A medieval gem in a jewel-box of vines

St. Emilion is a town washed in ochre light reflected from the limestone and clay stones that erect the 9th century architecture of this monastic center. Irregular and angular cobblestones painfully jut into my feet as I hike up les tetres, a word that refers specifically to the steep streets that ascend to the monolithic church and belltower that overlook the town and its outer ramparts. Vitrine and rose-colored light stream in to the old church from the stained glass windows, and donated candles are lit as offerings at the alters of various patron saints. Although the stained glass is nowhere near as exquisite as Saint Chappelle’s, and the architecture is much less grand than Notre Dame, I think it may be more breathtaking than either famed église.

Exploring St. Emilion is like stepping into an archeological museum. Aside from the preserved monuments, all of the boutiques, cafes, wineries and hotels are built right into the remains of old catholic buildings and limestone caves. In fact, almost everything here has a religious undertone. Even the famous macaroon, which originated in St. Emilion, was created by a convent of nuns in 1620.

Of course St. Emilion is renowned for it’s Bordeaux wine, and I immediately recognize the familiar scent of sour grapes as we walk past a nearby vineyard. Sure enough, I see two men unloading grapes on to some sort of conveyor ladder. Harvest season is almost ending here, and it is an exciting time to watch the process unfold.

In town, the College of Wine has a small exhibit that explains the stages of winemaking and the ranking system of Grand Cru (and Grand Cru classé, etc.) wines. I also learn about what makes St. Emilion wines so unique. It is, “a reflection of the great depth and expressiveness Merlot can attain and, and it’s interaction with complementary grape varieties […] which add floral and spicy undertones.” My favorite part of this lesson in wine, however, was the small table they had set up with a game to test your knowledge of parfums. The objective was to guess a particular scent out of three given choices. They had scents such as miel (honey), fumé (smoked), rosé, licorice, poivre (pepper), beurre (butter) etc.

Watch out Walla Walla… I am now practically a sommelier ;)

#photo #stemilion #limestoneandclay #religion #église #europe #france #wine #bordeaux #macaroon