Thanksgiving on the road – in wine country (2nd in series of 4)

The next morning we walked around old Bergerac, with its picturesque church and many half-timbered buildings. Not a major tourist attraction perhaps, rather one of many such old town centers throughout France, but very enjoyable.








We also visited the Bergerac wine museum, housed in an old building with a courtyard. The designated Bergerac AOC produces some very nice, not-too-expensive wine (a bottle of which, of course, we had enjoyed at dinner the night before).


Leaving Bergerac, we stopped at Saint Emilion on the way to Bordeaux, one of the best Bordeaux wine regions and one of the most attractive villages in France.

This is one small town that will not expand; it is surrounded by the vineyards and, the land is more valuable growing grapes than people.



Of course, grapevines also provide a pretty decoration for some of the old buildings in town.









Then it was on to pick up our wine.

In the spring of 1992, while living in Paris, we had visited the Margaux wineries in the Medoc region NW of Bordeaux, which are among the most famous wine chateaus in France. At Chateau Prieure Lachine we decided to buy a case of the 1990 vintage (a very good year).
It was still in casks, waiting to be bottled, but the chateau would be happy to store it for us in controlled conditions until we could pick it up. Since these Margaux wines are not ready to drink for at least 15 years, and last considerably longer, we figured we could let it age gracefully, and then pick it up and transport it back at our leisure, perhaps a few bottles at a time. That had never happened, but now we were back in France, and the wine was ready to drink. And we were happy to take delivery!

Next we drove up the road to Chateau Palmer, another of the great Margaux chateaus, which Pat’s brother Tom had visited back in the 1980s and told us to be sure to see; we’ve gone whenever in the region.

A fitting final image for wine country.
Then we headed to Port-Ste-Marie.