A Week in Burgundy
Tasting wine, on the left with our host at the excellent Maison Champy and Nathalie from Secret Wine Tour on the right.
This was an experience that I won’t easily forget. Ever since I discovered an appreciation for wine, I wanted to travel to France and experience Burgundy. I originally enjoyed bold red wines, exemplified by California Cabernet, but perhaps its the aging process of “me” not the wine that led me to appreciate the pinot noir and chardonnay varietals of Burgundy.
It was the first week of September 2020, and after my research of potential risks involved, I planned my five days with the expert help of Nathalie Auvolat at Secret Wine Tour (secretwinetour.com). The goal to experience Beaune, as a centre of the region and a base for visiting wineries in both the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune. Nathalie understood I was interested in discovery of respected and up-and-coming wine producers, and having exposure to wine that was affordable, within my stated budget, but could demonstrate a quality that compared to some of the great names in the region - I can attest “Mission Accomplished”. Additionally, with an appreciation of good food to pair with that wine, we discussed selections for both a Michelin star restaurant as well as local bistro gems that she recommended. She included a private cooking experience with Adeline Borra (terroirsbyadeline.com) and fully immersed me in the history of this famous region. I will be writing a more expansive report but suffice to say, I drove back “heavier” than I arrived in Beaune both physically and with cache of wine. My three favorite “so far” are a 2015 Santenay White Chardomnay from Château de la Crée; a 2015 Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru from Maison Champy and a wonderful discovery of a 2017 Monthelie “Les Longenes” red from Domaine Dubuet-Monthelie. The meal of the trip was not surprisingly at the 3 star Maison Lameloise (lameloise.fr) - perhaps one of the top three meals in my lifetime. More to come about this trip with an in-depth review that I will prepare for your review and make available for download.