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Backroads – Christopher Strong Bicycle Gourmet
Christopher Strong Bicycle Gourmet – Backroads really happened by accident.
It all started when I decided to take Paul Simon’s advice – “drop off the key Lee, and get yourself free.”
Ok – I wasn’t exactly chained to my life as a film-maker/photographer in San Francisco. But, like most folks from “over there” I dreamed of France.
Not just the food, wine, scenery, and, of course, chocolate. But of travelling through the French Country backroads. With no fixed agenda. No destination in mind.
And so, after letting my colleagues “inherit” my business, I, armed with an airline ticket, a $60 bicycle, and a Pentax spotmatic camera(best 50mm lens ever made) was on my way.
In the years that have followed, I’ve been lucky enough to glide down uncountable KMs of French Country Backroads. Tasting the land and the people, as well as the food and wine. (And, yes, the chocolate.)
I’ve had, and continue to have, truly, the “experience of a lifetime.” Or, more precisely, a “lifetime of experiencing, deeply, another land and it’s people.”
Yes, ok, great for me. But, what about you? Well, that’s why I’ve been sharing my backroads adventures for the past zillion and a half years. And, as that old song line goes: “The end is not in sight.”
“I have taken the road not taken. And that has made all the difference.”
– Robert Frost –
Take that road with me – in this video.
Christopher Strong – Bicycle Gourmet’s Vegan Wine Vine – Part Three
Christopher Strong – Bicycle Gourmet’s Vegan Wine Vine – Part Three
Christopher Strong – Bicycle Gourmet’s Vegan Wine Vine – Part Three
In this post I toured you around some great organic wines. Then I continued our virtual tastings with Bio wines.
Now it’s time to thrill my “only eat green stuff” readers with a marvy selection of VEGAN WINES.And what, exactly are Vegan wines? How are they – if they are – different from their organic and bio cousins?
My “always ready to raise as glass” pals at avenue des vins have the answers:
Winemakers and wine growers often use specific products to produce a “glue” (wine jargon) used to eliminate the yeast residues and particles suspended in the wine. In the wine growing universe, this process is called “clarification”.
A large number of animal origin products are used to create the glue, such as, egg white, fish glue, or even casein, a particle that is found milk.
The workaround is to use a vegetable glue developed from vegetable-based proteins such as peas, wheat or even potato. This is the basic difference in the Vegan wine process.
NOTE: As you’ll discover, I’ve concentrated on pinot this time around. As it usually doesn’t get as much attention as the other heavily promoted varietals.
OK – let’s get down to (liquid) business:
Veganite No. 1 is : 2019 Girasole Pinot Noir
This Pinot Noir is all about delicacy. Rich, candy apple red in color with aromas of ripe cherries that are accented by rose and white oak. Bright summer strawberries and raspberries make their way out of the glass to deliver a true palate pleaser.
Varietals: 97% Pinot Noir, 2% Zinfandel, 1 % Petite Sirah
Veganite No. 2 is : 2014 Maysara Asha Pinot Noir
A jeweled glassful of garnets, Asha dances onto your palate with amarena cherries, pine nuts and a tantalizing wisp of a far away campfire.. Completely elegant and silken tannins have integrated perfectly to form a structure that allows the richness of the vintage to glow brightly, while still allowing for age-ability.
Asha is an ancient Persian Word describing one who has a clean conscience for good thoughts, words, and deeds with a pure demeanor and performance.
Finally, saving (one of) the best for the last..bringing up the maximum enjoyment rear is :
Ok – It’s not as cool/groovy and mouth watering in appearance as the preceding glistening treasures, but with it’s Copper color, the nose is intense, floral with yellow fruits, hints of ethereal; the palate is fresh, intense, and fruity.( Not to forget you’re getting the equivalent of 4 palette pleasing bottles here!) Certified Biodynamic by Demeter. Made with certified organic grapes.
Winemaking: Grapes are sent to a pneumatic press for soft crushing, then the must is fermented with the skins and with their indigenous yeasts at low temperature in stainless steel tanks.
Alc: 13.5%
3 L (3000 mL, or four standard 750 mL wine bottles)
AAAAAlrighty then….this wraps up my “wine for smarties” tour of Organic,Bio and Vegan Wines. With a few bon mots re: their characteristics, differences,etc.
If you were even slightly thrilled/delighted with what i’ve sharing here(and in this series)
THROW ME A BONE HERE PEOPLE!
Let Me Know What You’re thinking
p.s .don’t forget to thrill and delight me by:
Subscribing to my Youtube Channel
Christopher Strong Bicycle Gourmet Backpacking
Christopher Strong Bicycle Gourmet Backpacking
Christopher Strong Bicycle Gourmet Backpacking…
is something old that’s been “refurbished” into something new.
The old is what DA BG has been doing for the past zillion and a half years. “Tasting the land and the people as well as the food and wine.”
Little did I know, until recently, that all my fab adventures gliding down sun dappled French country roads was: BIKEPACKING.
Honored(in dementia ) to be one of the founding fathers of Bikepacking. Even thought I wasn’t aware then I was doing it.
But, as you well know, marketing reins in our material World’s constant grab for your wallet. And, what could be easier(and more profitable) than pasting a trendy new label on an old activity?
And so “camping with a bicycle” has morphed into “Bikepacking.”
With, as you would expect, countless varieties of “made for bikepacking” cycles. And all the (not wallet friendly) gear that you must have to enjoy you BP adventure to the max.
However, you don’t need any franklins to groove and (bien sur) thrill to
DA BG’s (unconsciously) Bikepacking adventures. Because all you need to do is… Click Here.
