bike eat drink sleep, call 888.396.5383

February 7, 2012

Burgundy Wine Harvest with The Hungry Cyclist

Filed under: Drink, European bike tours, France, Guide posts, Wines, burgundy — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Bike tour guru @ 3:47 pm

Explore the vineyards in Burgundy first-hand.

On DuVine bike tours in Burgundy, you have a unique opportunity. While cycling in Burgundy, you get to do more than just drink some of the world’s most outstanding wine. You get to put your nose and your hands right in it, right into the very soil from which it comes. Yes, you could just buy a bottle and imagine yourself there. But why not go to the source? Why not immerse yourself fully in the wine-loving experience that is a bicycle tour in Burgundy, getting yourself intimately familiar with a wine that you cannot help but love. We promise it will taste even better. Just ask DuVine guide Tom Kevill-Davies (aka The Hungry Cyclist), who spent ten days working the Burgundy Grape Harvest in 2011. With his palate and nose at the ready and his camera close by,  he put together this captivating recount of his time there and this stunning collection of photos.

“Its 8:30 in the morning and an autumnal chill remains in the air from the night before. The sun is doing its best to burn off the low-lying mist that clings to the fields and gullies of the Cote D ‘Or.

Beams of sunlight gradually break the day, spotlighting the lichen and moss that cling to ancient dry-stone walls and the bold colours of autumn begin to sing. A rough carpet of deep reds, purples, ochre, and gold stretches as far as I can see and the astonishing natural beauty of this celebrated wine region has caught me off guard again. Gazing dumbfounded at this age-old image in front of me, I forget my purpose for being here at this early hour.

Get to know the men and women who make the wine.

“Allez Thomas!”

The assertive voice of the vigneron I am working for reminds me why I am here and reluctantly I slip out of sight below the row of vines to my left. Down here the world looks very different. Drops of dew cling to delicate cobwebs while harvest spiders scramble for cover. The damp air hangs amongst the vine stock and the rich earth hangs heavy on my rubber boots. Moving amongst the wet vines my shorts and shirt are wet and cling to my body. My back is all ready complaining about another day of this repetitive work. Focusing on my prize, I handle a heavy bunch of plump red grapes and…snip! The bunch joins the dozens others in the basket by my feet and, edging uncomfortably forward, I move to the next vine in the endless row of Pinot Noir ahead of me. Only another seven days to go….

When not picking grapes in the Burgundy harvest and working as a lead guide for DuVine Adventures, clients often ask me when the best time to visit Burgundy is. In the spring you see the grapes in flower and witness the lively village wine fetes. In mid-summer the warm sun ripens the grapes in front of you. But for a real idea of the work and energy that goes into making the world’s greatest wine, a trip in early autumn to witness the harvest is a must for any oenophile.

Maybe even give them a hand.

Transformed from its usual calmness for the few days the harvest takes place, the vines become a hive of human activity. Teams of pickers work lines of vines with locust-like efficiency. Porters carry “hods” overflowing with fruit and tractors with full trailers rush between the fields and the winery. This grape harvest has been taking places in this region for millennia, and most vineyards still insist on picking their precious crop by hand. Workers still travel from all over Europe to pick and carry the grapes, while many are locals who involve themselves in this historic get-together year after year. The work is not easy but the camaraderie is overwhelming. Working together, eating together, drinking together, and sleeping together, the energy of the harvest is rewarding and addictive.

In my opinion, witnessing the wine harvest is a must for any real wine lover. Here at DuVine Adventures we won’t force you into the fields to pick any grapes, but book a cycling tour in Burgundy with us or any other of our European wine regions and we guarantee you’ll experience the true nature of this important annual event first hand.”

