The Burgundy (and Champagne) 2016 Tour by ombiasy WineTours took place from May 26 to June 05, 2016. The tour started in Lyon and ended in Reims.
The first stop on the tour was a tasting at Antic Wine in Lyon with Flying Sommerlier Georges Dos Santos.
From the Grand Hotel des Terreaux in Lyon - a 4 star beautiful hotel in the heart of Old Lyon, which combines the atmosphere of an oldfashioned 19th century town house with a modern, innovative décor - we took a short walk across the bridge of the Sâone River to Antic Wine in the Renaissance part of old Lyon.
Owner and famous Sommelier Georges Dos Santos introduced us to the Bourgogne region. We tasted 6 wines.
Georges Dos Santos
From the Toronto Star: LYON, France— Georges Dos Santos cracks open his 15th bottle of wine of the day and serves up a smorgasbord of tasty advice along with a healthy helping of crisp, cold Chardonnay. At his fingertips are dozens of wine tomes, gourmet magazines and hundreds of business cards from his favourite local restaurants. There’s also a stack of « the bible of Lyon » — the Lyon Restaurants guide — which Dos Santos hands out religiously. His tiny shop, Antic Wine, in the historic heart of Lyon, is more than just an eclectic place to come for wines and free tastings. It’s a crucial first stop for visitors looking to get their bearings in what’s billed as ‘the culinary capital of France‘. Dos Santos knows the food and wine of Lyon as well as [anyone]. More than 4,000 bottles of wine line the walls and cram the cellar of his historic shop on cobble-stoned rue du Boeuf. “This area is unique ,” says Dos Santos. ‘”If you go to Bordeaux, all you can drink is Bordeaux. If you go to Paris — well, there's no (sic.) vineyards. We're the only town in the world with three (wine-growing regions) within 30 minutes.”
Burgundy
Burgundy is one of the world’s best-known wine areas, but perhaps one of the least understood. Burgundy is the most terroir-oriented region in France. Immense attention is paid to the area of origin, as opposed to Bordeaux, where classifications are producer-driven and awarded to individual châteaux. In Burgundy a specific vineyard or region will bear a given classification, regardless of the owner or producer.
Secularization during Napoleonic times and the Napoleonic inheritance law led to a subdivision of even the most precious vineyards so that some growers hold only a row or two of vines. Clos de Vougeot for example is a vineyard of 130 acres today parceled into plots owned by 80 different owners. This led to the emergence of négociants who aggregate the produce of many growers to make a single wine.
Burgundy with its 80,000 acres under vine represents just 3% of the French vineyard surface area. The core of the Burgundy region is divided into five appelations from north to south: Chablis, a predominantly white wine region; Côte de Nuits, predominantly red with the world-famous Grands Crus such as La Tache, Romanée Conti, Clos de Vougeot, etc; Côte de Beaune, red and white, including the world’s most expensive white wine, the Grand Cru Montrachet as well as the famous Grand Cru Charlemagne. Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune together form the so called ‘Côte d’Or’, where the Grand Crus are located. Côte Chalonnaise and the Mâconnais follow further south and transition into the Beaujolais. According to the French land registry Beaujolais belongs to the Burgundy region. When we talk about Burgundy here I am referring to the 5 core regions. Nearly all white Burgundy is Chardonnay with only 6% Aligoté planted. Red Burgundy is almost 100% Pinot Noir, with a small amount of Gamay. There also is 3% ‘Passetoutgrain’, which is a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay. The Cistercian monks were instrumental in introducing winemaking in Burgundy and spreading the art of winemaking to other parts in Europe.
The Wine Georges Dos Santos Poured
Postings: Burgundy (and Champagne) 2016 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Reims - Wine, Food, Culture and History (Published and Forthcoming Postings)
Burgundy (and Champagne) 2016 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Reims - Wine, Food, Culture and History
Dinner at a Bouchon - Chez Paul - in Lyon: Schiller’s Favorite Bouchons in Lyon, France
Introduction to the Burgundy Wine Region at Antic Wine in Lyon with Flying Sommelier Georges Dos Santos
Lunch at the Iconic L’Auberge du Pont de Collonges, Paul Bocuse’s Restaurant in Collonges-au-Mont d’Or
In the Most Prestigious AOC in the Mâconnais: Pouilly-Fuissé, France
Vineyard Walk, Cellar Walk and Tasting at Domaine Ferret in Fuissé, PoullyFuissé, Mâconnais, with Winemaker Audrey Braccini
Vineyard Walk, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Georges Descombes in Vermont, Villié Morgon, Beaujolais, with Madame Descombes
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Theulot-Juillot in Mercurey, Côte Chalonnaise, with Owner/ Winemaker Nathalie Juillot
Visit of Château de Rully and Tasting of the Château de Rully Wines with Count Raoul de Ternay
Cellar Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Domaine Michel Prunier & Fille in Auxey Duresses, Côte de Beaune, with Michel Prunier
Vineyard walk in Meursault with Karoline Knoth
Maison Olivier Leflaive in Puligny Montrachet, Côte de Beaune: Vineyard Walk and Cellar Tour with Olivier and Patrick Leflaive along with Sommelier Charles Devarennes
Wine Pairing Lunch at Restaurant La Table d’Olivier Leflaive in Puligny Montrachet
Visit of the Hospice de Beaune
Lunch at Brasserie le Carnot in Beaune
Tour of the Ancient Cellars and Tasting at Maison Joseph Drouhin in Beaune, Côte de Beaune
Schiller’s Favorite Winebars in Beaune
An American in Burgundy: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Dublère in Savigny lès Beaune with Owner/ Winemaker Blair Pethel
Charcuterie and Cheese Paired with 12 Burgundy Wines at La Maison de Maurice in Beaune with Maurice Marle
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Faiveley in Nuits-Saint-George, Côte de Nuits
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Jean-Jacques Confuron in Prémeaux-Prissey Côte de Nuits with Louis Meunier
Lunch at Restaurant La Cabotte in Nuits-Saint-George
Visit and Tasting at Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair in Nuits-Saint-George with Thibault Liger-Belair
Visit of Château du Clos de Vougeot
Where the Most Expensive Red Wines Come from: Vineyard Walk, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Anne Gros in Vosne-Romanée, Côte de Nuits
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Guillon & Fils in Gevrey-Chambertin, Côte de Nuits, with Jean-Michel Guillon
An Institution: Lunch at Restaurant Chez Guy in Gevrey-Chambertin
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Armelle et Bernhard Rion in Vosne-Romanée, Côte de Nuits, with Alice Rion
Tour at the Fontenay Abbey (Bernard de Clairveau), Montbard
Wine Pairing Lunch, Cellar Visit, Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Domaine Jean Marc Brocard in Préhy, Chablis
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Spots in Chablis
Champagne– An Introduction, France
French Champagne Houses and German Roots
Visit and Tasting at the Grower Champagne House Champagne Jean Josselin in Gyé sur Seine, Champagne, with Jean Pierre Josselin, his Wife and Sharona Tsubota
Cellar Visit and Tasting at the Champagner House AR Lenoble in Epernay, Champagne, with Export Manager Christian Holthausen
Cellar Visit and Tasting at the Champagner House Taittinger in Reims, Champagne
Lunch at Brasserie Flo in Reims