The Tour de France, one of the most exciting sports events on the calendar, celebrates its 112^th anniversary this summer. My labor of love, aka Tour de France by the Glass, youthful in comparison, turns ten years old. Boy has time flown by!

I’ve been a cycling fan for decades, a wine lover for almost as long. Each July I’d watch the Tour, marveling at the beautiful wine regions the peloton would pedal through on every stage. “Someone should write about that,” I thought to myself.

So, one year I did.

Over the years I’ve enjoyed the connections made with fellow cycling fans and oenophiles, realizing that the folks who live in the overlap are super-creative, entertaining, and wonderfully opinionated. (I love you all!)

Writing the blog has expanded my horizons in ways I couldn’t have imagined back in 2016: I’ve put more effort into my formal wine education and have become more focused on my writing. Tour de France by the Glass has evolved into The Swirling Dervish, a place where I record my wine adventures, whether they’re on the road or in a classroom. Since its inception I’ve successfully completed six of seven units (including Spirits) of the WSET diploma (one exam to go!), won the 2020 Millesima Blog Award for Food and Wine Pairing, and had an article published as a finalist in the annual wine writing competition on JancisRobinson.com. Currently I’m preparing for my Bordeaux Masters exam through the Wine Scholar Guild.

If you had asked me in 2016 if I thought any of this would have been possible, I’d have laughed out loud. But that’s the funny thing: sometimes taking a small (scary) step in a new direction takes you somewhere you never imagined you could go.

Now Back to the Tour . . .

Here’s a recap of what happened on Stage 3:

Tuesday’s course is (still) flat and subject to headwinds and poor weather. Another region where not a lot of wine is produced, so I’m recommending a lovely Champagne as my Tour de France by the Glass suggestion.

Diebolt et Vallois Blanc de Blancs à Cramant ($60 retail)

Jacques Diebolt started out with just six hectares of vines, all planted to southeast-facing slopes below Cramant, meaning there was not a lot of wine to meet demand. Through the years, he was able to add parcels from Chouilly and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger (but quantities are still limited.) This wine is 100% Chardonnay from plots in Cuis, Chouilly, and Epernay. Grapes were hand-harvested, with primary and malolactic fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel, and a dosage of about 3g/l.

On the nose you’ll find ripe apple and pear aromas complemented by soft floral notes and biscuit dough. In the glass it’s just beautiful: pale gold with starlight sparkles; tiny perlage, soft mousse. On the palate it’s lively with tart orchard fruit, lemon peel, and chalk all softened by not-quite-sweet shortbread cookie.

My sister and I share a bottle of this glorious Champagne every Christmas Eve. After the family festivities have concluded, we go back to her house and sit beside the Christmas tree, toasting to the end of one adventure and the beginning of another.

Tonight, I’ll be toasting to ten years of Tour de France by the Glass. And to taking a chance on something new, especially when it’s hard and scary.

Enjoy Tuesday’s race; I’ll be back tomorrow with a recap, plus a preview for Wednesday!