The Lot river flows from east to west, starting in the Massif Central mountains and flows all the way to the Garonne river before it arrives in Bordeaux. Sophie is from the town of Luzech, which is one of many little villages situated along the river. The river and its tributaries eroded their way through the limestone plateau to create fantastic gorges, valleys, cliffs, caves and bluffs. This natural geography creates a beautiful background.
Add to this, a visible history going back to the Stone Age (some of the oldest known cave paintings are from this region), Gaul and Roman ruins, medieval cities and castles, renaissance, industrialization and more.
Finally, add vineyards and orchards, village markets and fairs, impossibly narrow streets and winding roads arriving at thrilling vistas bucolic fields and quaint villages. The result is a rich tapestry with something new to discover around every corner.
The capital of the Lot region is Cahors, which is also the name of the wine produced in this area. There is a long history of winemaking here, dating back to the Roman era. The vineyards are primarily found on the terraces and hillsides surrounding the river, where the soil composition and climate are favorable for growing the Malbec grape, which is the primary grape variety used in Cahors wines. In fact, this is the origin of the Malbec grape varietal – which produces a strong, structured wine that ages well and goes particularly well with the region’s famous duck foie gras.
The Lot is known for its gastronomy, taking advantage of the hundreds of small farmers who sell their produce via the weekly village markets or directly from their farms. They are particularly known for their duck, wild mushrooms, truffles, plums, peaches, apricots, walnuts and creamy goat cheese called cabecou. The duck here is very special, if not controversial. They are force fed corn so their livers grow very large and fatty. This liver is used to make foie gras, which is the most delicious pâté in the world if not the most expensive. Nearly every part of the duck is used for different specialty dishes, from the large, rich breast to the fatty meat on the bones, to the duck fat itself which makes sautéed potatoes or green beans taste out of this world. I am extremely lucky because my in-laws love to garden and cook. Sophie’s dad is a master gardener who tends his garden from sun up to sundown every day. Sophie’s mom has a passion for cooking, and gathers the best ingredients from the garden and markets. Every day is a culinary treat.
I could go on forever about all the charms and hidden gems around the Lot. Every village, road and trail has something interesting to discover. I’ll share more about some of my favorite villages, bike rides and experiences in future posts.
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