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta

January 31, 2012

An Eye-opening Adventure in Costa Rica

Filed under: Adventure Travel, Costa Rica, Guide posts, Latin America — Tags: , , , , , , — Bike tour guru @ 4:59 pm

Looking for a fresh perspective? DuVine’s active adventure tour in Costa Rica is just the cure. Mountain biking, kayaking, surfing, wild animals. It’s all part of your multisport tour in Costa Rica. Need more convincing? DuVine guide Tom Coppock took a trip there, soaking in the island vibe and immersing himself in the local culture, and here is what he had to say:

“As the saying goes, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and this is as true in news coverage as it is in cycling.  Understandably, news organizations are quick to cover bad news – civil wars, natural disasters, and brutal dictators – but rarely report on good government or peaceful societies.  Good news doesn’t make for good headlines, so our exposure to much of the world is often no more than a catalog of disasters.  Nowhere is this more true than in Central America.  In the North American imagination, the mention of this region conjures up images of endless civil wars, banana republics, and repressive dictatorships.

I have to admit that I held the same stereotypes before traveling on DuVine’s Costa Rica active adventure tour.  Nestled between Nicaragua and Panama in an area comparable to that of Denmark, Costa Rica is an oasis of peace, environmental protection, and human development.  Unlike most of Spain’s New World Colonies dominated by powerful landowners, this area was largely settled by small farmers and developed a much more egalitarian economic and political culture than the rest of Latin America.

Costa Rica abolished its army in 1948 and has invested heavily in universal education and infrastructure projects.  With its varied terrain, the country is home to 5% of the world’s biodiversity, and Costa Ricans have taken an enlightened approach to this natural bounty.  Renewable energy, sustainable development, and ecotourism are the phrases heard everywhere.  Instead of cutting down their rainforests, the Costa Ricans have built ziplines and ecolodges to extract a different kind of income from these areas while protecting a global good.

The combination of an educated population, stable political environment, and incredible biodiversity makes this a great destination for active adventure travelers.  The streets are safe, it’s easy to get around (even if you speak no Spanish), the tourist infrastructure is top-notch, and the people are genuinely friendly.  On the DuVine active adventure tour you will bike on the Irazu volcano outside of the capital, raft down one of the world’s top whitewater rivers on the Atlantic side of the country, zipline through the Arenal rainforest, and bike to a secluded Pacific beach for an afternoon of surfing.  In the mornings you wake up to the cries of toucans and sip a fresh smoothie before heading out on your next adventure.  It’s a “pura vida” (good life) as the locals say.”

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta

January 27, 2012

Vincent’s Love of Brittany

Filed under: Bike, Brittany, European bike tours, France, Guide posts — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — Bike tour guru @ 4:11 pm

The peaceful sunset on the coast of Brittany.

For the 2012 season, DuVine Adventures has added an all new bicycle tour to our French repertoire: the Brittany bike tour. We are extremely excited about and proud of it, but our French cycling tour extraordinaire, DuVine guide Vincent Reboul, might be even more elated than anyone else. While he has lived all over France, he has fallen truly in love with the singular and spectacular region of Brittany, and cannot wait to be leading bike tours there. Find out why:

In the 1990’s I lived in Brittany for seven years. Being a “modern gypsy” as I am, seven years is the maximum amount of time I can spend in the same place. This is a record for me and my lifestyle – I must have loved the place.

Looking back, I can say without a doubt these years have been amongst the nicest in my life. I’ve met some of my best friends on this French peninsula, and where the land here ends, the neartest neighbors for the Bretons are Americans across the Atlantic. Maybe this is why I’m leading tours for DuVine today?

Before I thought to be a DuVine tour guide, I was teaching tennis in a small town in northern Brittany called Tréguier. Bretagne is like an Island: You can easily drive everywhere and the distances are never too long. If you stay in the middle of the country the sea is at an equal distance away wherever you go, about 100km (except from the east).

I say “country” intentionally because, even if this region is part of France today, that has not always been the case and you can still feel the air of independence and uniqueness, and sometimes the notion is so drastic that you really have the impression of being in an entirely different Pays (which means country in French).

Need some examples? Here’s your proof that Bretagne is really a different place:

1) The Breton language: Never say to a Bretonnisant that Breton is a dialect or he will be very upset likely not talk to you anymore. Remember the expression têtu comme un breton (stubborn like a Breton).

Can you resist these treats?

