“A walk in Armagnac”
A south western Dolce vita tale
“A walk in Armagnac”
The beauty of the Gers region
Let’s leave the Relais du Bastidou and head for the northwest direction. A stop in Lupiac, birthplace of Charles de Batz de Castelmore also known as D’Artagnan is a must-do, as there is a museum dedicated to the life of this famous musketeer. . Continue walking, and head for Eauze, Armagnac’s capital city, by taking roads from Margouet-Meymes, Espas or Aignan. All the beauty of the region can be seen in this French Tuscany-like area.
In Condom (this is not a translation mistake but the name of the city!), you can visit the “Floc de Gascogne” and Armagnac museums, which is by the way the oldest French brandy, and for some, the oldest in the world. Armagnac is a Brandy made with wine, aged in oak’s barrel, and whose colour is a beautiful goldish brown. We produce it partly in the Gers, but also in Lot et Garonne and in the Landes.
This designation can be complete with three PDO :
- Bas-Armagnac, is the name given to the Armagnac produced on the Gers’s western part, and on a part of the Landes.
- Armagnac Téranèze, is the name given to the Armagnac produced on the Gers’s northern part, and on a part of the Lot-et-Garonne
- Haut Armagnac, is the name given to the Armagnac produced on what is left in the PDO area, the Eastern and Southern parts of Gers.
Also, the Blanche d’Armagnac is a special title for a special Brandy. It is called like that because of its colour, perfectly transparent, thanks to the fact the Brandy did not age in a wooden barrel.
Breakfast time, want to grab something to eat? You can stop by “La falène bleue” in Lampax. This restaurant is labelled “Table du Gers”, so you should give them a call to book for a table.
In the afternoon, we follow the path leading to Nogaro. You should visit the famous racing circuit on which are organised motorbike, car, or even trucks international races. Then, if you want to walk a bit more, there is an interesting detour in Bétous, to have a look on the “Jardin remarquable”, a palm tree garden. Time to go back to the Relais du Bastidou? You can still see the Sabazan Castle, Aignan, Castelvanet, Saint Pierre d’Aubezies, Peyrusse-vieille, Gazax et Bacarisse or even Loustiges on your way back.