My waders suction to my shins as I edge towards the centre of the waist-deep pond. I hadn’t planned on visiting a sturgeon farm during my time in the south-western corner of France, but when the heavens opened and our plans for walking the limestone streets of Libourne were washed out, a little voice inside my head said, “On y va.” So here I am, at a breeding farm on the Isle tributary of the Dordogne, ready to show the rest of my group how an Australian catches a fish. “Grab the tail firmly, and always with two hands, otherwise it might bite,” says Yoann Garitey, sales director of Caviar de Neuvic, nonchalantly. Later, over a whip of caviar butter on baguette, I realise sturgeons don’t have teeth. But I’m going to need a few Grands Crus Classés to recover, regardless.
This is one of the more adventure-fuelled stops on the eight-day, round-trip Grand Bordeaux river cruise, devised by luxury cruise operator APT. The trip guides 144 guests through the region’s prestigious wine country and its renowned châteaux, medieval castles, historic hamlets and other, less conventional, adventures for those willing. As we potter from the city of Bordeaux along the rivers Garonne, the Gironde estuary, and the Dordogne, our lodging is the 2009 MS AmaDolce, one of eight AmaWaterways rivercruise ships operating in Europe.
Bordeaux has 118,000 hectares of vineyards, and with more than 60 appellations d’origine contrôlées (or AOC, more than any other wine region in Europe), it’s a rabbit hole of regions, subregions, subdivisions and rules. The most stringent, the Official Classification of 1855, ranks châteaux into five categories from Premiers Crus (first growths) to Cinquièmes Crus (fifth growths).
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة December 2019 من Gourmet Traveller.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة December 2019 من Gourmet Traveller.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
THE SMOKING CAMEL
Each month we explore the origins behind some of Australia's signature drinks and learn how to recreate them.
MEET THE MAKER HELEN XU
As she swings open the doors to a new restaurant and hotel at her Yarra Valley vineyard, we check in with the Helen & Joey Estate winemaker to talk science, Sichuan and the wine brand she runs with husband Joey Zeng.
Fuel to the fire
From chilli to wasabi, there's an art to pairing drinks with spicy foods. SAMANTHA PAYNE breaks it down.
Sri Lankan hoppers
Chef TRAVIN DE HOEDT of Sydney's Kurumba shares his family recipe for this South Asian staple.
The art of...thoughtful feasting
It was a Moroccan tagine that taught ANNA HART to relax her ethics and eat, drink and be merry like a local.
THE NEW COCKTAIL CAPITAL
Mexico City is in its golden era of cocktail culture. Once home to a small handful of recognisable names, today the capital is heaving with globally renowned drinking destinations. And it's leading the charge for North America on awards lists such as World’s 50 Best (last year, Mexico City landed four bars on the list, compared to three in New York City).
Golden age
Time travel may not be possible but JOANNA HUNKIN discovers the next best thing when she pairs the Eastern & Oriental Express with a journey through Veuve Clicquot's private cellar.
48 HOURS IN PHUKET
Beyond beaches and resorts, Thailand's biggest island is a treasure trove of culinary gems. DANI VALENT gets the inside scoop from restaurateur Merica Charungvat.
LOVE IN A COLD CLIMATE
Fireplaces, slowness and country scenes. Holidaying hits differently in winter
What is curry?
Cuisine or construct? RUSHANI EPA retraces the history of the saucy, spicy dish across the Indian subcontinent and its diaspora.