The language is part of the Celtic family (actually, a variation of Breton is spoken in Wales and Galicia). It is a very peculiar language and, like in Ireland or Cataluña, you may see signs along the road in both French and Breton. My mother, who now lives in Central Bretagne, was amazed by the fact that if you watch TV or listen to the  radio, two hours a day is dedicated to Breton only and you don’t understand a word of it – no translation is permitted. 300,000 Bretons speak the language today, and after WWII almost nobody was speaking French there. This just shows you how much Bretagne was isolated for such a long time.

2) Another unique trait is the dancing: It is not at all folklore, and remember, don’t upset the bretonnisant. It is a serious matter .Very different from the aérial Irish dances, the Breton dances are quite the opposite and are more down to earth. You stick to your partner the whole time, even when the dance brings you down to the ground.

The origin of the dances comes from a ritual when a new house was built, during which all the inhabitants would gather to stamp the clay ground of the main room. All these dances occur during events called fez noz (night feast) or fez deiz (day feast). The energy you feel during this dance is incredible.

3) The instruments played during these show are the third unique aspect of Brittany: A small diatonic accordion, a bombarde (very small kind of flute that makes sounds that can raise the dead), a biniou (a Breton bagpipe), and singers, of course. Going to a fez noz in Britanny will be the experience of a lifetime that you will surely never forget. You don’t have to dance, you can grab a beer and just observe the locals – you will feel as if you have traveled back in time.

4) The food is also very different: If you are a seafood lover this is the place to go. It has the best oysters and best lobsters in France. Brittany is not known for its wine, but great cider and an alcohol made with honey, called souchen, are available in plenty. And they are delicious.

Galettes, buckwheat crepes, stuffed with all kind of delicacies such as andouille sausage and apple together is fantastic. Regular crepes are just for dessert, and just as good. A real crêperie should always offer a lait ribot (a kind of sour drinkable yogurt) to go with galettes. Don’t leave without trying kouign aman, probably the worst enemy for anyone watching their weight! They are just too good to resist. Or you may want to try a far breton: a flan cake stuffed with pruneau. There is no wine but local beers abound, and are my second favorite, after the ones in Belgium and Ireland.

One of these ships may be catching your dinner tonight.

5) The architecture looks austère in this part of the country, and all the houses have a slate roof and most are made of granite. You will find beautiful churches and calvaires as well, but the most interesting are the monuments from the Neolithic age. Megoliths of tumulus, cromlech, standing stones (known as menhirs), and stone tumulus known as dolmens are a striking view, like mushrooms in a field. The south of Bretagne is particularly blessed with such magnificent ancient structures.

For a non-Breton, the most important subject is the weather. Of course, Brest, the most western city in France, can claim to be the rainiest place in the country, but the truth is that, in Bretagne, you’ll experience all kinds of weather in a single day. There is a saying here that goes: “En Bretagne il ne pleut que sur les cons” (in Brittany it rains only on the idiots). I have a saying on my own: “Authenticity is in Bretagne, superficiality is in Paris.”

Go to south Brittany with DuVine and you will not regret it. People are shy, but when the ice is broken they are amongst the nicest around. To prove my point, here is a little true story: One day of cafard, I decided to stop for a drink in a bar that I’d never seen before. I entered the bar anyway and ordered something, sitting down at the comptoir. The only other customers there were two men and a woman, who appeared to be musicians. We started to chat and they soon realized that I was a little depressed. Without questioning me, they started to play music for me and improvised a little concert. I was touched by their incredible generosity and will never forget that gesture. The Breton people gave without waiting to be asked or without asking anything in return!

DEGEMER MAT: Thank you very much
BREIZH DA VIKEN: Breton forever
KENAVO AVE SHALL: Goodbye and see you soon…on a bike tour in Brittany!

-Vincent

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta

January 2, 2012

Top 10 DuVine Adventures Blog Posts 2011

Filed under: Active Travel, Adventure Travel, Connemara, DuVine Apres Velo, European bike tours, Guest Posts, Guide posts, Ireland, Portugal, Puglia, Switzerland, Top 10 lists, Video Blog — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , — Bike tour guru @ 2:29 pm

From our Top 10 Bike Rides, Top 10 Wines and Top 10 Hotels for 2011, you can see just how incredible our year has DuVine Adventures Top 10 Listsbeen. And with our Top 10 Blog Posts, as voted for by our guests and followers, we can see what your favorite moments were as well.

