Often during my travels I am absorbed into some episode that does not directly involve wine. I love to share these tangential interludes as they usually follow the same philosophical lens of the Highly Explorable experience – that the world is meant to be enjoyed and discovered! Simple experiences can often mean the most on a faraway trip – they reach out and swarm the heart. And well, these episodes are also usually at least adjacent to a significant wine region, and maybe I find myself on some excursion in between winery visits.

Such it is with a recent quick little road trip through the sublime Vosges mountains of eastern France! They may not directly produce wine in the Vosges, so they covet and cradle the wines of nearby Alsace, and eastern France overall – your noble riesling, pinot gris, muscat, gewurtztraminer, as well as perhaps a pinot blanc, auxerrois, and some pinot noir. So with every meal, you’re savoring the spirit and the heart of the land. And well, it’s only a short hop over le Route des Crêtes and down into Alsace itself!

Politically, Vosges is one of four departments occupying the eastern French region of Lorraine. For tourism, like the Jura the Vosges region is little known to North Americans in favor of more classic French destinations. But the Vosges should definitely be on your list!

Geographically, the Vosges mountain range runs north south near Strasbourg and the border with Germany, one that also marks a noticeable climatic shift and provides shelter for the vineyards of Alsace.

Romantically though – and obviously this is the part we care about at Highly Explorable – the Vosges is an idyllic, gentle bed of rolling green hills that will welcome you into a relaxing and scenic experience. Little villages are tucked into the landscape, with shops containing all the local products; there are auberges, restaurants and farmhouses sprinkled around everywhere.

Ok, so we didn’t see all of Vosges. In fact, we passed through most of it on the highway on our way to La Bresse, and a night at Bol d’Air, a family style retreat and nature inspired themed adventure park. So we focused on La Bresse, some aimless driving through foggy woods, and le Route des Crêtes, a scenic ridgeline drive that meanders and crests at various points, providing countless postcard perfect views.

First stop at Lac Gerardmer, a very refreshing mountain lake offering delightful aquatic and picnic opportunities. Windsurfers catch the breeze as a thick bed of pine trees races behind their sharp silhouettes. Families picnicing about and splashing in inflatable kayaks. The tourist trolleys that I would never be caught dead in, seen in every town from Strasbourg to Colmar, roll around even here. You can’t help but just say, “Awwww…”

We had intended to swim, somewhere, on this trip. On a previous trip to Jura recently, I found myself swimming in my boxers during an unexpected opportunity in a mountain stream, so this time I brought my suit just in case! The “beach” mainly consisted of lemon sized rocks which had been conveniently rounded and softened by millions of years of evolution (Thank you evolution!). So at least the gradual approach wouldn’t be too painful. On my own, I might not even bother, but when you’re with a lovely and spirited French girl, you better bet you’re diving in! Changing in the car, another mirabelle (the little plum style fruit available only in eastern France) fruit here and there, my feet chilled on a packed gravel parking lot. We take a big swig out of the Pinot gris bottle we had left over from last night, because why the hell not?

Summer ends here in mid to late August, which is as much a psychological shift as the French return from summer holidays for more sober responsibilities ahead, as it is a cooling of the days rays. The lake is cool but not unthinkably frigid as you might expect. I purposefully stride in and dive in – submerged in the Vosges. Gloriously refreshing! Fortunately, back in the car there is a basket of mirabelle waiting. I promise Chloé that the mirabelle will be waiting in the car for our return.

The accommodations at Bol d’Air are whimsical and wondrous – wooden cabins and gingerbread style treehouses tucked amid spruce and pine trees, a setting that will tempt any dreamer back to their childhood world of fairy tales. The cabins seem woven into the surrounding forest – entirely made of natural wood, exposed beams, trees growing through the cabins, bunkbeds made of uneven planks of natural wood.

The adventure park is a another fantasyland of thrills for all ages – a seated slalom zipline, a first person, point-of-view harnessed flying zipline descent thing (I have to describe it some way, they just call it “Le Fantasticable!”) bungee jumps and catapults, paragliding, and an elevated obstacle course.

Politically, Vosges is one of four departments occupying the eastern French region of Lorraine. For tourism, like the Jura the Vosges region is little known to North Americans in favor of more classic French destinations. But the Vosges should definitely be on your list!

Geographically, the Vosges mountain range runs north south near Strasbourg and the border with Germany, one that also marks a noticeable climatic shift and provides shelter for the vineyards of Alsace.

Romantically though – and obviously this is the part we care about at Highly Explorable – the Vosges is an idyllic, gentle bed of rolling green hills that will welcome you into a relaxing and scenic experience. Little villages are tucked into the landscape, with shops containing all the local products; there are auberges, restaurants and farmhouses sprinkled around everywhere.

Ok, so we didn’t see all of Vosges. In fact, we passed through most of it on the highway on our way to La Bresse, and a night at Bol d’Air, a family style retreat and nature inspired themed adventure park. So we focused on La Bresse, some aimless driving through foggy woods, and le Route des Crêtes, a scenic ridgeline drive that meanders and crests at various points, providing countless postcard perfect views.

