A guest blog post by Tracy
Let me tell you right up front that I’m no wine expert. While I greatly admire those who can brilliantly describe a wine, from its complexity to its flavor profile, that’s just not my strong suit. The most valuable piece of information to me is simply whether or not I’m enjoying what’s in my glass, and I’m perfectly content with that. Don’t I look blissfully ignorant?
Having said that, as a lover of Pinot Noir (and Chardonnay, to a much lesser degree), planning a trip to Burgundy, France, was a tad overwhelming and more than a little intimidating. Burgundy is arguably the most famous wine region in the world. Seems as if you should be required to pass some sort of test before being allowed in the area. With my rudimentary wine education, what business did I have visiting such a wine mecca?
In an effort to begin our five days in Burgundy in a less daunting manner, we decided to start with an organized wine tour run by Burgundy Discovery (http://www.burgundydiscovery.com/). We chose the Gourmet Grand Premier tour, which would include a tasting at three wineries as well as lunch (with wine, of course!).
On the day of the tour, our guide, Patrick, fetched us from our hotel in Beaune at 9:00 a.m. and promptly handed us a packet of materials explaining what was in store for us throughout the day, including information about the area generally, as well as about the classification system of Burgundy wine, which was both very interesting and vital to understanding the region.
After a short drive, Patrick drove us to the Côte de Nuits village of Vosne-Romanée where he allowed us a few minutes to take in the area vineyards, including the most celebrated vineyards in all of Burgundy, Romanée-Conti. Some regard the wines from this particular location as the greatest in the entire world. Consequently, they are also some of the most expensive – a single bottle can demand thousands of dollars (even tens of thousands depending on the vintage)!
Our first winery stop would be at Domaine Michel Noëllat located in the heart of Vosne-Romanée. We toured the extensive underground cellars, followed by a tasting of five delicious Pinot Noirs.
For our second stop, we headed just a bit south to the winery of Domaine D’Ardhuy in the Côte de Nuits village of Corgoloin. This would be my favorite stop of the day, not only for the beautiful wines (we tasted both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), but the property was simply stunning. And to our huge delight, we were able to purchase a bottle of their delicious 2013 regional Chardonnay for only 11 Euros! #winning
It was now time for lunch – and, boy, were we hungry! Patrick took us to Le Bistrot du Bord de l’Eau at the Relais et Château Hostellerie (say that three times fast!) in the town of Levernois, just a few miles southeast of Beaune, where we would dine in the former kitchens of a 1750s-era building. The grounds surrounding the hotel and restaurant were simply stunning. If the weather had been a bit warmer, it would have been lovely to dine on their patio. (www.levernois.com)
The menu was prearranged by Burgundy Discovery and included some delicious options. I chose Les Escargots de Bourgogne en Bouillon d’Ail Doux (aka escargot) as my starter, the Boeuf Bourguignon, Spaetzles et Sauce au Pinot Noir for my main dish (aka Boeuf Bourguignon) and the Tartlette aux Framboises et Pamplemousse Rose (aka grapefruit tart) for dessert. I was even able to steal a small bite of the Crème Brûlée Chocolat Passion (aka chocolate Crème Brûlée) as well, and I just can’t describe how unbelievably delicious it was (and I’m not even a huge chocolate lover). Everything was out of this world! And, of course, we passed around a few bottles of wine throughout lunch. I had the benefit of enjoying Boeuf Bourguignon on several occasions over the course of the week, but this was by far the best. If you ever find yourself in the area, dining here is simply a must.
Our final stop of the day would be at Domaine de la Choupette in the Côte de Beaune village of Santenay. However, before arriving at the winery itself, we detoured and met up with the wife of one of the winemakers where she gave us a closer look at some of the vineyards responsible for the beautiful wines we would eventually be tasting. The vineyard views were quite beautiful despite the overcast skies.
Overall, the entire day was such a great introduction to the region, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Burgundy Discovery to anyone, regardless of your level of wine knowledge. Patrick was so informative throughout the tour and I, personally, felt a bit more comfortable over the course of the next several days, being armed with a bit more understanding of the area overall. As it turned out, despite the prestige of the area, my initial feelings of intimidation were completely unwarranted – we experienced nothing but warm welcomes from everyone in the industry. Each and every person seemed more than happy to share both their wines and their passion for the region. So, if you love wine (and amazing food), don’t pass up an opportunity to visit Burgundy. You won’t regret it!
Tracy Thornton, Guest Blogger
Read a short bio on Tracy in Red Shoes. Red Wine.‘s Guest Contributor section here. Follow Tracy’s adventures in Travel, Wine, and Photography on Instagram: @texanstracy and see her featured blog posts on Red Shoes. Red Wine. here: Tracy Thornton, Guest Blogger
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