A great day of motoring in a quest for Beaujolais.
Teams found themselves Southbound and into Raymond Blanc's home territory as they negotiated sweeping bends and plunging gorges. A feast for the senses for both driver and navigator they traversed checkpoints designed for pure motoring enjoyment.
Their first port of call was the cellars of Champagne Cattier. Alexandre Cattier had granted permission for the teams to search for looted gold. His cellars had been used during the war as a refuge, the walls still bearing the soot from the candles that had been used...
Champagne Taittinger reverberates to the 'Runs exhausts once more!
It was a full grid at the startline in Reims this morning as crews anxiously awaited their release. Day one on the fun navigational challenge had come around and there were some strange sights...
Reims rocks to the 'Run!
It was a well deserved dinner, after a day of petrol fueled action. With helicopters, runways and a birthday greeting for a two Michelin starred chef it was time for crews to dine at their leisure in the 'City of Kings'...
It's Tunnel 'Tom' on The Beaujolais Run® - The Great Escape
On the 'Runs 'Great Escape,' it was tunnel 'Tom' to take them to France; as the three original tunnels were called Tom, Dick and Harry.
Eurotunnel once again took the strain, and crews relaxed while looking forward to joining The Beaujolais Run® partners Champagne Taittinger in Reims for the evening.
A Birthday surprise for Raymond Blanc OBE!
After a high spirited morning at RAF Benson, 'Runners found their next destination was the beautiful Belmond Le Manoir, in the Oxford countryside, for an important part of their 'Great Escape'...
RAF Benson hangar fun with a Chinook accompaniment!
RAF Benson became the focus for The Beaujolais Run® 2019 launch this morning. The station itself was celebrating it's 80th year and the 'Run had arrived to pay tribute in it's own inimitable way.
Having been home to the reconnaissance Spitfires, that had photographed the breached dams of 'Dambusters' fame, the thoughts of those present from the 2018 'Run turned to their amazing experiences on the 2018 event paying tribute to 617 squadron...
Royal Air Force Police escort for The Beaujolais Run® 2019
The 'Run was met at a secret location in the UK by it's guests and it's Royal Air Force police escort...
Crews assembled last night for the preview night of The Beaujolais Run® 2019 - 'The Great Escape'.
Sir Peter Michael's Donington Valley Hotel, was the scene for the opening drinks and canapé reception of the 2019 event. The usual eclectic mix, the 'Run is renown for was on display in the hotel's car park...
Toyota GB return, and it's a big 'Welcome' for Pittards to the 'Run!
'Runners across Europe are preparing themselves for the start of this years epic adventure. Converging on the UK are an eclectic mix of vehicles from the latest McLaren GT through to daily drives, off roaders and even a lightweight E-Type Jaguar.
This year sees 'Runners commemorating the 'Great Escape' of 75 years ago as they traverse France. Some of their routes taken, would have been used by 'downed' airmen in WW2 as they tried to make their way home...
The Beaujolais Run® 2019 - The Great Escape
2019 sees the anniversary of ‘The Great Escape’. So 2019 will be all about escaping as we pay tribute to those who managed to do so. Tunnels, neutral countries and modes of escape will all feature, with a special focus on ‘rotary wing aircraft’.
Will you make it onto the ‘Run, through mountains, underground and maybe even into the sky?‘RUNDEZVOUS™
'Rundezvous™ is a series of events and experiences where ‘Runners, meet old and new ‘Run friends, and benefit from the amazing links that The Beaujolais Run® has. These encompass celebrity chef dining, road trips, factory visits and meet ups at great motoring events.
The delights of Champagne
A lunchtime departure North saw happy crews heading for the delights of Champagne once more. Awaiting them Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger’s Chateau de la Marquetterie. A stunning building set on the Cote des Blancs, in the heart of Chardonnay grape country.
The ‘Runs black tie prize giving has become the stuff of legends. Relaxed, noisy Michelin standard dining in beautiful surroundings with every course accompanied by a different Champagne. Taittinger’s vintage Comes de Champagne opened up, the bang is always in the bottle with this beautiful vintage Champagne and not in excessive packaging. Folies de la Marquetterie, Prelude, Nocturne, Domaine Carneros and Rosé all took their turn to wow the ‘Runners as free pouring ensued. Some crews then ended the night with VIP access to Reims most vibrant nightclub before the sun rose.
Gold for Henry Fessy...
The ‘Run is delighted to announce that it’s a gold medal for Henry Fessy at the Trophée Lyon. From the hundreds of wines submitted the ’Runs Beaujolais Villages Nouveau came top.
The ‘Run received special dispensation to taste at 15:15hrs ahead of the midnight release. Red fruits, garnet red and the most accomplished vintage yet. With a special label from Toulouse-Lautrec...
Bringing back the Beaujolais
The 'Invincible' Toyota Hi-Lux headed deep into the vines of Beaujolais this morning to the winery of Henry Fessy. A Toyota forklift truck was awaiting to fully utilise it's 1.2 Tonne payload.