There are numerous restaurants around La Bresse, many are part of a guesthouse or farm. All proudly offer the traditional, hearty and local cuisine – a perfectly harmonious combination for the ambience of the region. Typical dishes are rich in cured meats, local cheeses, potatoes, and river fish such as trout. Here are a few examples from the menu at Auberge du Pont Jean d’Zoure (discussed further below)

• “Pommes de terre cuites à l’etouffée, gratinées au Munster, accopagnées d’echine de porc fumé et d’une salade verte” – Potatoes stewed in munster, served with smoked pork echin and a green salad
• “Tartiflette au munster et/ou reblochon” – A baked dish of potatoes, cheese often Munster and/or Reblochon, lard, and onions.
• “Souris d’Agneau au thym et ses légumes” – Lamb shank with thyme and vegatables.
• “Rognons de veau, flambés à la crème, champignons de Paris, graines de moutarde à l’ancienne, riz pilaf.” – Veal kidneys, flambéed with cream, Paris mushrooms, mustard seeds, rice pilaf.
• “Truite Meuniere, du Vivier, poêlée au beurre.” – Trout Meuniere from Vivier, pan-fried in butter
• “Fondue au fromage (Comté, Beaufort, Emmental, dans du vin blanc), assiette de charcuterie.” – Cheese fondue with these regional cheeses and white wine, plate of cured meats.

Chloé and I had been discussing cheese fondue for days. While not strictly a local Vosges dish, cheese fondue is more closely associated to French, Swiss, and Italian alpine regions. However this is not to stop you from welcoming a classic fondue into your Vosgian experience! We decided we must have it, and it was only a matter of deciding when and where. There is at least one good restaurant for that back in Strasbourg. But here we were in the mountains, and it became the theme of our evening.

I remember cheese fondue from traveling around the Alpine region of France with my family years ago. There is simply nothing like this cozy and soul soothing dining experience. The match of enjoying fondue within a cool mountain ambience cannot be overstated! It can be made from several different cheese combinations, beyond the typical Gruyere/Swiss which somehow became a popular default outside of Europe. In this case it would be Comté (from Jura), Beaufort, and Emmental. Sounds good to me!

We settled on Auberge du Pont Jean d’Zoure mainly because it offered a traditional cheese fondue. The restaurant was just up the road from Bol d’Air. We set out in the cool evening air for a short drie up the road from Bol d’Air. The night black except for the occasional dwelling off the road. Entering the restaurant we were greeted by a crackling fire, and the scent of fresh burning wood the first breath you take. The ceilings were low, the atmosphere simply oozing charm and comfort.

This turned out to be one of my happiest evenings in many, many years. To be with my beautiful French companion (and handy guide), enjoying the delicacies of this gorgeous region, filled me with love and warmth. During dinner I felt the need to somehow capture it all, preserve this moment, to somehow experience it again and again. Impossible, noted. I celebrate and savor this experience by writing about it to you my readers!

Now, I would have reflexively paired cheese fondue with a full bodied white – perhaps a pinot gris or muscat would go very well with bread and melted cheese. However, I’m in their territory and I happily took the owners recommendation of a bottle of Bila-Haut, Côtes du Roussillon Villages, from Chapoutier. Mental calculations were swirling as I heard “Languedoc” and “Chapoutier” in the same sentence. Or, did I? (still working on my French). But then I quickly realized that Chapoutier is of course a large producer, with many vineyard holdings scattered all over France. Bila-Haut is a full bodied blend of Syrah, Grenache, and Carignan. At 2016, the wine was relatively young with some mild tannin, but this mellowed after a little time, and cut through the fatty cheese perfectly. A wonderful evening indeed!

“The Picnic” to Define all Further Picnics

Leaving La Bresse, our goal was to have a lovely picnic somewhere, then enjoy a scenic drive as we made our way over the mountain ridge to Ammerschwihr. The day would continue to unfold by chance into a classic tableau of multiple cheeses, saucisson, cornichons and wine, set upon a scene of rolling hills and valleys, lakes and forest. (As I like to say, “If you go to France only for the cheese, you would be correct.”) In the Vosges, prepare to have your soul smothered in relaxed charm, and to decompress in a vacuum devoid of stress. Now is that melodramatic or what?

And in a sense, picnics and driving around is just what you do here. There is an abundance of outdoor recreation in the Vosges area, but you may be pleasantly surprised to simply meander down one forest road or another. Your very goal just might be to enjoy the suspense of not knowing what is around the next corner Make sure you have plenty of fuel in your car of course. Consider it crazy with a very small “c.” You’ll get home just fine I promise.

We stopped at a little shop just a few steps from the Bol d’Air resort to pick up a bounty of goodies. They had numerous cheeses to choose from. Your first decisions might be, cow milk or goat milk? I know, life is hard. Intense flavor or mild flavor? You are not dreaming, this is French cheese. Creamy or firm? Cry me a river. But don’t stress it, anything you select will be unlike any cheese you have ever tasted. This little shop also had a variety of saucisson meats, eau-de-vie (a high alcohol liqueur infused with a different fruits), botanical liqueurs, white wines, and beers. The only thing they didn’t have is bread, so you need to find a proper bakery for this.

Driving along Route des Cretes, Chloé and I found a little turn off with a perfect view of a valley and other hilltops. We were so infatuated with our little picnic scene, we decided this was indeed an Instagrammable moment. How nerdy can you be?

On a piece of baguette with a mirabelle and a bite of cheese, well, now you’re really living folks. And the carnage left over from all this French picnickey goodness…

Eventually we carried on down the windy roads out of the mountains and into the foothills and vineyards of Alsace. Next destination Ammerschwihr, and the relative bustle of Colmar. Next post will be a description and guide to a day or two of tasting in the fabled wine villages around Colmar. All in all, a lovely two days spent in Vosges! You must go!