Happily Ewers After, Part 3: Wine!

Anyone who knows me also knows that I love to plan trips. I'm forever seeking out new destinations and researching new adventures. I wish I could say that all of my diligent reading and searching is what let me to choose our destination in Borgogne, but really, I was just looking for logical stopping point on the way to the Cote d'Azure that wouldn't require us to spend all of our time in the car. Beaune looked like it fit the bill, and I chose it primarily for that reason, but what I now know is that this is a destination, not a stopping point. The landscape in Burgundy is astonishing at every turn, the villages are full of charm and unique personalities, the food would make anyone swoon, and there is an endless variety of activities from which to choose, including bike riding, hot air ballooning,  horseback riding, and more. The highlight, of course, is the wine, and Beaune seems to be the unofficial capital of this region. We stayed just a bit south of there in Puligny Montrachet at a beautiful, small hotel (just 13 rooms) and winery named the Maison d'Olivier Leflaive. Our room was incredibly spacious and well appointed and the staff was lovely. Unfortunately, we did not have any meal besides breakfast there since our time was limited and we wanted to tour other areas nearby.  

View from our window

We did "accidentally" have dinner at the nearby Le Montrachet after asking our concierge for a simple bistro recommendation. If you read Part 2 in this series, you know by now that "simple" and "french dining" seldom go together, but apparently we hadn't learned that lesson thoroughly enough, so we agreed to the reservation and ended up with an a la carte dinner that cost more and may have been more complex than any of the prix fixe meals thus far...delicious, of course! The picture below is our complimentary amuse bouche. I wish I could tell you what it was, but I have no idea, even after a lengthy and elegant explanation from our waiter.

We had only one full day in there region, so we booked a tour of some of the local vineyards through Get Your Guide. This company is consistently reliable. I've used them in Italy, and we did a tour of the Louvre with them in Paris. We wanted only a half day, and the only thing available was scheduled to leave from Dijon which made for a bit of a circuitous route that day.

We began by driving to the city of Beaune, about 20 minutes north of Puligny Montrachet. It was a Saturday morning, and through perfect serendipity, it was also market day in the city center. We wandered the streets picking out cheeses and delicacies for a light picnic lunch and admiring the antiques and variety of other goods available. This was a wonderful local experience, and a true taste (literally) of village life. 

Mike also picked up a very French looking chapeau that he wore pretty much every day for the rest of the trip!

After Beaune, we made our way still further North to Dijon, a much larger city and settled into a charming park for a picnic lunch before our wine tour.

The tour itself proved to be incredibly educational. I can't claim any real knowledge of French wine, and the many regions, appellations, towns, designation, etc. felt a bit overwhelming until our guide explained it all. Sharing what we learned would take an entire post! Basically, in Borgogne, only two types of grapes are grown, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but there are dramatic differences in taste depending upon where the grapes are grown and how they are barreled. The highest designation is a Grand Cru, and the vines that produce Grand Cru all grow on the hillsides. Our guide, Stephen, told us that the flavor is better because the vines on the hillside have to struggle more... I love this! Isn't it true of all of life that struggle brings out the essence of who we are? Of course, it must also apply to grapes! We tasted some fabulous wines, bought more than a few and headed back to Beaune.

We finished our picnic as the sun was setting over the vineyard,  and in another stroke of amazing good luck, a hot air balloon floated over to complete the perfect setting.

Burgogne is a place I would love to return to, and I've already started to research Yoga Retreat locations there. There are some amazing castles and chalets that have been renovated to accommodate large groups. Let me know if it might appeal to you!

Next Part...Avignon!