strategic location on the River Blavet and to the fact that it retained its post-Revolution Republican leanings, Napoléon Bonaparte decided to make Pontivy ‘a centre of commerce in peacetime and an important military centre in time of war’. His new town, in the style of Roman towns, included law courts, a town hall and a school, all of which can be seen today.

Tour Specialties:
Lorient: Langoustine (1st port of landing of langoustines in France) and seafood in general (1st fishing port in France), cabbage of Lorient, Breton cake, cotriade.

Pontivy: Potato pancakes, Chistr Per (pear cider)

Christian Prudhomme says: Warren Barguil, best climber of the 2017 Tour should have all eyes on him as he takes off from his birth area. But he shouldn’t be in the spotlights at the finish: by the Château des Rohan, the sprinters certainly won’t want to miss out on this first opportunity they have to express themselves on this edition.


The stage: What looked, on paper at least, to be a standard sprint stage, albeit with rain. The break of the day had an expected day: Ide Schelling (Bora-Hansgrohe), Michael Schär (AG2R Citroën), Cyril Barthe (B&B Hotels), Maxime Chevalier (B&B Hotels), Jelle Wallays (Cofidis). And then, another crash. This time, Geraint Thomas was hurt and looked like he would not continue, but got back on, looking bad. Tony Martin, who has been having the worst luck so far, also went down. Also hurt and abandoning, Gesink. Of course, there was no way to tell if a: that was accurate and b: if there were other injuries, but he was back up and riding, with Luke Rowe to help bring him back to the bunch. Eventually two more teammates would come to help, usually a sign that a rider would continue. Indeed, he would make it back to the peloton.
One hundred and twenty five kilometers to go and the gap to the break was 2:35.
One hundred to go and it was at two minutes.
The finishing town was ready for them.
Excellent field art:  At the sprint point, Ewan took maximum points from the field over Cavendish. (Go Cav, go!) After the sprint, the bunch was at 1:25. Fifty kilometers to go and the gap was at one minute.
The finish, by the way, was complicated.

Or perhaps the better word was technical. Either way, just looking at it caused stress.
Twenty two kilometers to go and the gap was down to one minute, as they became more serious about the catch.
And then came a series of crashes, among those involved, Roglic. He would get up, but was losing time. He was more than one minute down. The bunch ahead was split in two.
Ahead, the catch had come.
Another large crash!
The front group was very small as they neared the finish, with may sprinters missing.
Another horrible crash as they started the sprint. Stage to Merlier, but the questions would be more about the injuries and time lost by many of the gc favorites. Just a mess of a stage. 

Stage:


GC:

The wine: Domaine Johanna Cecillon Divona
The first of two days from this producer.
From the producer: Divona is a Celtic goddess of the sacred springs. This tart apple orchard is located at the bottom of the deep and loamy valley floor, surrounded by forest on one side a stream on the other. Fruity nose, fine bubbles, light golden color, slightly dry with caramel and vanilla flavors.
For Divona the apple varieties include: Rouget de Dol, Locard Vert, Douce Moen, Pomme Poire, Marie Menard, Douce Coëtligné, Petit Jaune, Jurella, Judaine, Judor, and Inra 1364.

The food: Breton Butter Cake
Recipe here

Keeping it simple. 

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Sunday, June 27, 2021

Wine & Food of Le Tour 2021, Stage 2: Perros-Guirec to Mûr-de-Bretagne Guerlédan

Where are we? Day two in Brittany

Perros-Guirec: Brittany tourism tells me that: With its 13 km coastline and three sandy beaches, Perros is a paradise for families and water sports enthusiasts. One of its districts, Ploumanac'h, a former fishing hamlet that has become a tourist hotspot, offers visitors an almost unreal view with its pink rocks, imposing heaps of stone sculpted by the sea and the wind. A natural site of exceptional beauty.

Mûr-de-Bretagne Guerlédan: The local tourist site tells us to go and visit the largest lake in Brittany, formed by the construction of a hydroelectric dam: On the border of the Côtes d'Armor and Morbihan, the Lac de Guerlédan is the result of the construction between 1923 and 1930 on the Blavet watercourse of a hydroelectric dam. It has an area of ​​304 hectares, it is 12 kilometers long and 45 meters deep at the foot of the dam, which makes it the largest artificial lake in Brittany.

Tour specialties:
Perros-Guirec:  Scallops, abalone, spiders and lobsters. Salted butter caramel pancake.
Mûr-de-Bretagne Guerlédan: Crêpes and galettes (pancakes, including mashed potato galettes), scallops from the Bay of Saint-Brieuc.

