Tour De PJ's Sat, Jul 01, 23 The Tour De France is underway and over the next three weeks the best cyclists in the world will weave through some of the best wine regions in the world. While the athletes won't have much time to drink wine, it doesn't mean the spectators can't! Here are some of PJ's best selections sure to capture the winner's yellow jacket after another day in the race. *Prices subject to change after publication* DAY 2: Northeast SpainGomez Cruzado Rioja Blanco Cosecha ($19) 111 Red Blend ($12) The Tour de France actually begins in Spain this year for the first three days. The finish line on Day 2 is just north of the Rioja and Navarra Wine Regions which provide the bulk of Spanish exports to PJ's and elsewhere. Gomez Cruzado makes many quality and affordable wines and their Blanco Cosecha is a great example with ripe fruit flavors and light acidity. The 111 blend from Manzano in Navarra has flavors of game, plum, and berry to finish dark and spicy. DAY 7: Bordeaux Les Hauts De Lagarde Blanc ($16), Rose ($18), and Rouge ($18) After two days of grinding through the Pyrenees Mountains, Week One concludes in the city of Bordeaux as the riders glide toward the banks of the Gironde Estuary. The finest blends on the planet will be waiting for them before the they turn their bicycles east toward various French national forests. The best Bordeaux are pricey, but consistently good wines under $20 are abundant in America. We have many at PJ's including three organic varietals from the chateaus of Les Hauts De Lagarde. Their white is a blend of Sauvignon and Semillon while their rose and red are 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Cabernet Franc. DAY 13: Burgundy Louis Jadot Beaujolais Villages ($14), Macon Villages ($17), Pinot Noir Bourgogne ($20), and Poully-Fuisse ($34) On the eve of Bastille Day the riders come close to the southern end of the Burgundy Region. Blends are shunned on this side of France in favor of single-grape wines. The riders certainly aren't feeling 100% at this point but PJ's carries Louis Jadot wines that are 100% Chardonnay, Gamay, or Pinot Noir. DAY 20: Alsace Trimbach Pinot Blanc ($20), Reisling ($28), and Pinot Noir Reserve ($34) The final grueling mountain stage concludes in Le Markstein in the Alsace region of France. If the athletes have anything left in their tank they can crawl through a region known for it's dry and sweet wine with less sugar than their German neighbors' wines to the east. Their sparkling wine is also an affordable alternative to the Champagne made to their west. DAY 21: ChampagneBeau Joie Brut ($80), and Brut Rose ($100) Whoever rolls into the heart of Paris first will surely get to drink some superb Champagne from the famous region east of the city of lights. In between the Veuve Clicquot and Dom Perignon at PJ's are some great values from Beau Joie that will surely be a winner. By Matt Hagerman
