Monday, we left Paris by train (TGV, so fast!) and arrived in Dijon. Dijon is probably the biggest town/city in the Burgundy wine region. We've used it as home base for the past few days.
The Burgundy region is southwest of Paris and is responsible for some of our favorite wines. Additionally, Burgundy is home to something like 40+ Grand Cru plots and some of the most expensive wine in the world (think Romanee Conti, selling for $10,000 a bottle).
Tuesday, we went to the town of Beaune, about 50 miles south of Dijon. In the morning, we toured Hotel-Dieu or Les Hospices de Beaune, a 15th century hospital for the poor that was set-up in Beaune. It was interesting learning about medicine and medical science over the centuries. The original hospital was in use up to the 1950s! Today, they have a new, more modern hospital that is mainly financed by the sales of the Hospices de Beaune wines. In the 15th century, someone donated several hectares of land to the hospital, and, today, most of it produces premier cru and grand cru wines, so they sell for a pretty penny!
Tuesday afternoon, we took a bike tour through the vineyards and learned more about the wine, the region, the terroir. We learned that there is a lot of limestone under the soil, which plays a role in the flavor of the grapes. Burgundy wine is generally classified based on the region it was produced, instead of the type of grape (they always use pinot noir and chardonnay grapes).
And finally, today, Wednesday, Tang, Mama D and I went along the Route des Grand Crus. This is the area between Dijon and Beaune that is dotted with little towns, and each town is full of different winemakers. And all along the countryside between these towns are the vineyards. We took a bus to Nuit-St. Georges and walked through the vineyards about 5 kilometers to Chateau du Clos de Vougeot. Clos de Vougeot is where the monks originally began making Burgundian wine in the 12th and 13th centuries. Anyway, we had a great time walking through the vineyards and eating some of the grapes. Don't worry, grapes were harvested in September for the wine making. Anything left on the vines was for the birds and curious travelers!
The well at Hospices de Beaune
The main hall of the Hospices de Beaune. This was a working hospital from the 1440s to the 1950s. It is currently set-up like it was in the 1440s, with 30 beds lining the great hall and a chapel with an alter at the far end.
In the vineyards. The town in the background is Beaune.
These vines here belong to Domain Romanee Conti and are probably all premier cru and grand cru producing vines. The land here would sell for $40 million/hectare. Also, we weren't allowed to walk through those vines.
Cross at the entrance to the Romanee Conti vines.
Chateau du Clos de Vougeot