Thanks to our awesome team both in the field and at our home base, our blogging in 2011 has covered every aspect of DuVine Adventures. From our new Pro Series bike tours to the DuVine Apres Velo series, from our guides’ pre-tour adventures to the blow by blow accounts of the tours themselves, we’ve covered it all. And it’s all here, on the DuVine Blog, for you to relive your favorite adventures or plan your next your next journey.  So without further ado, we present to you the Top 10 Blog Posts of 2011, in order:

1 – A Brief History of Bicycle Racing in Europe – At DuVine Adventures we spend much of our Summers with our guests on bike tours in Europe, several of those bike tours correspond with famous European bicycle races such as, the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia – where we run our specialty tours; The Pyrenees Bike Tour – Tour de France and The Giro d’Italia Bike Tour -

2 – Guest Blog: Erica Stokes, repeat DuViner – In August of 2010, I (Erica Stokes) was badly in need of a scenery change.  I had to get away.  Feeling the itch to get out of town, I Googled “life changing trips” and clicked away until a I found myself on the DuVine Adventures website a short while later.

3 – The Conde’ Nast Travel Specialists Summit – Earlier this month I attended the Conde’ Nast Travel Specialist Summit in Las Vegas (mentioned also in my How to Fly Home in a Blizzard post).

4 – Puglia Bike Tour – biking in a land of conquest – Italian tour manager Tom Coppock shares the history of Puglia and why it makes it such a great place to consider as a bicycle tour in Italy.

5 – The World’s Greatest Bicycle Tour Guides – Andy has just returned from our guide training in Italy and shares his thoughts in this quick video.

6 – The Best of Provence in 2011 – DuVine has done it again! In 2011, we’ve altered and improved our Bicycle Tour Provence Itinerary to make it the best trip we’ve ever offered in the region.

7 – Lugano – Switzerland’s Italian Gem – Many of our guests spend a few days before and after their bicycle tour in the area that a tour begins or ends.

8 – DuVine Ireland – Cycling the Connemara Coast – You’ll find no blarney here, but an accurate description of what awaits you when you join a DuVine bicycle trip in Ireland.

9 – Where in the Alentejo was Andy? – Cycling deep into the heart of  Portugal in typical Andy DuVine style!

10 – The European Wine Harvest 2011 – A hundred days ago, while western Europe was basking in some unusably warm April sunshine, vines from Burgundy to Bordeaux, Touraine to Tuscany and Alsace to Alentejo began to bloom.

Check out all of these posts for some great reading and ideas for your future bicycle tours and adventure travels.

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta

November 4, 2011

Guide Post: Building a Bike Tour of Brittany

Filed under: Bike, European bike tours, France, Guide posts, Tours — Tags: , , , , , — Bike tour guru @ 11:20 am

Lighthouses, sunsets, crêpes, and Caramel au Beurre Salé. Brittany is an excellent destination for a French bike tour for food lovers, those in search of beautiful scenery, and everyone in between.

Bretagne as it is known to the French, has its charm in the old world style with its villages filled by rows of stone houses surrounded by extremely well kept gardens.  There is color wherever you look: brightly painted shutters, soft green fields, hollyhock, hydrangeas, fishermens’ nets, well-kept boats and the sailors that navigate them. The mix between old villages and coastal harbors allows travelers to experience both the fields of the region and the views of the sea.

Bike Tour Brittany

Sunrise on the Water

The biking is pretty easy and the locals say the biggest challenge is the easterly wind, but as long as we have it at our back (and the trip is designed to allow just that) we’ll be smooth sailing. For anyone looking for a relaxing bike ride along beautiful coastlines, this is the place for you. When the breeze is just right, the crisp air soothes the senses and leaves you wanting to just cycle on and on.

We have visited many beautiful seaside towns full of fishing boats and ancient lighthouses, still a pride of the area even though they are seldom used for what they once were, lifesavers. At each one, we stop to enjoy the views and take in the smells of the sea.

