2015 FWS Instructor Trip to the Rhone and Beaujolais!

FWS educators spent the first two weeks of September enjoying harvest in Beaujolais and the Rhône!

We hiked the steep inclines of Condrieu and Hermitage foraging for ripe figs and plums along the way; picked grapes in Beaujolais and watched semi-carbonic maceration in process from start to finish. In the Southern Rhône we visited the stunning landscapes of Vivarais and Costières de Nîmes; ate truffles in Ventoux and walked the Roman Via Domitia. 

• Did you know that the original Muscat of Beaumes de Venise was red? The vines mutated over time to give us the white version. (But, these plants still occasionally deliver red clusters!)
• Did you know that the berries undergoing carbonic maceration burst after four days? Longer time in tank equates to richer, more pigmented wines as juice contacts skin and undergoes traditional yeast fermentation. And guess what! A recent study has identified 26 different soil types in Beaujolais!

It was serious good fun. We wined. We dined. We learned.

Educator trips are open to all FWS instructors and announced by April of each year. Keep a weather eye out for 2016 travel opportunities on the instructor portal.

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