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LES NOUVELLES<br />
Inspiring your next trip to <strong>France</strong><br />
Pick of the bunch<br />
Join in these grape harvest festivities and enjoy<br />
French traditions that go back centuries<br />
PHOTOGRAPHS: GETTY IMAGES/iSTOCKPHOTO<br />
IROULÉGUY, Pyrénées-<br />
Atlantiques<br />
In the foothills of the Pyrénées, the village<br />
of Irouléguy has its own small appellation<br />
that makes spicy reds and fresh, aromatic<br />
rosés, which can be sampled at the Fête<br />
du Vignoble on 9-10 <strong>September</strong>.<br />
Tel: (Fr) 5 59 37 93 70<br />
saintjeanpieddeport-paysbasque<br />
-tourisme.com<br />
NOÉ-LES-MALLETS, Aube<br />
If you would like to take part in a wine<br />
harvest, the Veuve Doussot champagne<br />
estate in Noé-les-Mallets south-east of<br />
Troyes has the answer. The owners have<br />
created a vendange package which, for<br />
€40pp, allows enthusiasts to spend half<br />
the morning picking grapes (pictured),<br />
followed by a tour of the cuverie, lunch<br />
with the estate’s team of grape pickers<br />
and a champagne tasting. The offer is<br />
available on 23 and 30 <strong>September</strong>.<br />
Tel: (Fr) 3 25 29 60 61<br />
www.champagneveuvedoussot.com<br />
MARCILLAC, Aveyron<br />
The village of Marcillac, north of Rodez,<br />
is one of the smallest appellations in<br />
<strong>France</strong>, with just 215 hectares of vines.<br />
The spicy, aromatic reds are celebrated at<br />
the wine festival on 1 October, when<br />
visitors can get involved by donning<br />
traditional costumes and joining a grape<br />
stomp before the wine-tasting. Other<br />
highlights include a flea market, concerts<br />
and a traditional meal.<br />
Tel: (Fr) 5 65 72 85 00<br />
tourisme-conques.fr<br />
MONTMARTRE, Paris<br />
The city of Paris has one surviving<br />
vineyard, Clos Montmartre (pictured<br />
above). It is at the heart of the Fête des<br />
Vendanges de Montmartre, which was<br />
launched in 1934 and now attracts<br />
around 400,000 visitors. The festival,<br />
from 11-15 October, features parades,<br />
tastings and concerts in the streets behind<br />
the Basilique de Sacré-Coeur.<br />
Tel: (Fr) 1 53 41 18 18<br />
fetedesvendangesdemontmartre.com<br />
JOIGNY, Yonne<br />
The historic town of Joigny, in the north<br />
of the Burgundy-Franche-Comté region,<br />
is holding a wine festival on 15 October.<br />
Head for the marché couvert on the<br />
banks of the River Yonne, where wine<br />
producers are joined by stallholders<br />
selling local specialities including<br />
snails and Époisses, a semi-soft cow’s<br />
milk cheese.<br />
Tel: (Fr) 3 86 62 11 05<br />
joigny-tourisme.com ➳<br />
www.completefrance.com FRANCE MAGAZINE 17
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