48 hours along the Loue

Burgundy-Franche-Comté/2024

In the 1960s - which could easily be called, to parody the United States from 1920 to 1929, the "roaring sixties" - we glorified the car as much as the well-watered picnic. -we glorified the car as much as we did drunken picnics. All of which made excellent Frenchmen, road deaths were indecent, and when you passed through the Arbois region, you couldn't miss the large signs displayed by a leading local wine merchant proclaiming, with a drawing of a car about to swerve: "Les vins H..., plus on en boit, plus on va droit." (H wines: the more you drink of them, the straighter you go).

It was a different era. Nevertheless, for discerning tasters who know how to savor in moderation, the region's king grape varieties - Savagnin, for which vin jaune is made, Chardonnay, its ally for many appellation cuvées (arbois, arbois-pupillin, côtes-du-jura...), but also the magnificent and little-known red grape varieties, Trousseau and Poulsard - offer unique and, in some cases, extraordinary wines. For the particular terroir that gives white wine its oxidative character, which is not only due to ageing under sail as is the case for yellow wine, is also the home of a generation of great winemakers, in the tradition of Overnoy, Puffeney, Tissot, Ganevat or Clairet... If Arbois is famous for its wines, it is equally famous for the work of Pasteur, who settled here with his family at the age of 8, following his tanner father. Over time, he became a renowned researcher and professor, and set up his laboratory here, working in particular on fermentation (he owned his own vineyard), which led to pasteurization. Today, the house has been converted into a museum. Nearby, don't miss the Reculée d'Arbois nature reserve with its waterfall, and make a short detour to Pupillin, a charming wine-growing village with a number of fine cellars (Désiré Petit, La Fruitière Vinicole de Pupillin...). To make this stroll a delightful exploration of nature and food, we'll head to Arbois, for its lively, charming central square and good food shops. And we'll make the most of a fine day to reach the Loue, justly praised by fishermen, with its beautiful villages in succession. In Port-Lesney, you can frolic on the forest trail, visit the Edgar Faure belvedere to see the whole valley, and pay your respects to Notre-Dame de Lorette in her chapel. We'll continue upstream via Rennes-sur-Loue, where the Furieuse joins the Loue, Quingey and its beautiful views from the bridge, Chenecey-Buillon, where the river meanders southwards again, and Scey-Maisières with its superb scenery. Gustave Courbet, who was born in Ornans on the banks of the river, drew some of his most striking visions - notably the beautiful La Vallée de la Loue par temps d'orage. Don't miss a visit to the museum, with its permanent collection and temporary exhibitions.