A successful example of wine tourism. After two years of forced shutdown due to the health crisis, the ” Toque Vines », gourmet walks organized by the AOC Costières de Nîmes, are back for a 12th edition on 20, 21 and 22 May. The walks take place during the day, with a departure between Beaucaire and Bellegarde, at Château Mourgues du Grès, on the eastern slopes of the appellation. “Equipped with their cutlery and their tasting glass, walkers will be able to meet more than 40 winegrowers from the AOC Costières de Nîmes on a 7.3 km route”, explains the winegrower’s union. Some 3,000 places are available, with departures every quarter of an hour from 9:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., at 69 euros per seat.
The gastronomic tour is punctuated by 6 tasting stages offering 6 dishes imagined by Christophe Ducros, chef of the starred restaurant La Maison d’Uzès since 2016. Originally from Valence, he has evolved in several restaurants such as La Tour Rose in Lyon (1 Michelin star ), La Pomme de Pin in Courchevel and the Oasis in Mandelieu-La-Napoule (2 Michelin stars).
Meet the winegrowers
This 12th edition is sponsored by Daniel Picouly, French writer, TV host and comic book scriptwriter. He is the author of the autobiographical novel Les Larmes du vin. “His meeting with the AOC last January during the Festival of Biography, awakened in him the desire to rediscover the terroirs and the wines of the region, by going to meet the winegrowers”, relate the Costières de Nîmes.
The “Vignes Toquées” walks are also a late-night walk, organized on Friday 20 May. This three-kilometre route offers three stages in the vineyards with an ephemeral banquet served at the table to the guests. For the occasion, the menu consists of six dishes, prepared by the association Gard aux Chefs. Created in 2015 by five starred chefs, the association brings together more than 30 gastronomy players from the Gard. For the gourmet evening, the dishes are prepared by six chefs, in accordance with the wines of the Costières de Nîmes appellation (250 seats are available).
The AOC Costières de Nîmes extends over 3,800 hectares of vineyards between Nîmes and the Camargue, i.e. 73 estates and 11 cooperative cellars which produce 21 million bottles per year. In 2021, the AOC produced 158,000 hl in three colours: red (50%), rosé (43%) and white (7%).
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