All in Wine
As details jelled about my spring trip to Bordeaux, France, it became apparent that my travel-mates were set on a full wine and food exploration. Who was I to argue? But, some of my favorite trips have been cycling and sipping through wine regions around the globe and I did not want to miss out. So, I extended my visit by three-days and created Part 2: A price-friendly, DIY cycling exploration.
I felt like a stinky alien. My butt ached from sitting on the hard plastic red seat outside Ambuleta 1 in the bustling Zagreb Emergency Room. The cavernous, stark waiting area swelled with Croatian conversation and a steady stream of incoming patients. My gashed knee throbbed and I longed to hear my name. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe I should bag the stitches and bolt.
The morning sun warmed my face. A refreshing mountain breeze rustled shiny leaves as I snipped golden clusters of plump, glistening Chardonnay grapes from their vines. They gently plopped into a circular red plastic pail held in my sticky left hand, which I dumped into a larger container.
THE early-morning sun warms the back of my neck as a friend and I pedal along the open road, rolling past dangling peaches as well as grapes hanging in little clumps on parallel rows of trellised vines. Up ahead, a wood-frame chunk of white rock bearing the vineyard’s name signals the entrance to the Plum Creek Winery, and we turn down a short pebbly road and spot a seven-and-a-half-foot metal fowl that’s been made from old farm equipment guarding the rustic tasting room.
FOR those who have already spun and sipped their way through Bordeaux, Alsace and Napa, there are a growing number of bike tours in other wine regions. Some touring companies offer fully guided and supported multiday excursions arranging everything from upscale hotels to luggage transport to private tastings at wineries and host hotels. You can also hire local cycling guides to provide intimate glimpses of their home turfs, or in most areas, follow winery maps for a straightforward do-it-yourself exploration.
