Praise for LCA Toptour in Alsace

Just wanted to follow up on the letter “Alsatian Wine Route with LCA Toptour” (June ’14, pg. 12) in which Stephen O. Addison, Jr., wrote about his excellent experience with LCA Toptour (8 Place de la Gare, 68000, Colmar, France; phone 03 89 41 90 88).

My husband, Malcolm, and I had a very similar experience with this company in March 2014. We found their brochure when we visited the tourist office in Colmar, France, and we had the young lady book a tour of the Route des Vins d’Alsace for that same afternoon for €64 (near $87) per person.

Our tour was slightly different than Mr. Addison’s. We took Circuit No. 2, which included a stop at the spectacular castle of Haut-Koenigsbourg and the towns of Ribeauvillé and Riquewihr. We, too, enjoyed being let off to wander for a while at each stop, including a stroll along a hilltop road where we enjoyed the early spring blossoms and distant views.

The wine tasting was conducted with great expertise. Jean-Claude is, indeed, an experienced and interesting guide, and he wonderfully conveyed his love and knowledge of his native Alsace. 

A friend told us of a 3-star Michelin restaurant in the area where we might find a lunch for €100 ($136) per person, plus wine, but we decided not to search it out. Instead, we had two wonderful dinners at a tiny restaurant in the Petite Venise area of Colmar called La Fleur de Sel (9 quai de la Poissonnerie, Colmar, France; phone 3 89 41 09 32). 

It is a brand-new enterprise, run by Veronique and Alexia, two charming young women. The food is a variation on local dishes, cooked with finesse and simplicity, relying on flavor and fresh ingredients rather than self-importance. Dinner cost about €70 ($95) for two, including wine!

We followed the advice of Rick Steves and stayed in small, scenic Colmar rather than in Strasbourg, which we visited on a day trip. We found Strasbourg to be very touristy and, for us, too much of a big city for real enjoyment.

We traveled by train from Zürich, Switzerland, with an enjoyable stay in Basel, where we visited the Kunstmuseum Basel, the Vitra Design Museum and the Fondation Beyeler before continuing on to Colmar and the Alsatian wine route.

MARJORIE WRIGHT

Marlboro, VT