A trip that had nothing to do with wine and everything to do with with wine. The most authentic experiences. Getting outside and walking Mont Blanc what one of the best times I have had. A proper change of pace.

The big one, fixed ladders up to the Aiguilles Rouges Nature Reserve, ibex and marmots, a lake too pretty to swim in, and 360 degree views of Mont Blanc before dropping into Chamonix by cable car.

Crossing back into France at Col de Balme with the whole Mont Blanc Massif laid out ahead, glaciers, the Aiguilles and a magical night at a centuries old refuge with a proper wine list.

Choosing the hardest option again, the high route over Fenetre d'Arpette at 2665 metres, waterfalls and a steep rocky scramble near the top, then a lunch of baguette and pickles earned the hard way.

Meant to be the quietest and easiest stage of the whole tour, through postcard Swiss chalet villages and green pastures, before one last climb up to a swim in the lake at Champex.

A walk billed as extreme turned out to be the best kind of hard, straight up to Grand Col Ferret where one step takes you from Italy into Switzerland, then a slide down snowy slopes into the flower filled village of La Fouly.

A steep descent into Courmayeur past a deli that upsold at every turn, then the hardest climb of the trip up to Rifugio Bonatti for the best panoramic view yet and a well earned cold beer at the top.

Leaving France for Italy at the Col de la Seigne, 2516 metres up and worth every step, then sliding down snow on our bums past the Glacier du Miage before a chaotic night sharing a dorm with thirteen trail runners.

Rain, a very protective sheepdog and a snowy crossing of the Col du Bonhomme at 2329 metres, then a chilly welcome at a mountain refuge before a taxi down to Base Camp Lodge in Bourg Saint Maurice.

17km and over 1000m of climbing on the very first day, up past the Glacier de Bionnassay on the tougher Col de Tricot variant, a beer that nearly ended the walk before it began, and a hard lesson in reading the map.

Arriving in Les Houches with Mont Blanc and Aiguille du Midi right outside the window, a shop for spikes and poles in Chamonix, a stern warning from the mountain rescue office, and a first dinner that set the tone for the ten days ahead.

Four days through the Northern and Southern Rhone, steep slopes in Hermitage, family tastings in Crozes-Hermitage and Cornas, then a stone-built evening in Gigondas…

Four days through the Northern and Southern Rhone, steep slopes in Hermitage, family tastings in Crozes-Hermitage and Cornas, then a stone-built evening in Gigonda…

Four days through the Northern and Southern Rhone, steep slopes in Hermitage, family tastings in Crozes-Hermitage and Cornas, then a stone-built evening in Gigondas…

Four days through the Northern and Southern Rhone, steep slopes in Hermitage, family tastings in Crozes-Hermitage and Cornas, then a stone-built evening in Gigondas …

Beaune won my heart the moment we arrived on the train and walked to our hotel. The cobbled streets, buildings, baguettes, wine and French people were incredible. There is so much rich history here and many many wine caves ….

Being amongst the vines and touching the soil cemented my learning about how moisture is captured in the lower slope and why there is no need for irrigation and how this might dilute the concentration in the grapes. Not that irrigation is allowed in France anyway. Six days on a bike through Burgundy, and the trip that really taught me what terroir means when you can feel it under your feet and in your hands.