![\"P1020269\"](\"http:\/\/macblaze.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/P1020269.jpg\")
\n<\/a>Espaliered roses.<\/em><\/p>\n
Les Caves Bailly\u00a0Lapierre<\/a>\u00a0are a massive old limestone quarry where they produce Cr\u00e9mant de Bourgougne, a renowned sparking wine. Huge underground caverns had been\u00a0carved out of the limestone rock over the centuries to build some of the biggest monuments and edifices in France including much of Paris. Because of its location, its natural moisture and its constant temperature of 12 \u00b0 C, in 1972 it was converted into a wine cave (pronounced cav<\/em> remember!). The fermentation process takes 16 to 18 months and the inverted bottles must be constantly turned as the sediment settles into the necks Then the necks are frozen, the sediment removed and the bottles corked.<\/p>\n The visit\u00a0here included a tasting, free wine glasses and a guided tour. Unfortunately it was all in French so Leslie was the only one quick enough to catch most of it. She translated as much as she could but I am sure we missed a lot. At some point, local artists had come and carved whimsical statues into the limestone. No idea why but they were pretty cool.<\/p>\n After we left the quarry we turned up hill and headed for what I was anticipating would be the pi\u00e8ce de r\u00e9sistance for the trip. My reading had turned up a small winery in the nearby town of St Bris that had some magnificent cellars. So up,up up the hill we went and at last emerged in vast fields of baby wine (vineyards) for as far as the eye could see. We had reached heaven.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\n<\/a>C in her happy place.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/a>
\nMachines for automatically turning the millions of bottles fermenting underground.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n