Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Wine & Food of the Tour de France 2016: Stage 17 Cave Caloz & Challerhocker



Where are we? Staying in Switzerland. Leaving Berne and heading 184 kilometers to Finhaut-Emosson.

 Specialities: Berner Platte (meat, sauerkraut, green beans and potatoes), rösti (potato pancake), Emmental cheese, Bernese braid (brioche), Mandelbärli (bear-shaped almond pastries), Bernese gingerbread, Emmental meringues

 Finhaut-Emosson located in the Canton of Valais, Finhaut is mainly known since the construction of the last major Swiss dam, on the Plateau d'Emosson. The superb lake that it created is supplied by the water of the Tour glacier on the Mont-Blanc mountain. 
The local tourist site tells me: 
A major Alpine resort in the early 20th century, this village is nowadays well-known for its protected natural heritage, for the Emosson reservoir and its three dams, and for the VerticAlp Emosson attraction park, which has the steepest two-cabin funicular in the world.
The Vieux-Emosson valley contains a very different type of attraction: over 800 dinosaur footprints, dating back about 250 million years.

 Specialties from LeTour: Fondue and raclette valaisanne (melted cheese dish), Valais platter (sausage, dried meat, cheese, AOC rye bread), Valais apricots, Morand apricot brandy

 From LeTour:  Christian Prudhomme's comment
From north to south, it'll be a day of discovery and 100% Swiss with a spectacular finish situated at the Emosson dam.There will be opportunities to seize on the sequence of 13 kilometre heading to the summit of the Col de la Forclaz, and then on the 10 kilometres that remained to be covered to reach the Emosson dam.

The stage: DNS (did not start) today from Mark Cavendish, who is off to contiune his Olympic training. He'll be missed, especially on Sunday.




The eleven are Sagan, Majka, Clement, Kangert, Pantano, Zakarin, Pozzovivo, Morabito, Durasek, Feillu, and Gallopin. They would be joined by
Lutsenko, Van Avermaet and Voeckler. With 55 kilometers, their gap was over 10 minutes.






Twenty eight kilometers to go and the gap was over thirteen minutes. Majka and Pantano were at the lead. Would we see action from the yellow jersey group behind? 



In the yellow jersey group, many riders dropped, including Tejay van Ggarderen. Nibali, at the front, drinks a Coke. Action ahead? Maybe? 
Action up front at least as Zakarin attacked. Majka dropped. Pantano stayed with him at frist, but Zakarin attacked again to go solo. 

Behind in the yellow jersey group, Nibali remained at the front as the group continued to shrink. But then, he too was gone. Great work for his teammate, but could Aru take advantage of it? 
Here came the attacks from the group. Valverde! But he would be brought back. Next to try, Dan Martin. 
Ahead:


He would take the stage. So steep that he struggled mightily to zip up his jersey. Next in: Pantano. Behind, Sky domestiques still at the front of the group with two kilometers to go. An attack by Porte. Up next, Aru. Mollema off the back! But then, Froome with Quintana on his wheel. He would drop him and reach Porte. Wow, Quintana is dropped by the group behind. Lots of gc changes today.

 Stage:


GC:


 Wine: Cave Caloz Corualin du Lieu- dit Les Berunes
From FranklyWines
From the importer: 
The Caloz family established their domaine in 1960, setting up their home and cellar in the village of Miege which sits midway between the town of Sierre, at the southern end of the Valais, and the famous ski area of Crans-Montana. Fernand Caloz, father of the current proprietaire, began the arduous process of tending the vines in this mountainous region where the vineyards sit on steep terraces and must be worked by hand. Conrad Caloz, son of Fernand, joined by his wife, Anne-Carole, now manages the affairs of this small family domaine.
An expression of exuberant wild berries marks the best of the Cornalins produced in the Valais. Again, the exceptional exposure of the “Les Bernunes” vineyard permits the Cornalin grape to ripen well, producing a purple-tinted wine that is vivacious and lightly tannic in the finish




Food:  Challerhocker Cheese
From Cheese.com: Challerhocker, pronounced "holler hocker", meaning "sitting in the cellar" is a Swiss cheese washed in brine and spices and then aged for a minimum of 12 months. Made from thermalized milk, the cheese is dense and smooth without any holes or cracks.  The repeated brine washing and extended aging reveal a great depth of flavour and texture unlike any Swiss cheese. Its initial aroma and flavour is a lovely concoction of roasted peanuts, melted leeks, brown butter, sweet cream and caramel. Made by cheesemaker Walter Rass, the lingering silky, salty finish of Challerhocker makes it an ideal cheese for the winter months. 

Note: I really liked this cheese. 

