Thursday, October 11, 2007

A Wine and Gastronomy tour called 'Burgundy on a Plate'. I saw the 'Heart of Burgundy' and the trip was action packed !!!


I recently joined in as part of a very small group of no more than 5, on an exclusively private Wine and Gastronomy tour by Burgundy on a Plate. For an outstanding tour by tirelessly run by Sue Boxell. It is action packed! It is educational and it is good to be on a tour where the host and the wineries 'have' and 'try' to have a good relationship! This is where you see and get a feel for the etiquette and comportment of the French folks. I loved that!

The departure point is from your hotel in or close to Beaune or from Beaune station. There are no set tours as each tour is organized individually.

This tour was GO! GO! GO! From the start! I was happy for that!  It was all in whirlwind week!

The Burgundian’s are very cool and ironically have a lot in common with American mid-westerners and old school Cuban’s. You have to be there to understand it.

This is not Paris or the South of France. Family and Property Rights are very important and are in veins of this place. They love American Music, Understand ‘what living off the land’ is and have a free spirit.

There is so much history to see…From the French Revolution to Religious symbolism…and of course the…WINE and the FOOD!  Lot's of tastings, scenic routes, wine caves, castles, medieval places, fresh markets, churches, and sudden flights of fancy... 

These are some of the things we did (it is updated with info from Sue’s Website http://www.burgundyonaplate.com/index.html click on the link)

 
Vineyards of Côte de Beaune

Enjoy private wine tastings in villages famous for Chardonnay, such as Meursault, Puligny Montrachet & Chassagne Montrachet &  Pinot Noirs from Pommard or Volnay amongst others. Enjoy stunning views of the upper slopes & renowned grand cru vineyards, lunching in the pretty village of Volnay for some of the finest regional cuisine of the area dining out on the terrace when fine.

Vineyards of Côte de Nuits 

Cote de Nuits is famed for its pinot noir from such villages as Nuits St Georges, Vosne Romanee, Morey St Denis, Vougeot & Gevrey Chambertin.  Enjoy private cellar visits and a delicious lunch from the best of local cuisine as well as a leisurely drive through famous vineyards, stopping at the site of the legendary Romanée Conti vineyards, learning and tasting during the 8-hour tour.

Luxury Wine Tour in Côte de Beaune 

Visit the vineyards of the famed white wine villages of Puligny Montrachet , Meursault & Chassagne Montrachet and enjoy visits to the winemaker’s cellars for in depth private tastings of both chardonnay & pinot noir. Learn to appreciate colours, aromas and flavours tasting regional, village, premier and grand cru wines.  After a leisurely lunch at a 1* Michelin restaurant (or top regional cuisine if preferred) enjoy a afternoon tasting including grand cru at a beautiful chateau in our own private tasting room.

Luxury Wine Tour in Côte de Nuits

The renowned villages of Gevrey Chambertin, Morey St Denis, Vougeot, Vosne Romanee or Nuits St Georges are on the menu today, tasting from village to grand cru wines at some exceptional cellars.  A three-course gourmet lunch off the beaten track is included at a Michelin quality restaurant (or top local restaurant serving the best of Burgundy’s regional cuisine).  Stop at the site of the legendary Romanee Conti vineyards (the most expensive wine in the world) & drive through stunning vineyard scenery, with a brief stop at the famous Château de Clos Vougeot.

Beaune Prestige Tour

The charming and historic medieval town of Beaune is Burgundy’s wine capital and is the focus of our new gourmet wine tour for 2015!  You will discover this charming wine capital with your guide who will take you to taste chardonnay & pinot noir at two of the most prestigious wineries in Beaune.  In addition, there will be a privately guided visit to the famous 15C Hospices de Beaune (important in Burgundy’s wine history) and an excellent 3 course lunch at a notable 1* Michelin restaurant.

Medieval Burgundy, Wine Tasting & Sightseeing

Enjoy a relaxed day in two stunning medieval villages filled with flowers and boasting gorgeous views.   Flavigny sur Ozerain, classed as one of the most beautiful villages in France (of 'Chocolat' fame) is our morning destination with a fun & informative tasting of local wines followed by lunch at a Ferme Auberge run by local farmers’ wives with produce from their farms & gardens.  After lunch, a leisurely walking tour through Flavigny’s delightful streets before driving across country to Chateauneuf en Auxois with its fairytale 12C Chateau. Time to explore the village & visit the château before our return to Beaune taking the scenic route through the beautiful Ouche Valley

Wine & Food Tour Selection

Private Cooking Course, Lunch, Vineyard Tour & Tasting 

Learn to cook traditional Burgundian fare with our French chef in his home or modern French cuisine in a professional kitchen (exclusive to our clients) inclusive of aperitifs and a three course lunch.  After lunch we tour the famous vineyards & villages of the Cote de Nuits, stopping for an excellent cellar visit, tasting from village to grand cru wines. For groups of 4+ I can offer a session in a 1* Michelin restaurant also inclusive of lunch & tastings.   No French needed as the classes are in English.

Cheese & Wine Tasting in Cote de Nuits

An ideal tour for the real cheese lovers amongst you, you will discover & learn about some of the most traditional cows’ milk cheeses from the Burgundy region, paired with both chardonnay and pinot noir. Your guide will take you through the art of cheesemaking before. moving on to a private cellar visit in a renowned wine village.  After a delicious lunch from regional specialities, we take a leisurely drive through the famous vineyards and villages of Cote de Nuits, stopping at some famous landmarks before our final wine tasting of the day.

In partnership with a local artisanal chocolate maker and an excellent wine producer, we are pairing some of these melt in-the mouth chocolates with different types & styles of wine for a fun and enjoyable afternoon.  The day begins in Cote de Beaune tasting some famous chardonnays & pinots of the ‘Cote’ at small family owned wineries and lunching at one of the best restaurants in the area for regional cuisine, such as coq au vin.  After a tour of the grand cru vineyards in the afternoon, we begin our superb wine & chocolate tasting (with the opportunity to purchase both)
I hope you enjoyed this write up and consider this trip!
 
*article recently update in 2014