Thursday, July 9, 2015

Wine & Food of the Tour de France 2015: Stage 6: 3 Monts Beer & Brillat Savarin Cheese



Stage 6 191.5km
Abbeville / Le Havre  

From Michelin:
Near the sea, dynamic and commercial, Abbeville remembers its customs officer, Jacques Boucher de Perthes who found that the first people of Abbeville were unrivalled in their spear making skill and their Mammoth hunting. The historical achievements are varied. The town is proud of the prehistoric period named after it and remembers Dutch tradesmen, the Van Robais, who set up a textile factory there in the 18C, with the agreement of Colbert. 
Specialities: gateau battu picard (brioche-like cake), ficelle picard, Abbeville rhubarb, Ponthieu endive

Le Havre:  From the tourist website: Le Havre de Grâce was established in 1517 by King Francis I of France after the silting-up of the ports of the Seine estuary, Honfleur and Harfleur. In 1820 and 1852, the city was enlarged, first thanks to the pushing back of the ramparts and later, to their demolition. A war port during the 17th century, successful trading with the Isles during the 18th century and emigration to America during the 19th century; all this contributed to a high demography and a fast development of the city of Le Havre. The industrialisation beginning in the 1920's gives the first place to the city in Normandy thanks to its worldwide coffee and cotton market. In September 1944, 80% of the city centre was destroyed and the port was completely devastated... It has taken twenty years for Le Havre to find a new lease of life. The lower part of the town is now the largest post-war unitary reconstruction site, with a surface area of 150 hectares. The unusual architecture made of concrete, created by Auguste Perret, offering antique columns and screen walls of oriental inspiration, opens Le Havre up on the sea. The lights of Le Havre skies are highly prized by impressionists and give an impression of wide spaces to the viewer.
Specialities: Le Havre pudding
 
The stage:
Christian Prudhomme's comment: In the amazing scenery of the cliffs of Seine-Maritime area including those of Étretat, the stage will be breathtaking with over a 120 kilometres to cover along the sea and there will be many opportunities to shine. Each one of the teams could find an interest in attacking by exploiting the often windy roads of the Normandy coast line.
Our break of the day features Perrig Quéméneur, Kenneth Van Bilsen (Cofidis) and Daniel Teklehaimanot. Thirty kilometers in and their gap was at 12:30. That gap would drop steadily though. 
The coast line is lovely:


 

With sixty five kilometers to go, the gap was down to 2:45. Sprintermediate point and it was Degenkolb taking the maximum points from the peloton. And time for the first Voeckler attack of the Tour! 
 

 He would sit up fairly quickly though. Ahead, at the KOM point, Teklehaimanot would claim enough points to go into the polka dot jersey.


Seventeen kilometers to go and the gap to the break was around one minute. As the peloton came closer, Van Bilsen forged on alone. Just under six kilometers to go and he had fourteen seconds. Three kilometers to go and there was the catch. At the one kilometer to go point, a crash and Tony Martin was down. Grateful today for the three kilometer rule. Ahead a victory for Etixx by Zdeněk Štybar, but behind, the whole team was gathered with Tony Martin as he was struggling to get back on a bike. Looked like a possible collarbone injury.


Stage:


 GC:


Beer: 3 Monts
From Healthy Spirits 

From the producer:
Light golden beer (8.5 % alc./vol.)
A wonderful return to nature, with a flavour of yesteryear, this is a beer that is drawn from wooden barrels to fill so many mugs in our Flemish bars!
Brewed by infusion with strong and hearty Flemish hops, then fermented using top yeasts, 3 Monts is perfectly balanced between malt aroma, fruity flavours and bitterness. The head is generous, dense and long-lasting.
The best way to taste the 3 Monts beer is in a cool cellar (like the ones in our Flemish houses, which are between 8 and 12°C) !

 I say: Bottled with a cork. Golden. White head. Fruity and not too bitter. I like this one.

Food: Brillat Savarin cheese 

One of my long time favorites. 
Some details From Cheese.com:
Brillat-Savarin is a triple cream dessert cheese that was created by cheese-maker Henri Androuët in the 1930s. It is named after 19th century gastronome and epicure, Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin.
Classified as a triple cream cheese, Brillat-Savarin has a fat content of at least 75% achieved by adding rich, luscious cream to whole milk.

 A matured Brillat-Savarin has a typical white, bloomy rind with an interior paste that is buttery-white in colour. The texture is dense, moist, and slightly chalky with enough lusciousness and creaminess for a triple cream cheese. Flavours are of butter, salt and cream with hints of mushroom, nuts and truffles.
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