With the Beaujolais Nouveau safely on board, it headed north for blighty. The ‘Run was delighted to hear that Henry Fessy had won the gold medal at the Trophée Lyon. From the hundreds of wines submitted the ’Runs Beaujolais Villages Nouveau came top.
The ‘Run received special dispensation to taste at 15:15hrs on Wednesday ahead of the midnight release. The wine was showing red fruits, a deep garnet red and the most accomplished vintage yet. The Fessy wine is easily distinguished as it has a special label by Toulouse-Lautrec... Now the task to repatriate lays ahead post release.
Beaujolais Nouveau is a lot of fun...
After their showcase tasting yesterday afternoon, ‘Runners were left in no doubt as to the quality of 2018’s wines. The Beaujolais Nouveau is really a lot of fun, but also signposts the possibilities for the nearby Burgundy region. If the preview was anything to go by, this could be one of the greatest vintages yet despite the initial frosts in 2018 making it a small one. The ‘Runners joined the vigneron of the region for a cavalcade of wine and Folies Bergére style entertainment in the heady Autumn night. And just before midnight, led the procession of flaming torches for the release of the new vintage in the town square accompanied by fireworks and dancing until late in the night.
Taittinger's cellars roar...
The gates of Champagne Taittinger’s cellars roared to the sound of eager exhausts as the departure further South and navigational trial began. This year’s fancy dress theme of ‘Monty Python’ had been selected by Champagne Taittinger and meant two days of mayhem in the vines of Champagne, Burgundy and Beaujolais before the challenge to bring back France’s first harvest began.
It was Epernay bound the teams found themselves for their first waypoint of the day. They found themselves as guests of Champagne Gosset, with cellar master Odillon de Varine, himself a classic car collector waiting for them. Odillon showed them the historic ‘House ‘of Gosset and gave them a gift to enjoy at their leisure and their next waypoint to travel to...
Beaujolais Calling
A late morning start, led a return to the winery, for everyone to enjoy the stunning views in daylight before they picked their way through Southern Burgundy and deep into Beaujolais country. A cavalcade of old buildings, vineyards and castles led competitors to a hidden lunch stop underneath the granite hills that make the region famous. The Gamay grape is the only grape that will grow with any degree of success over this quartz, feldspar and mica mix.
The ‘Runs Beaujolais partner Henry Fessy had lain on a veritable banquet with its wines on offer to those in charge of the maps or sat nav. Lunch was followed by a visit to their caves amongst the vines to taste all the various wines form the cru villages in the region. Special legal dispensation had been granted for the ‘Runners to taste the Nouveau before midnight...
Luxury at Latour...
It was a night of luxury for the crews at the Chateau of Louis Fabrice Latour. Having been the first people to dine in the winery last year, the tables were turned and after an exclusive tasting of red and white Burgundies the crews were led to the private Chateau Corton Grancey.
Latour have been negotiants in Burgundy since 1797 and produce wines, and own vineyards in the most important parts of Burgundy. It was from these the evenings wines were selected for dining so that they were approachable, fun and could be enjoyed with and stimulate conversation...
A new twist on an old theme
On arrival in Reims crews made their way to Champagne Taittinger. A ‘Run partner for the last thirteen editions, once again they did the event proud. The only family owned Grand Marque house in Champagne, once again, allowed an exclusive and very special private visit. A reception ensued with Brut and Brut Rosé until the crews were ready to make their way to dinner.
Only the finest grapes are used to make Champagne Taittinger and with it’s Chardonnay bias, within the three permitted main grapes, it is rich and sophisticated...
From the Beauty of the Ardennes, to luxury of Champagne
After a late morning start, the cars headed deeper into the Ardennes for a lunch stop in beautiful surroundings. Their destination lay in a gorge, more akin to Switzerland, than the French Belgian border. With several wrecked Sherman tanks in the village, the town had clearly seen multiple actions in World War Two. In fact it had been taken and retaken by both sides at various points. Under the watchful eye of it’s castle, crews made their way through the medieval town streets...
Burgundy, but not as we know it...
After an enjoyable day’s motoring with some poignant vignettes The Beaujolais Run hit Bruges for only the second time in its’ history. The crews were in effervescent form after such a special day. All remarked that they “couldn’t believe” the access they’d been afforded and how special a day it had been paying tribute to the Dambusters; and the Royal Flying Corps on foreign soil, on Armistice Sunday.
The ‘Run had commandeered the Bourgogne Flandres Brewery for a private celebration on the banks of the canal late that evening. After a fun brewery tour, with refreshments, they sampled six different beers that had been food matched for them by Bruges culinary wizard Jan-Baptiste Deldycke. Partying continued late into the night in such special surroundings as the ‘Runners enjoyed all the brewery and Bruges had to offer...
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