Discover our Wine and Food Tours in Bretagne
“Wine is proof that God loves us and wants to make us happy”
Benjamin Franklin
Between sky and sea, bordered by 3,500 kilometers of coastline, Brittany’s five departments (Loire-Atlantique, Morbihan, Finistère, Côtes d’Armor and Ille et Vilaine) offer us a real culinary journey. After an iodized stroll on its beaches bathed in spray, the traveler sets out to discover other flavors. When it comes to gastronomy, Brittany has nothing to envy to other French regions. Let’s give us a little overview of its specialties!
The sub-regions of the TERROIR of BRETAGNE
The Nantes region
Let’s start the ascent of the Loire by its most western part, in a maritime climate, with the Nantes region. With a very particular soil with already saline characteristics (Guérande salt is not far away!), the Nantes region has seen a strong development of its vineyards since the 17th century, when the Dutch came in large numbers to source French wine. From a grape variety that originated in Burgundy (the Melon de Bourgogne), a mineral wine based on laser-beam acidity and lemon was born: Muscadet. Also, this Muscadet is available in “sur Lie” version, where the winegrower deliberately chooses to leave the yeast deposits in the barrels with the juice during maturation. This choice gives way to a slightly rounder wine, with aromas of bread, toast and slightly vanilla. But the Dutch also wanted eaux-de-vie, which were highly appreciated for their durability and long life once they arrived in Holland. We have therefore innovated in the Nantes region with Gros Plant, a grape variety otherwise known as Folle Blanche, in order to meet the growing needs of the Nordic countries. A great wine region we get to visit on our 7-day tour!
Did you know? It takes 8 times more vines to make a bottle of eau-de-vie than to make a bottle of still wine!
OUR CULINARY SPECIALITIES
Galettes and crêpes
You can’t talk about Brittany without thinking of its galettes (salty pancakes) and crêpes (sweet pancakes). Whether you eat them sweet or savory, they delight the taste buds of young and old alike. The galette is thick, consistent and made from buckwheat, salt and water. The crepe is thin, dry, crispy and made from wheat flour with milk and eggs. The galette is a savory dish while the crêpe is eaten sweet.
Local drinks
Brittany is not a wine region in the same way as Bordeaux for example, but it produces excellent Muscadets and has obtained an AOC for its Cornouaille ciders. You can taste ciders, beers, brandies, chouchen, as well as pommeau, whiskey, and liqueurs. In the past, cider was a common drink which today has acquired its letters of nobility. It is certainly eaten as an accompaniment to galettes and crêpes, but also as an aperitif.
FISH and SHELLFISH, our crown jewels
Fishing for mussels…
With its 2800 kilometers of coastline, Brittany is one of the most prodigious marine breeding grounds in Europe where shellfish and crustaceans hold a special place. You can taste scallops, pink clams. Oyster farming and mussel farming are also part of the heritage of this region. The breeding of oysters and mussels has also been enriched by the breeding of gray clams. We can therefore be tempted by a magnificent seafood platter with oysters, first, flat or hollow. Clams of course, from a park or picked up on the Gulf of Morbihan, but also clams, gray or slightly black winkles. How not to salivate in front of a spider or a cake, landed in Paimpol or Guilvinec?
Fish, an invaluable resource
Brittany is the leading French fishing region. Of the 40 French ports equipped with a fish market, 17 are in Brittany. They provide almost half of the national fishing production, including almost all of certain species. Fishmongers and market stalls can therefore offer all that the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea have in resources. Among the many noble species, the most popular are monkfish or monkfish, sole and red mullet. You can also find skate, hake or cod there. We cannot talk about fishing without mentioning sardine fishing, a great Breton tradition that still survives today.
BRITTANY’S POWERFUL AGRICULTURE
Varied vegetable crops
Erdeven onions growing in the sandy earth, rows of potatoes, cauliflower. Brittany is a vegetable region, that goes without saying. The old Armorican massif has become an immense garden set on the ocean, where the lightness of the earth, favored by a mild climate, makes it possible to produce quantities of fresh vegetables, the range of which impresses visitors to its markets: artichoke camus, cauliflower, onions from Roscoff, Erdeven or Langueux-Yffiniac, leeks, lettuces, carrots from Nantes and Santec, endives from Kerlouan, asparagus, tomatoes, peas, green and white beans including the famous coco de Paimpol. And of course, the potato whose premiums are snapped up in the spring.
CONTACT FOR WINE FOOD HISTORY TOURS BRETAGNE
Wine Geometry Tours
6 avenue Jean-Marie Becel
56000 VANNES
+33 7 63 78 39 24
contact@winegeometrytours.com