French Wine Country

While we were in Aussois, we were near one of the lesser known wine regions of France - Savoie - so we decided to rent a car one day and go visit some wineries. The French country side was beautiful and we tasted some great wine! Thankfully, Jason and Carla (his postdoc advisor's wife) both speak some French, so they were able to communicate with the owners of the wineries (and translate for me). We had a great time touring and learning about the wineries. In contrast to Napa Valley wineries which are largely very commercialized operations, these were quaint, family run businesses. We were essentially visiting people's homes which seemed a little strange at first, but we were quickly put at ease by the friendly and welcoming people we met!

Jason and Carla with our gracious hostess at Domaine Jean-Pierre et Phillipe Grisard:

Wine cellar at Domaine Jean-Pierre et Phillipe Grisard:

Domaine l'Idylle:

Driving in a foreign country was quite an adventure, but surprisingly we didn't ever get more than a little turned around. The roads were pretty well marked and, for once, Google Maps didn't do too bad with directions!