Bike Tour Brittany

One of Many Stone Houses

The food is simple but delicious, with only local ingredients: catch of the day, crayfish, sardines, thin pancakes also known as crêpes, chocolates, salted caramel, baked & caramelized sugar cake, the list goes on and on.  It’s all so good. The mix of fresh seafood and tasty dessert treats leave us all watering at the mouth wishing our stomachs could handle twice the amount.

The first hotel we found to start the tour, Villa Tri Men, is a nautical themed comfort zone that is the perfect setting for some of the best sun rises you’ll ever witness.  The morning couldn’t be any more relaxing when sitting and looking out over the water where the boats all rest with their sails flowing in the soft wind. The gleaming sun’s rays bounce of the water and brighten the sky, leaving long shadows behind the autumn colored trees.

As we work our way southeast, down the Finistere coast we’ll be witnesses to the French wild coast that few foreigners know about.  It is the French’s best kept secret to date.  Tomorrow we will see Vannes and Belle Ile, and the next day will include Guerande (famous for their salt) and le Croisic. It looks like this weekend is going to be full of great treats.  We are really excited about this new bike tour in Brittany and it joins a long list of DuVine’s famous bike tours in France.

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta

October 31, 2011

DuVine Apres Velo – Paris

Filed under: 2011, Bike, DuVine Apres Velo, European bike tours, France, Guide posts — Tags: , , , , , , — Bike tour guru @ 1:40 pm

Our Apres Velo series is meant to give readers and active travelers insight into places they can visit before or after a bike tour with us. When traveling in France, the obvious place to check out is Paris. Paris is one of the most famous cities in the world, so instead of telling you to check out the Eiffel Tower, we are going to tell you about some less obvious, yet still amazing, places to visit.

Bike Tour France

Gorgeous View at Night

These locations are not obscure, but they may fall a little lower on the “to do” list than the Arc de Triomphe. That being said, we do think you should walk up the 1,665 steps of the Eiffel Tower. Paris is such an incredible city that you should give yourself plenty of time to explore everything that sounds interesting, not just the typical tourist spots.

Located on the river Seine, Paris is one of most beautiful and romantic cities in the world. The Jardin des Tuileries is a reason for that reputation. Created by the philanthropist family of the Medicis in the 16th century, is a grand garden that was meant to remind Catherine de Medici of her native Tuscany. You can grab a seat anywhere and enjoy the fresh air among the landscaping. There are several sculptures and two fountains spread throughout the grounds as well.

Bike Tour Paris

Side of the Pompidou

Everybody knows about the Louvre and Centre Pompidou, but another great museum to visit is Les Invalides. The most notable tomb in this museum is that of Napoleon Bonaparte. Though his ashes were not originally placed here, they were moved in 1840, with a red and green quartzite and granite tomb finished in 1861. Many of his family members and other military officers are also are buried here.

A little bit less beautiful and romantic than the gardens is the Catacombs of Paris. This underground ossuary holds the remains of about 6 million people. 6 million! Though the thought of walking through tunnels holding the remains of that many people from centuries before our time can seem a bit morbid, the sight of endless pile of bone is incredible. The almost artistic nature of the piles makes for a unique and exciting experience.

Bike Tour France

A view of the Jardin

Other than see sights, an important part of enjoying Paris is the walk from place to place. Traveling on foot is definitely the best way to experience the City of Light, and while you can cross the city in just a few hours, you shouldn’t. Stopping at cafes to enjoy the desserts, coffee, or whatever treat you desire is half the fun. Depending on the weather, having a relaxing afternoon chatting and people watching can be extremely fulfilling in Paris.

Spending a few days in Paris before a bike tour in France is a perfect way to start off an incredible trip. With so much to do in Paris, you won’t have troubling staying busy.