Christian Prudhomme says: After a first part allowing to appreciate the wild and unique beauty of the Côte de Granit rose, the course heads inland towards a mouthwatering final section: the double climb up the Côte de Mûr-de-Bretagne will be an unforgiving judge especially because the riders will start the climb almost stopped, without that momentum that the former course had to offer.
The stage: Off again. Amazingly, all of those who finished yesterday's stage have started today, except for Soler. That seemed highly unlikely immediately post-stage. Also, the fan may be sued. 
Back on the road, the break of the day consisted of Theuns, Schelling, Perez, Clarke, Cabot, and Koch. Just 146 kilometers to go and their gap was about four minutes. Also, it was raining.
But we had this to be excited for, ahead on the roadside: Field art for the win! I enjoyed this tweet. So far, this had been one of those stages where you feel sort of bad for the commentators. Besides a minor KOM battle, they had little to talk about beyond the scenery and yesterday's injuries.
One hundred kilometers to go and the gap was down to 2:34.
Interesting and slightly thrilling to see Cavendish involved at the sprint point. He came second to Ewan from the field. Speaking of the assorted competitions beyond the yellow jersey, the polka dot competition has been a bit of entertainment on the day. Schelling has been very determined! Speaking of determined, read here for more on the quest of Lachlan Morton to ride the whole race without support cars, hotels, and more.
Just around sixty kilometers to go and Theuns and Cabot were ahead, with a small gap. The other breakaway riders had been gradually reabsorbed by the peloton.
Fifty three kilometers to go and the duo had about two minutes.

Coming soon and they would climb it twice.
On the first time up, there were time bonuses to think about. The second time, the stage win to contest.
Thirty kilometers to go and the gap to the duo was 1:40. Twenty five kilometers to go and it was just over one minute. Twenty one kilometers to go and Theuns was solo, but not for long as it was Mur time.
An attack by van der Poel, in search of the eight bonus seconds at the top. He would get them, with Pogacar taking five seconds and Roglic two.
With the win, van der Poel. No joy in mudville today.




GC:


The Wine: Cidrerie du Leguer Granit
The same producer as yesterday.
From the producer: t's the cider which is easy to get and appreciate. Every year is different because we are small producers. Round, generous, fruity, subtle tannins. Not bitter.
Apples: the blending is 15% bitter, 50% bitter-sweet, 20% sweet, 15% sharp


The food: Le Tour says: Galettes with mashed potatoes
The recipe is from Pontivy, but the 16 km separating the two towns means that Mûr-de-Bretagne can lay claim to this mashed potato pancake, which is a speciality of central Morbihan. It is a pancake like any other, which once cooked can be decorated to taste with sausage, bacon, andouille, or salmon, with the difference that the classic cake dough (flour, salt and water) is mixed with mashed potatoes. This obviously makes the dough more compact, more nourishing and less light, but that's what makes it so charming. 
I found a more precise recipe here.

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Saturday, June 26, 2021

Wine & Food of Le Tour 2021: Stage 1, Brest to Landernau

Where are we? Spending our first stages In Brittany.

Brest: Brittany Tourism tells me to: Forget everything you thought you knew about Brest, and come and explore the heart of this naval port, nestled in one of France’s most beautiful natural harbours. On the menu: the amazing Pont de l’Iroise bridge, a stroll along the lively quays as far as the castle museum, and of course Océanopolis. Explore the city on foot, bike, bus, tramway or even from the sky on the first urban cable car!

Landernau: Le Tour has a fun story: Making noise in Landerneau: There are three theories for the origin of this famous French expression. The first known mention is in the comedy by Alexandre Duval from Rennes, Les Héritiers, performed in Paris in 1796. One of the scenes of the play takes place in a castle near Landerneau, property of Antoine Kerlebon, supposedly dead in a shipwreck. The day when his inheritance is divided, his unexpected return surprises and his valet Alain exclaims: "Antoine, oh the good trick, I will not say anything; but it will make noise in Landerneau," several times. The play, included in the repertoire of the Comédie française, was a lasting success in the 19th century, and evokes the town's reputation for gossip.
Another explanation refers to the tradition of charivaris, noisy disturbances surrounding the remarriage of widows and condemned by the Church. However, the charivari is not only specific to Landerneau, it was already practiced at the end of the Middle Ages, in many French cities, when a marriage was judged to be mismatched. According to other sources, the expression refers to the cannon shot from the Brest prison that could be heard as far as Landerneau when a prisoner managed to escape. This expression is still used today for "news of little importance, but of a nature to pique public curiosity". Finally, created in 2009, the Landerneau music festival is called "Fête du Bruit dans Landerneau" (Make a Noise Festival).

Tour Specialties: 
Brest: pancakes, seafood, salted butter caramel, kig ha farz, strawberries, beer, Cod à la Brestoise: Although Brest has adopted most of the Breton specialties (galettes, far breton, brandies and even strawberries from neighboring Plougastel), the city has a few typical recipes, the most famous of which is undoubtedly cod à la brestoise, which is as simple to make as it is tasty to eat. Leeks, potatoes and onions, all sliced like the cod itself, are necessary for this dish halfway between the gratin and the brandade, as tasty as it is hearty.
Landernau: the moons of Landerneau (chocolates), If kouign-amann originates from Douarnenez, one of the best can be found in Landerneau, at Eric Pengam's Douceurs Chocolats'T pastry shop, awarded the prize for the best kouign-amann in 2019 and the best Breton cake in 2017. If Eric Pengam doesn't give away his recipe, it's because kouign-amann is not so easy to make. A Breton saying sums it up: anyone can make it, few can succeed!

