The Closest I Have Got To A Uval Resort Was Probably At Yunessun In Hakone - Blog Posts
Moissac: home to the world's best grapes (IMO)
Located on the river Tarn in southwestern France, Moissac is most famous for its grapes, specifically Chasselas. This green, sweet and thin-skinned grape is just marvellous, my personal favourite, and Chasselas de Moissac season is a sure sign that Autumn is nearly here.
When I saw that Moissac wasn't too far from where I was living at the time, of course I had to visit, and as the photos demonstrate, it was well worth the trip on a sunny, unseasonably warm early November day (I ate lunch on the terrace at the restaurant, that's insane for November!).
The heart of the town is its 11th-century Romanesque abbey. The monks there had a vineyard to tend to (what else?), and as the railways and tourism developed in the 19th century, Moissac envisioned becoming a "uval resort", in the same vein as thermal or seaside resorts, only with grapes as the centre theme. A full uval complex didn't come to fruition, but the local grapes began to be transported out of the region for the rest of France to appreciate. Cheers!