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta

October 24, 2011

Impressions – Prague to Vienna

Filed under: Austria, Bike, Czech Republic, European bike tours, Guide posts — Tags: , , , , , — Bike tour guru @ 2:34 pm
DuVine Guide Justin just finished up biking through the Czech Republic and Austria and took the time to share some of his favorite moments with us. From Prague to Vienna, here are his thoughts:
A little more than twenty years ago, an Austrian might have been thinking, “I wonder what color I should my paint my fence?” At the same time, a Czech living a few kilometers away might have been thinking, “If I try to scale the fence, the border guards will shoot me.” Great way to start a tour blog post, right? But this is just to illustrate how amazing it is today when one bikes across the nations’ boundary -no guard to speak of, no tension, no customs, no dogs or electric fences or anti-tank blockades. Just… freedom. Freedom to glide on two wheels to lunch in Austria, and bike back to the Czech Republic for an afternoon glass of wine. “The Iron Curtain? You just passed it; it’s plowed under that field of yellow-flowered colza. C’mon, I know a winery that makes a great Pinot.”
Bike Tour Czech Republic

A Sklepy, or Wine Cellar

The restructuring of the Czech Republic is far from complete – the cold, lead-handed communist leaders are now cold, lead-headed chiefs of private industries – but the change is far more than just the new coats of paint one sees everywhere. There is openness, and a celebration of their ingenuity and industriousness that has always been a part of the Czech people. It is worth comparing the new Czech Republic with the consistent Austria, a country as proud of its history as France. And the history is rich! You can discover them both on your next DuVine Adventure – Prague – Vienna!
I recently had a chance to ride much of this trip. There is so much to describe but I want to give just a few of my impressions and leave the rest for you to experience:
Bike Tour Czech Republic

The Ferry Crossing

Walking into the rooms of the 18th-century Zameck Liblice, our first hotel. Our host tells Lukas (our Czech guiding maestro) that the furniture is 18th and 19th century pieces. Museum quality. “Our guests just take care of it,” she says.
Biking 80% of the trip on bike lanes and bike paths, even into central Prague. I didn’t have to worry about cars for most of my day. The path takes us by Renaissance castles, 19th century whitewashed factories, restored zameks (chateaus), old farming towns with hops growing tall, tall, tall. At one point we cross the Vltava River by a small boat. We have to call the ferryman and he takes us across without a stroke: The boat is attached to a cable by a pulley, he turns the rudder one way and the boat is pushed across by the current. To return he pushes the rudder the other direction.
The best pilsners in the world are in Bohemia. Germany will have to deal with this fact. These beers taste even better when you are overlooking Prague from green, green Letná Hill.
Biking between the elaborate Neo-gothic summer palace of the Lichtensteins and the Baroque palace of the Lichtensteins with sylvan monuments and 500-year-old oaks in between. Then the bike path that was the old border patrol road. Such a contrast.
Bike Tour Czech Republic

View of the Wachau

Really good wines. Down in Moravia, in the wine village of Pavlov, I tried a Pinot that would charm many a Burgundian, and whites that speak both of quality and of locality.
In the wine village of Mikulov, at the Eat Art Gallery & Restaurant, Jitka has a guest Brazilian cook. He’s a young kid, he’ll be making Brazilian comfort food for the weekend in this great little space. This is the type of synergy that one finds only in big cities or in an artist town. I walk out at 11 pm, there are two couples tabled outside a bar, two people at another wine bar. Just these few under the watch of the gorgeous Mikulov Castle. They are laughing. The cobbled street is theirs.
The Wachau. Vineyards are terraced on the sides of the mountains, and we are biking next to the Danube. The sun is out. I pass a church founded during Charlemagne’s rule, take pictures of a massive vine. Lukas and I stop for a degustation comparing Rieslings and the local specialty, Grüner Veltliner. Again, I’ve been riding a bike path most of the day. The day is sanft, the German word for gentle, and ruhig, calm. Awesome.
There’s many other moments to describe in this Czech Republic and Austria bike tour, but the best way is to experience them yourself. This is a fantastic tour replete with great and gentle biking, hearty food; great, great drinks, and beautiful sites of which to dream. We can’t paint a prettier picture of these two great lands.
Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta

September 1, 2011

DuVine Apres Velo – Mendoza, Argentina

Filed under: Argentina, DuVine Apres Velo, Guide posts, South America — Tags: , , , , , , , — Bike tour guru @ 3:30 pm

The center of the Argentinean wine industry, Mendoza is a superb place to spend time before or after a bike tour in Argentina. Though the region is a very dry desert, the city and its surrounding regions have an immense irrigation system that allows for the extensive growth of grapes. Relaxing in Mendoza while tasting the regions finest wines one can never go wrong.

