Festive Fall Fun in France

When the long sunny days of summer end, it’s time for festive fall fun in France! It’s a great season to visit, cooler days, but mostly warm and sunny, colourful vineyards, a feeling of renewed energy as everyone goes back to work and school after the holidays – plus festivals galore in every region. Here we share three of our favourite autumn events.

La Flamme de l’Armagnac, Gers

It’s party time in the Gers in late autumn thanks to Armagnac, the most ancient French eau-de-vie. It’s produced in the Gers department, AKA Gascony, and is at least 700 years old.

Armagnac is made in the heart of Gascony in three territories – each with different soils and terroir: Bas-Armagnac, Ténarèze and Haut-Armagnac. Together they form 16,000 hectares of vines. White, red and rosé wine are produced as well as Floc de Gascogne (a mix of Armagnac and grape juice, and a popular aperitif) and Pousse Rapière, an orange flavoured armagnac liqueur (mix with sparkling wine for a Gascon cocktail).

White wine is double distilled to create armagnac, and the process starts with the heating of the grape juice. Big companies and cooperatives have their own distilleries, but the small producers hire a still known as an alambic Armagnaçaise. The stills are mobile devices, made of copper and heated by wood. They have an air of steam punk to them, looking like a rather eccentric steam engine, and many are more than 100 years old. They’re towed around the countryside stopping off at the domains of the producers where they’re operated by experts who work their magic through the days and nights, sometimes for several weeks at a time. It’s a long and lonely process which relies on the operator keeping the temperature constant, monitoring the flow of wine and the heat of the boiler.

And since the French need little excuse to party, the Flamme de l’Armagnac (the flame of Armagnac, which refers to the furnace that roars in the still) runs from late October until February with exhibitions, cellar tours, open days, parades, farm markets and cultural events. A small number of cellars open up to the public to witness the distillation at an “Alambic Party” – the majority of which take place in November and December. Tickets sell out fast – the events are well known within France but hardly heard of outside of it. The lucky partygoers can expect music, dancing, seriously good food (this is a gastronomic region with a passion for the finer things in life), and a taste of the first eau de vie as it gently dribbles from the still, known as Blanche Armagnac –takes your breath away. Expect an exuberant atmosphere at an alambic party, and to make new friends in a short time whether you speak French or not.

Info: tourisme-gers.com

Take a tour of Gers and join an alambic party with French Country Adventures

Le Circuit des Remparts, Angouleme, Charente

Each September the streets of Angouleme, set on a lofty bluff above the winding River Charente, become the stage for classic car races on a twisty circuit around the medieval city centre.

The smell of high-octane petrol will fill your nostrils, the un-muffled sounds of veteran, vintage and classic racing cars will assail your ears, and you’ll strain your eyes to catch the national colours as the cars whizz past – blue for the French, red for the Italians, silver for the Germans and green for the Brits.

Iconic marques like Bugatti, Bentley, Riley and Maserati will be on parade.

First run in 1939, this magical event lapsed during the war years, returned in 1947 then dropped out of the calendar again in 1955 due to strict new safety regulations introduced by the motor sport’s international governing body. But in 1978, a group of enthusiasts brought the event back – with the great Argentinian racing driver Juan Manuel Fangio in attendance – and in 1983 the circuit was approved for classic cars.

Running beside the city walls and just under a mile in length, the spectacular circuit has two sweeping bends, two right-angle bends and three hairpins.

The event attracts hordes of competitors and huge crowds for a race that harks back to a heroic era of motor sports – expect a truly great ambiance and lots of fun.

Info: angouleme-tourisme.com

Hareng Roi – Herring Festival, Étaples, Pas-de-Calais

For one weekend every year a very special festival takes place along the Opal Coast in the north of France – the Hareng Roi, the King Herring! This humble fish, somewhat overlooked these days, was until the beginning of the 20th century the king of fish par excellence and so plentiful in the waters of the Atlantic and the English Chanel, that they were the staple diet of the poorest families. For centuries, herring was a way of life for the fishermen of the ports of northern France, as well as those who worked at preserving the fish. Many made fortunes from the trade – earning herring the name “King Fish.”

Each November in the port town of Étaples, where still revolves around the sea and fishing, herring is celebrated with a fabulous festival featuring local folk groups dressed in traditional costume, fishermen singing sea shanties, concerts, and a gourmet village with food stalls from around France offering culinary specialities from wines to cakes cooked on a spit and more. Over the course of the weekend some three tons of herring are consumed – barbecued, pickled and smoked, served with a good glass of white wine! Wrap up warm and enjoy a brilliant day out and a feast with a feel-good atmosphere.

Info: tourisme-etaples.com

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