Need help with Burgundy wineries
 

I find myself in a bit of a predicament and need your help. I’m traveling to the Burgundy region of France this fall and plan to spend 3 or 4 days there visiting wineries. The problem is, I have no idea which wineries to visit. Can someone recommend a book that will give me a crash course on Burgundy wine? If it were California, I’d be all set because I’m fairly well versed on California wines. Also, if you could recommend wineries that produce “better” wines, please do. We drink a lot of library and reserve wines. I guess part of the problem is that we belong to several California wine clubs so we don’t tend to venture out of the country much. <BR> <BR>So, without too much flack could someone please give us some advice?

Mary: Robert Johnson's Encyclopedia of Wines is a good starter on wines of the world (also his Atlas & Pocket Guides). On the web http://www.ot-beaune.fr/english/# (click wine cellars). Burgundy is somewhat different than many regions. The wines are grown in small plots & typically bottled by negociants, so it is their cellars you visit, not the actual grower. Many are located in Beaune so the link above will give you a lot of names & numbers to investigate. Make sure to include a tour of the Hospices de Beaune.

I should have mentioned that I just visited Beaune on a business tour. We had a tasting in the Patriarche cellars (Burgundy's largest) under the streets of this pretty walled town. It was a classic dank, dark, humid cellar with kilometres of wine. We had dinner in there too. This was a large group, so I don't know about individual visits. Tel (+33)03.80.24.53.78.<BR><BR>As I alluded to above, do not expect a 'highway of wineries' like Napa Valley. You have to search a little more, but once you start a love affair with the wines of Burgundy, there is no looking back . . .

My apologies. It should be Hugh Johnson. Robert was a legendary Mississippi blues artist.

Great, concise information, Ian. I was in Burgundy last year on a bike trip. I knew nothing about Burgundy wines, and now I love them. I could go back to Beune at least once a year. There is so much to learn. And the countryside is so serene. Thanks for the web site.

Mary, I forgot to add that the July 15 issue of Wine Spectator is mostly devoted to Burgundy, including wineries, the new young turks and other wine-related articles. The information is also still online at www.winespectator.com, but I don't know how much longer it will be up.

Mary:<BR>Here is a post I placed recently. If you use the search engine you will likely find a lot of info. Gregg<BR><BR>Author: Gregg ([email protected])<BR>Date: 06/26/2002, 03:57 pm<BR>Message: Wine fan:<BR>Lori is correct-don't waste your time tasting in Beaune-unless you are in a bistro/restaurant. I just returned from the area and tasted at Vincent Giradin, Daniel Rion and JL Trapet. There are a plethora of fine wine producers in the Cote D'Or. Jadot, Anne Gros, Denis Mortet and Drouhin are some. You will need to contact them and arrange a visit. You will need a car. If you speak french, you will likely find the vignerons more "agreeable/friendly" as they are more comfortable conversing in French (what a revelation!). I should add that if you are not well versed in the wines of Burgundy you may find yourself "out of place". Tasting wines from these producers is a treat and familiarity with the appelation shows your level of interest. I can also recommend Ma Cuisine in Beaune for dinner. It is run be a husband/wife team. He is the waiter, sommelier and bus boy. She is the chef, food runner and sometimes dishwasher. They own a wine shop and thus the winelist is tremendous as well as affordable. The food is also superb. <BR>Bon voyage-Gregg <BR><BR>

Have you considered a guided "wine tour"? I just returned Sunday from a week in Burgundy on a hotel barge. We asked for and had a vacation with a distinct emphasis on wine. We visited several wineries for private tastings, as well as the cellars of the Marche aux Vins (where we were also treated to a private, more exclusive tasting) - where we were able to purchase wines to be shipped back to the US (not possible everywhere). In addition, our hosts offered us a wine lesson with each lunch and dinner and gave us an opportunity to taste some Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines as well as learning about apertifs and digestifs - which I probably would not have tried without encouragement. Overall it was an amazing trip. I came back armed with a ton of knowledge about Burgundy wines and am now sitting anxiously awaiting the arrival of my purchases so I can share them with my friends!<BR>The tour company we used was HB Cruises of France (1-877-879-5159 in the US or 03-85-45-49-38 in France).<BR>It was one of the best vacations I have ever had!<BR>

Sorry, Mary, I gave you wrong information; it's the June 30 issue of Wine Spectator. In recompense, I offer a restaurant, small but good: Le P'tit Paradis at 24, Rue Paradis in Beaune.<BR><BR>

You may want to check out this fun site for the region.<BR>http://www.pilot.co.uk/Planet_Food/burgundy.html