Bike Tour Mendoza Argentina

Parque San Martin Entrance

In addition to the irrigation supplying water for the wine industry, it also helps create a beautiful city. The greenery within the city provides much more scenic streets that are more wide-open and spacious than in other Argentinean cities.

One such example of the great greenery in the city is the Parque San Martin. The park is great both for biking and walking through on a nice day. Behind the zoo in the northwest corner of the park is a great viewing spot called the Cerro de la Gloria. The angle down on the city with the mountains in the background makes for a beautiful view.

Of course, the wine here cannot be ignored. Even though you will get plenty of opportunities to taste the wine during the bike tour, the more the merrier. Prepare in advance, as some wineries require reservations that must be booked ahead of time.

Bike Tour Mendoza Argentina

Beautiful Plaza Espana

Plaza Espana is the most beautiful square in the city of Mendoza. It is artistically decorated with cultural motifs that express a lot of the relationship the city has with Spain. The statue on top of the central wall puts it all together. Visit this plaza for a moment of cultural awe.

The mountain ranges are excellent for hiking and enjoying spectacular views of the surrounding region. Aconcagua, part of the Andes mountain range, is the highest peak in the Americas and is just a 70 mile ride from Mendoza. Hiking in the mountain range nearby will allow you to see the top, given nice weather. On that note, if you are interested in going there to see the top, check the weather before you leave.

Mendoza is a beautiful city with influences of Spanish culture spread throughout. The surrounding regions are diverse and interesting to explore. Before or after a bike tour in Argentina, Mendoza should be at the top of your list when looking at places to stay.

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta

July 8, 2011

Bike Tour in Portugal – The Wines of Alentejo

Filed under: European bike tours, Guide posts, Portugal, Wine Tasting — Tags: , , , , , , — Bike tour guru @ 11:39 am

Alex, one of our bike tour guides in Portugal, has provided us with some great information on the wine of the Alentejo region, and why you should be salivating over the tastes. If you’re interested in our bike tour in Portugal, Alex’s writing is sure to seal the deal, at least for your taste buds.

If wine is your thing, then you will not be disappointed, for the Alentejo is brimming with some of the best world class wine producing vineyards in Portugal. The red wines are massive, somewhere between new world and Rhône in style, powerful, full-on, intense fruit, but with soft round tannins and a long lingering finish. However, what really sets Alentejo wines aside from nearly all other producing countries is the abundance of local grape varieties that are totally unknown outside of Portugal, making virtually every bottle opened, an exploration of the senses.

Bike Tour Portugal

Streets of Arraiolos

Wine production began in Portugal during Roman times and has been a favorite beverage ever since; mostly known internationally only for its delicious Port wines, Portugal is in fact, the seventh largest producer of wine in the world and can still be found at very affordable prices all over the Alentejo region; in restaurants, it is possible to order excellent local house wines (vinho da casa) for $8.00 a bottle, or less!

Since joining the European Union in 1986, Portugal has been gradually improving the overall quality of its wine production having suffered somewhat under the central rule of the Salazar dictatorship and subsequent revolution in the mid-seventies.

But perhaps, of all the Portuguese producing areas, it is the Alentejo wines that have made the biggest leap in quality over recent years, having attracted investment from big names such as the Rothschilds from Bordeaux, as well as many prominent Portuguese investors. Nevertheless, these wines are still difficult to find in the US, overlooked for something more familiar, though perhaps, less adventurous, and I suspect this is more to do with lack of effective marketing, allied with quite unique grape varieties that are difficult for us English speakers to pronounce.

bike tour portugal

Barrels at Ramos

But, it is precisely this that makes the wines of Alentejo so interesting for me, and why we at DuVine are so keen to share them with you. Aside from their generally very inexpensive nature, one of their main attractions is that producers have, in the main, omitted to jump on the bandwagon of familiarity and have decided to stay faithful to their traditional local grape varieties, little, or never, seen in the Americas. So, if you’re tiring of Cab, Merlot and Malbec or are Sauvignon and Chardonnay’d out, it is possibly time to discover new tastes and flavors.