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Monday, July 18, 2016

Wine & Food of the Tour de France 2016: Stage 16 Puffeney Trousseau & Emmental


Where are we? Heading to Switzerland! Riding 206 kilometers from Moirans-en-Montagne to Berne.

Moirans-en-Montagne is a first time stage city in the Jura. The Tour site tells me that this town is a capital of toys. 
LeTour Specialities: Dishes based on Comté cheese and Jura wines. Wood turning, toys

Berne is a first time stage city and the federal capital of Switzerland. It was founded by the Dukes of Zähringen in 1191. It joined the Swiss Confederation in 1353 and was chosen as the capital city of the Confederation in 1848.
From the local tourist site:  “It is the most beautiful that we have ever seen,” wrote Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in a letter to his friend Charlotte von Stein during his stay in Bern in 1779. 
Bern's quaint Old Town, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site, is framed by the Aare river and offers spectacular views of the Alps.
Maybe a visit to the Bear Park is in order?  
LeTour Specialities: Vineyards on the northern shore of Lake Bie


From LeTour: Christian Prudhomme's comment
Before the alpine sequence of the Tour, the climbers will enjoy a relative break on the road to Berne that goes through the numerous valleys of the Jura area.The pure sprinters shouldn't hope for too much:indeed the hill they'll have to climb in the urban final of the stage could prevent the biggest babies from fighting for victory!

The stage: Off to Switzerland they go! Speaking of go: go, Tony, Go!



As they powered away, Alaphilippe was amazed.








85 kilometers to go and the gap was 3:30. 45 kilometers to go and it was under two minutes. Strange sprint point as it looked like they would compete from the field, but no. 32 kilometers to go and the gap was down to one minute.Sadly and predictably, Martin would be caught, setting up a few doomed attcks followed by a bunch sprint.

Stage:



GC:
 


Wine: Jacques Puffeney Arbois Trousseau Les Berangeres 2014
From the importer: Jacques Puffeney’s father was a vineyard worker who owned a mere speck of land in the village of Montigny Les Arsures (just around the corner from Arbois). Jacques made his first wine at the age of 17 but, to earn a living, he worked simultaneously as a “saleur de Comté” helping to make the fabled cheese of his region. Over time the Puffeney family acquired vineyards in Montigny and the surrounding villages and now the domaine encompasses 7.5 hectares, all in the appellation of Arbois. Jacques Puffeney’s prowess in both the vineyards and the cave has been recognized throughout France and has earned him the nickname among his colleagues of “the Pope of Arbois”.
I say: Because I don't drink it as often as I'd like, I tend to forget how much I like this wine. 


Food: Emmental Cheese
From Cheese.com: This cheese is produced in the central cantons of Switzerland. It is a traditional, unpasteurised, hard cheese made from cow's milk. It's hard, thin rind is covered by paper with producer's name on it. The aroma is sweet with tones of fresh-cut hay. The flavour is very fruity, not without a tone of acidity. Emmental has walnut-sized holes. It is considered to be one of the most difficult cheeses to be produced because of it's complicated hole-forming fermentation process.
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Sunday, July 17, 2016

Wine & Food of the Tour de France 2016 Stage 15: Buegy and Fromager d'Affinois

Where are we? Riding 159 kilometers in the Ain from Bourg-en-Bresse to Culoz

 Bourg-en-Bresse is a three time stage town in the Ain. The town is famous for poultry. From Michelin: Bresse poultry has benefited from the AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) label since 1957, and chickens from Bresse are among France’s finest fowl. There are three reasons for this: breed, environment, and farming methods. 
Every year just before the holiday season, the poultry of Bresse are celebrated in great pomp during four festive days called Les Glorieuses de Bresse. Bedecked with ribbons, wrapped in linen or cotton swaddling, the fowl participate in a beauty pageant - the only one of its kind in France.
Lots more here from the UK Guardian.  
LeTour Specialities: AOP Bresse chicken, fondue bressane (chicken fondue), AOC Bresse butter and cream, Giraudet quenelles, frogs with parsley, carp from the ponds of the Dombes, AOC cheeses (Bleu de Bresse and Comté AOC), cream pie, gaudrioles (shortbread biscuits), Bugey AOC wines

Culoz is a first time stage town, still in the Ain.  Michelin tells me that: Peaking at an altitude of 1531 m, the Grand Colombier (Great Dovecote) is the highest summit of the Bugey, the southern Jura. It is a joy for hikers, a sinuous climb rewarding those who complete it with fine views. Pine woods stitch their delicate embroidery across the broad white cloth of the mountainside. The vista from the summit is ample justification for the effort involved.

