Lyon and the Alps

As the noble Rhône courses down from Switzerland, flowing out of Lake Geneva and being nudged west and south by the flanking Jura Mountains and the Alps, it meanders through France at its bracing best. Here you can find the pretty towns and fruity purple wines of Beaujolais, the brawny, broad-shoulder cuisine of Lyon (and its nouvelle adaptations), the extraordinary beauty of the Alps, and friendly wine villages sitting high on the steep hills bordering the Rhône as it flows to the Mediterranean. It's time to relax and dig into the terroir, the earth. Strike up a flirtation with saucy Beaujolais, the region's pink-cheeked country lass-in-a-glass, blushing modestly next to Burgundy, its high-toned neighbor. The very names of Beaujolais's robust wines conjure up a wildflower bouquet: Fleurie, Chiroubles, Juliénas, St-Amour. Glinting purple against red-checked linens in a Lyonnais bouchontavern, they flatter every delight listed on the blackboard menu: a salty chew of sausage, a crunch of bacon, a fat boudin noir bursting from its casing, a tangle of country greens in a tangy mustard vinaigrette, or a taste of crackling roast chicken. More »