It is estimated that Portugal has over 300 different grape varieties, most of which, are unique to the country. In the Alentejo, red grape varieties include Trincadeira, Aragonés, Perequita, Alicante Bouschet, Grand-Noir and Touriga Nacional; Amongst the whites, Roupeiro, Rabo de Ovelha, Fernão Pires, Arinto, Perrum and Antão Vaz. Either blended or mono-varietal, these wines offer a whole new plethora of flavors and textures to explore at generally, very affordable prices; in fact, some of the very best can be purchased for under € 15 euro, and as little as € 3 euro a bottle at the wineries.

bike tour portugal

A vineyard view

During our trip to the Alentejo, we will have the opportunity to visit several local wineries and try countless numbers of bottles while dining in cozy little restaurants or enjoying a delightful open-air picnic, and we hope you’ll enjoy discovering these little gems as much as we enjoy showing them to you.

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta

July 5, 2011

How I got ready for the Tour de France

Filed under: Alpine Pro Series, Challenging Rides, European bike tours, France, Guide posts, Pro Series, Tour de France — Tags: , , , , , , , , — Bike tour guru @ 3:51 pm

DuVine guide Justin recently wrote this blog post in order to share his experiences on the types of mountains and passes ridden during the Tour de France.   He completed this cycling as part of his preparation for our upcoming Alps to Paris Bike Tour, a DuVine Adventures Pro Series bike tour that takes guests along the route during the ongoing Tour de France race.

Trying to keep up with the Andy’s…

Pro Series Bike Tour Pyrenees

Justin Climbing Col de l'Iseran

Schleck and Levine that is.  With the tour season well-underway, and the Tour de France season just starting, I took a break from biking and guiding to go, well, biking and guiding.  I just can’t seem or want to get away from my job!  A friend from Pittsburgh came in to hang out for a week and maybe do some casual climbs up the Alpe d’Huez, the Galibier, the Cormet de Roseland, and the Col de l’Iseran. How could I say no!?  So off to the Alps we went.  With the DuVine’s new Pro Series tours getting started, I knew I needed to get some miles in my legs to keep up.

The first day with my friend was a competitive jaunt up the 13 km of the Col de la Croix Fry, before settling in the French ski town of La Clusaz.  The second day saw us scaling the beautiful Cormet de Roseland and descending to Bourg St. Maurice.  On the third day, we went big and took on the Col de l’Iseran – the tallest pass in Europe at 2770 meters.  It was 80 degrees in Bourg St. Maurice, and 40s on the Col with snow all around.  We had twenty-five miles of climbing and an admittedly tasty and much-needed pizza in the middle of it.

Pro Series Bike Tour Pyrenees

Much Needed Nutrition

Day 4 was only up to 2056 meters on the Col de Lauteret, starting a short distance below.  La Meije rested above us as we wheeled our way up the gentle climb. With our eyes set on the peak, we kept pedaling away, our legs constantly in motion.

Even the next day, from Briancon to the Galibier, we didn’t stop.  The rain, the fog, the 41 degrees at the 2600+ peak… nothing managed to stop us.  Though I wish I could say that I had a healthy dinner of pasta and some cooked veggies, that cold had seeped into my bones.  Only fondue at the Vieux Guide could warm me up. It did exactly that, and it was delicious.

The lack of a more wholesome meal didn’t seem to affect my ascent of the Alpe d’Huez the next day.  My time wasn’t close to Marco Pantani’s 37 minute and 35 second record, but I was extremely happy to be riding those 21 curves. It’s getting me ready to lead DuVine clients up there for the Tour de France, so we can see what Andy Schleck can do against Alberto Contador.

We all share Justin’s excitement about the Tour de France and our Pro Series bikes tours. Riding up the climbs that the best cyclists in the world conquer year after year is a thrilling opportunity. Justin is training hard to be fit to get up those tough hills, and the Pro Series tours will surely challenge his fitness, how about coming along with Justin and seeing how well you can do!

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta
Older Posts »