Specialities: Le salé (walnut and onion tart), diots au Marc du Bugey (Savoy sausages), Bugey truffles, cheese (Tome de Belley, Pavé d'Affinois), Bugey wines (AOC Domaine de Bel-Air). Tradition for tanning in Belley

From LeTour: Christian Prudhomme's comment
Cyclists in the area are used to climbing the Grand Colombier, a fearsome —and feared— mountain pass in the Jura Massif from its four sides. The Tour peloton will face a similar challenge when it tackles the summit from two different sides in the same stage. A tricky descent awaits before the finish in Culoz.

The stage: This is one of the days we get full stage coverage, otherwise known as a really early wake up and a chance to see both the break and the grupetto develop. 


And the grupetto was forming very quickly. This could be a rough day for the sprinters. As always, I dream of grupetto cam. 
Meanwhile, ahead a new attack from Majka, with Zakarin and a large group chasing, including Nibali. It looked like that group of 30 riders would be the break of the day. They are: Jon Izagirre and Nelson Oliveira (Movistar), Vincenzo Nibali and Tanel Kangert (Astana), Rafal Majka (Tinkoff), Domenico Pozzovivo and Alexis Vuillermoz (AG2R-LaMondiale), George Bennett (LottoNL-Jumbo), Haimar Zubeldia (Trek), Stef Clement, Jérôme Coppel and Jarlinson Pantano (IAM), Pierre Rolland, Tom-Jelte Slagter and Dylan van Baarle (Cannondale-Drapac), Serge Pauwels (Dimension Data), Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin), Steve Morabito and Sébastien Reichenbach (FDJ), Bartosz Huzarski (Bora-Argon 18), Alberto Losada and Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha), Kristjian Durasek, Tsgabu Grmay and Jan Polanc (Lampre-Merida), Romain Sicard and Thomas Voeckler (Direct Energie), Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx-Quick Step), Dani Navarro (Cofidis) and Ruben Plaza (Orica-BikeExchange). With 122 kilometers to go, they had four minutes over the yellow jersey group.Their gap would continue to grow. With 100 kilometers to go, they had 6:20. 85 kilometers to go and they had just under 7 minutes.
Attacks would come within the break group, not surprising given the number of riders there. Dumoulin, Nibali, Pantano and Vuillermoz formed a new lead group. 61 kilometers to go and their group had 8 minutes over the yellow jersey group, with many chasers in between. They would be caught though. We had apparently hit the many small groups on the road portion of the stage. I would expect that to continue. 


Behind there are apparently 37 riders left in the yellow jersey group with Astana at the front, taking over, at least briefly, from Sky.   


At the front of the race Majka, now in virtual polka dots and Zakarin. Behind them, an attack from Alaphillippe followed by Pantano. They would form a quartet at the front. 42 kilometers to go and they had seven minutes over the yellow jersey group. Alaphillippe surged ahead on the descent, but word that he had crashed or perhaps had a mechanical. Eventually, he was seen again on camera.


Quite a bell as they cross the finish line for the first time. Together up front, Majka and Pantano. In the yellow jersey group, Aru attacked followed by Valverde. They would be caught by the Sky domestiques. 
Gorgeous scenery today:


Majka still alone up front. As Bardet attacked in the yellow jersey group, Yejay was dropping off. Majka off the road into the grass, but he managed to stay on his bike. Closing quickly, Pantano.  


The chasers behind were closing quickly though. Stage win for Pantano. Well done. 


Behind, most of the big names finished together, minus Tejay. 
Also, kayak art:


 

 Stage:


 
GC:
General Classification after stage 15
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky68:14:36 
2Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo0:01:47 
3Adam Yates (GBr) Orica-BikeExchange0:02:45 
4Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team0:02:59 
5Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team0:03:17 
6Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale0:04:04 
7Richie Porte (Aus) BMC Racing Team0:04:27 
8Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team0:04:47 
9Daniel Martin (Irl) Etixx - Quick-Step0:05:03 
10Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana Pro Team0:05:16


Wine: Lingot Martin Bugey Cerdon 
Franklywines says: Pink, sparkling, the driest one on the market, but still with a touch of sweetness

From the producer: 
CUVEE "Sélectionnée"
Blended with 70% Gamay, the Poulsard grape brings a distinctive note of red fruit. Its delicate mousse and elegant sparkle make this a Cerdon to be shared with friends and family.
I say: Pink, sparkling and sweet indeed. I'm not generally a brunch drinker, but this would work well for day drinking. 


Food:  Fromager d'Affinois 
From SFGate: This Brie-like cow's milk cheese is made by a company that, 20 years ago, pioneered the use of ultrafiltration in cheesemaking. Ultrafiltration removes water from the pasteurized milk before cheesemaking, concentrating all the other components.
Thanks to ultrafiltration, every step of the cheesemaking process -- coagulation, unmolding, maturing -- can happen faster. A classic Brie takes about eight weeks to make; Fromager d'Affinois is ready in two weeks. 

I say: Creamy, rich and very tasty. 

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