Christian Prudhomme says: "In a post card type scenery, going through Locronan and Quimper, this first day will offer no respite. The never ending accelerations due to the frequent changes in direction, the windy parts in the Monts d'Arrée and a finish at the top of 3-km hill at an average 5.7% (including parts at 14%) will crown one hell of a puncher."

The stage: Off they go!  It was time for the first break of the Tour:  Schelling, Van Poppel, Rodriguez, Perez, Bonnamour, and Swift. With 137.5 kilometers to go, the gap to the break was 2:25.
Halfway through the stage and it was down to 1:45.
After the Stang Ar Garront king of the mountain point, Schelling pressed along solo. Eighty kilometers to go and he had about a minute over his former companions and 2:22 over the peloton. With sixty eight kilometers to go, the rest of the break riders had been swept up by the peloton.
At the sprint point, maximum points from the field for Ewan.
Fifty kilometers to go and Schelling had just over two minutes.
And then suddenly, a huge crash, quite possibly caused by a fan on the roadside with a sign. Early stage crashes are expected in the Tour, but this one was very ugly and took down a huge percentage of the peloton. As a result, the first abandonment of the race: Sutterlin.
A second large crash would come.
Next: the expected attack by Alaphilippe.
Baby gets a lion!

The wine: Starting off with Cidrerie du Leguer Premium NV
The first of four days of cider. 
From the importer: Most of the French ciders we see in the U.S. come from Normandy, a rather expansive region west of Paris. You’ve probably heard of the beaches. Historic.
Bretagne, or Brittany as we like to say it, is a bit further afield, direction west. Depending on where exactly you’re going in Brittany, it can be quite a bit afield. In the case of Cidrerie du Léguer, how about an almost five and a half hour drive from Paris??? Take the more scenic route through Versailles and it’s going to cost you six and a half hours, from Paris. 
Cédric grew up here, in Brittany. After studies in agriculture he moved around France (and indeed the world) for a few years before he and his wife came upon this “almost abandoned” cider farm, and well, here it began. 2016 was the first vintage.
They are working organically (the place was already certified organic), though the truth is even more simple than this: they mow the lawn and prune the trees. That’s it. When the apples fall (and only then), they put them in crates to further ripen. Then they make their ciders. Cédric uses the old-school process of “keeving” to clean the musts (thus they are not filtered) and all fermentations are natural. The ciders are bottled with no sulfur.
The trees here are as young as two and as old as thirty years, with a whole selection of indigenous varieties such as Doux Moen, Douce Coet Lignée, Marie Ménard, Peau de Chien, Kermerrien, Petit Jaune, Locarvert, Rouget de Dol, Judor, Frich’elach, etc., if you know any of these. The soils are mostly granite, with various levels (or not) of clay.
The food: Kig Ha Farz, because I had never heard of it. Recipe from a local tourist site
From northern Finistère, the kig ha farz is a kind of stew mixing beef, pork and vegetables. It draws its characteristic from the farz, sort of sider made from flour cooked in the stock, sometimes with dried fruits and lipig, sauce made from butter and onions. Pork meat, vegetables cut into pieces and stuffing (in an hessian bag) are dived into a large stew pot filled with water and then cook for two hours.
After the cooking, the stock is served as a starter, the meat, vegetables and stuffing cut into pieces (with lipig) is served as the main dish.
for 8/10 people
Meats: 1.5 kg of beef shin and shoulder, 700 g of fresh bacon, 1 large pork hock
Vegetables and spices: 8 carots, 8 turnips, 4 leeks, 2 onions, 1 kale, 2 branches of celery (optional), salt, pepper and a bunch of herbs ('bouquet garni')
White farz: 500 g of flour, 4 eggs, 1l of milk, sugar (optional), salt
Black farz: 400 g of buckwheat flour, 2 eggs, some salted butter
Two hessian bags to cook the farz and string.
Meats and vegetables
Put 4 to 5 liters of water in a stew pot and add the peeled vegetables (except the kale) with salt, pepper and herbs.
When the water comes to the boil, add pork hock and beef meat.
Cook for 2 hours and a half.
Meanwhile, blanch the kale in salted boiling water during 5/6 minutes; empty the water. Finish the cooking with butter, just before serving.
White farz: mix the flour, the eggs, the milk with the sugar (optional) and the salt.
Black farz: melt the butter in a liter of water taken from the stew. Mix it with buckwheat flour and eggs.
Stuck the two doughs in the hessian bags and close with a string. Dive the bags in the stew pot, at boiling point and let it cook 2 hours. After the first hour, add the bacon.
Make the lipig with butter, shallops and 1 or 2 ladles of stock. Serve it aside, as a sauce.
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