Being a first generation Croatian-American, with strong familial ties to the mother/fatherland, I was distraught to say the least when Croatia lost to France in the World Cup. Months later, I am still recovering from a couple of very questionable referee calls that MAY have played a part in the final result. The loss was so emotionally draining that I needed a vacation get-away to recharge my batteries.

Where did I go you ask? Well, France… WHY would my family and I visit the very country whose national soccer team just beat the team I was vociferously rooting for? What can I say? I booked the trip 4 months prior to the World Cup. After that final whistle sounded and the pain in my heart settled in, I immediately wished I could go back in time and “unbook” my family’s trip to France. However, I could not and boy am I glad I did not! It was like lessening the pain of a hangover by continuing to drink (I called it, the “hair of the dog” method

So, where in France did we go? Paris? No. Cannes? No. Monaco (OK not technically part of France)? No. My family and I went to Rochefort, France and used our stay there as a jumping off point for other amazing locations in the south west part of France (such as Bordeaux, Cognac, La Rochelle to name a few). To keep this write-up to a manageable length, I’ve decided not to focus on Rochefort’s more famous neighbors, but on the often overlooked town of Rochefort itself.

So where exactly is Rochefort and why should you care? To help answer those questions, let me tell you a little about its history. Rochefort is an 18th century town built by Jean-Baptiste Colbert as a place to supply and defend the French navy; this was in part due to the fact that nearby La Rochelle – with its Protestant background and at the time, close links to England – could hardly be trusted with such an important role.

Overshadowed by seaside neighbours La Rochelle to the north and Royan to the south, Rochefort is often neglected by visitors to the French Atlantic coastline. This is a shame as this historic naval stronghold on the River Charente is a lovely town. In fact, Rochefort has been named one of France’s Top 10 stylish towns by the Lonely Planet guide. However, I am not here to give you a history lesson. After all, this is (mostly) a beer blog. That said, let me tell you a bit about what I ate and drank while on my French excursion with my family.

My favorite appetizer during my trip to Rochefort was Fried Smelt Fish. Although not unique to this part of France or this part of the world for that matter, these tiny little fish certainly made my trip even more enjoyable. Growing up Croatian, fried smelt fish (gauni or gavuni in Croatian), was part of my normal Mediterranean diet.

The fish are eaten whole—including skin, head and tail—and the flesh is delicate and mild-tasting, as well as a bit oily. The most common preparation is to fry them, either in a batter or simply with a dusting of flour. Smelt are mostly sold frozen because of how perishable they are, but if you are lucky enough to find yourself with fresh ones, you have the makings of a fantastic fried feast. As a bonus, they’re also high in omega-3 fatty acids. I like to think of them as a healthier version of French fries

I enjoyed my fried smelt so much, I could have made that my main course….and dessert for that matter. However, my favorite main course during my family’s 12-day adventure was something more unique to this part of France: Mussells. Even more so unique to the Rochefort area is the cooking method used in the preparation; namely, setting them on fire in a pit covered with pine needles from local pine trees. It was not cooked in a salty broth or a red sauce of any kind. Nor was there butter to be seen for miles of the restaurant table.

All we had was a few hundred mussels with charbroiled shells that broke apart with a snap of your fingers. Once you removed the shell, you were left with a smokie, yet still moist, fresh and tender – but NOT chewie – mussel that tasted of the salt from the sea water where the mussels were farmed by the owners of the seaside restaurant to whom I am eternally grateful for the introduction to this amazing and otherworldly delicacy. Bon Apetit!!!

So what did I drink to wash down all of my salty delicacies? Most would assume a fine wine from Bordeaux – given the wine region’s proximity to Rochefort and given France’s overall penchant for fine wines. However, I had a great local beer: La 17 Bière Blonde. I would not be doing this fabulous beer any justice if I just called it a refreshing lager brewed locally in La Rochelle, France. That said, let me tell you a bit more. La 17 was born from the dreams of Charles Girardeau and his wife Aurélie. This beer contains only natural ingredients grown on 15 hectares of land surrounded by woods.

It takes six weeks to brew a batch of La 17. However, once brewed, it continues to work in bottle just like a fine Champagne. It improves for several months. Once ready to enjoy, each bottle will surprise with subtlety and diversity of flavors.

This unfiltered and unpasteurized brew – bottled in the Champagne method – is certified organic and easy to drink. With a 5.5% abv, having a second may be desirable – just remember to always drink responsibly. Cheers!!!

Thank you for reading all the way through my family’s journey around the south west of France. Remember: The next time your favorite sports team loses the championship, pay a visit to the winning team’s city or country. You just may have a great time……or maybe not

Cheers and happy travels!
Viduch