Well, Sunday’s race didn’t exactly go as expected.

While we anticipated a bunch sprint at the end, there were a few wrenches thrown into the works:

• The peloton allowed a large gap to form between themselves and a small breakaway group, which the sprinters failed to close.
• Jonas Vingegaard, Giulio Cicchone and other contenders for the maglia rosa lobbied the commissars to abridge the GC competition (after the first lap around Milan’s city center) due to safety concerns.
• Multiple riders complained that the official motorbikes lingered too close to the peloton, hindering their ability to chase the breakaway down.

It all ended in an unexpected winner . . .

Stage 16: Bellinzona to Carì, Switzerland; 113 km; mountains; summit finish; 5 categorized climbs

I hope everyone rested well on Monday, as Tuesday’s race will be another war of attrition. While not terribly long, it does bring five categorized climbs, four of which come one after the other at the midpoint. Just afterward, the sprint points will be awarded (poor guys!) followed by the Red Bull bonus seconds. Then it’s onward and upward to the summit finish.

Wine Recommendation: Cave du Vieux Moulin Païen de Vétroz ($43; 13.2% abv)

Romain Papilloud is the third generation of his family to grow grapes (organically) in the Valais denomination of Switzerland. Païen (which translates to “pagan”) is the Swiss name for Savagnin but, unlike wines made from this grape in the Jura, it was not vinified oxidatively.

Tasting Notes and Pairing

Medium gold in color. On the nose there are pretty aromas of yellow peach, apple, and apricot; it’s also quite floral with almond, mountain herbs, and dried lemon peel. On the palate it’s nicely structured (fruit, acid, body) with flavors similar to the nose. The long finish has notes of white pepper, and citrus medley (lemon, lime, orange). Lovely wine!

I’d wager that it’s seen some post-fermentation skin contact: the intense gold color and the slightly grippy texture on the palate suggest so. But I found no reference to it on either the winery’s or importer’s website. Shrug.

I paired this wine with salmon filets roasted two ways: one with a honey-chili crisp glaze (for Gabe) and one with salt, pepper, oregano, and Tajín (for me). The Païen worked well with both: the former highlighting the peachy character of the wine, the latter bringing out the savory, herbal elements.

I love a wine that keeps me coming back for more, and this one enticed me at every sip. Tangy but not too tart; ripe but not too sweet; structured but not heavy. Great with food but doesn’t need it. Yeah, it’s my Goldilocks wine for summer.

Enjoy Stage 16 and the beauty of Switzerland. See you tomorrow for a preview of Stage 17!