Tasting Burgundy
Monday, March 26, 2012, Part 1
Burgundy, France
Interested in a Music and Markets Tour? We'd love to hear from you!
Join us on a summer tour on the Amalfi Coast, in Provence, or Amsterdam!
Grand Est, or Great East, is the name of this four-day tour
provided for us by the French Tourist Office and the eastern regions of
France. We've been in a different hotel every night
, and last night's
Hotel Philippe Le Bon in Dijon was one of our favorites, with its inviting courtyard (where several of those younger members on the tour stayed up late relaxing and chatting after dinner)
and spacious renovated rooms. I understand that the not-yet- renovated rooms were not at all as comfortable as ours - so ask for the upgraded rooms if you go!
If it were warmer we would have taken our breakfast out to the courtyard, but since it's chilly we're inside - tucked into a fireplace in the charming breakfast room.
An even larger fireplace in the foyer is big enough to house an office.
We've been eagerly anticipating today's tour of renowned vineyards. Although we're
well acquainted with Bordeaux, we've spent very little time in Burgundy, so are looking forward to learning more (and tasting!).
Laurent, of
Wine and Voyages, is our expert guide and takes us first to the grandaddy of Burgundy's renowned Côtes de Nuit vineyards,
Clos de Vougeot.
Begun by Cistercian monks in the 12th century, its a fascinating glimpse into the beginnings of viticulture in the area.
Laurent describes some of the characteristics of Pinot Noir, the grape of choice in Burgundy. Of interest to me was that its tap roots go down 40 feet!
Also, that although the volume per hectare is strictly proscribed in order to be a qualified Burgundy, from then on, the winemaker has a lot of latitude, such as deciding whether to put it in oak or not.
How fascinating that the medieval vat-house and presses have been preserved through the centuries!
Laurent tells us the origin of the Tastevin, that unique shallow cup that sommeliers wear on a ribbon around their neck. It was dark in those medieval cellars, and the monks would use a candle and this shallow bowl with convex circles on the bottom in order to see the color of the wine as they tasted for quality.
The elegant celebration hall has been the headquarters of the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, founded to promote Burgundy, since 1945.
Photos throughout the property show gala events - this group of Chevaliers, wine in hand, can sing as well as sip!
We finish our tour in the medieval kitchens, with fireplaces big enough to stand inside.
Sadly, there was no Clos de Vougeot for us to taste, but we did get to sample the vintages of a small producer,nearby.
We enjoy our last taste of Burgundy and a delicious lunch at
Chez Guy in Gevrey- Chambertin.
And then on to Paris!
Labels: Burgundy, Clos de Vougeot, Cotes de Nuits, Dijon
Dijon - More than Mustard!
Sunday, March 25, 2012, Part 2
Dijon, France
Interested in a Music and Markets Tour? We'd love to hear from you!
Join us on a summer tour on the Amalfi Coast, in Provence, or Amsterdam!
Does something come to mind when you hear "Dijon"? For me, it's that served-on -every-French- salad staple, Dijon vinaigrette. We know there's more to Dijon that that, and we're eager to find out!
After that
marvelous morning at Les Dominicaines, our trusty busdriver shuttles us to the Mulhouse train station, and in an hour the fast train has us exiting the station in Dijon.
Our lovely guide quickly walks us through the town, past cheery half-timbered houses,
that renowned mustard shop
and into spacious hidden courtyards of townhomes crowned with ceramic- tiled turrets.
This is a foodie town for sure, with not just mustard, but pain d'epices (spice bread) filling shop windows (we enjoy several samples from a friendly shop- owner) , and that ubiquitously delicious aperitif, Kir, made with the third pride of Dijon, Cassis.
We wind through the heart of the city, which is a 97 hectare Historical Conservation area (we view just a few highlights), from the Palace of the Dukes, now the Fine Arts Museum,
into the gargoyle -fronted Notre Dame Cathedral, and the surrounding medieval streets.
That leering gargoyle may have been one of the few that tumbled off through the centuries... be careful as you walk in the door!
A sparkling Kir (which, by the way, was invented by the mayor of Dijon in the 1950's) introduces us to dinner at
Restaurant de la Porte Guillaume, and the first course, taking advantage of the plentiful Burgundy of the region (Dijon's the capital) is Oeufs Meurette, eggs poached in red wine - a first for me! I'm not a big fan of poached eggs in the first place, and in wine?? Well, perhaps it's an acquired taste! The main course - wait, can you guess? Beef Bourguignon, of course, and delicious it is!
We've seen some beautiful spots in Dijon, but what stands out is the food - our afternoon and evening have been a tasting tour of the city!
Labels: Burgundy, Dijon, Kir, Maille mustard, Pain d'Epices
Heavenly Music in Alsace
Sunday, March 25, 2012, Part 1
Alsace, France
Interested in a Music and Markets Tour? We'd love to hear from you!
Join us on a summer tour on the Amalfi Coast, in Provence, or Amsterdam!
A quiet rooftop view greets us in Strasbourg this morning, and after a
delicious breakfast at the
Regent Petite France, we begin a new day of
discovery.
We've been on the lookout for storks on rooftops as we drive through Alsace, and spied one or two nesting atop homes as we whizzed through towns.
I think our collective gasps as we passed this stork refuge convinced our guide to make a quick stop. The ungainly birds flew from one weeping willow to another as we watched,
and beyond stately castles topped each hill. Each place we've passed through on this tour cries out for a return visit - so much to see and enjoy in this wonder-packed country!
Quite obviously, we're on one of France's Wine Routes, with soldier-straight rows marching up the gentle slopes as far as we can see. Over one hundred villages line the Alsace Wine Route, with many independent growers delighted to welcome an interested traveler into their cellar.
In the tiny village of Guebwiller is a fascinating place,
Les Dominicains, an ancient Dominican monastery from the 1200's that is now a unique setting for music performances as well as education.
You know how we love cloisters - peaceful and beautiful places for rest and meditation - and this one is more inviting than ever, with abundant chaises that we can't resist....
but just for a moment, because there's so much to appreciate in this lovely place. Now a listed historic monument, at one time it was a hospital, so two chapels, this ornate Catholic space, and a much simpler Protestant one, were built for those healing, and their families, in the facility.
An acoustically stellar nave (unparalleled in Europe - music has been performed here for over 150 years) soars above the ancient frescoes, and another floor has been constructed atop the nave, providing a performance space under the vaults and right beside the windows.
We're invited up to this glorious space, where a grand piano sits in the center and roving waiters offer tempting tidbits for lunch.
This intriguing dessert looks like a test tube. Lean your head back and slurp the berries and cake into your mouth, squirting the tube as you do so for the sweet essence of berries in the tube. Reminds us of the
cutting edge cuisine we enjoyed in Barcelona.
I'm drafted to play the piano, and what a spine-tingling experience that is, as Amazing Grace resounds to the stone above! I still get goose-bumps when I recall those moments!
More music awaits us, as
two talented students sing a Puccini duet - breathtaking!
Labels: Alsace Wine Route, cloister, Guebwiller, Les Dominicains, Strasbourg
Fairy Tale France
Saturday, March 24, 2012, part 2
Strasbourg, FranceInterested in a Music and Markets Tour? We'd love to hear from you!Join us on a summer tour on the Amalfi Coast, in Provence, or Amsterdam!A part of France like no other, German-
tinged Alsace always reminds me of a fairytale, perhaps Hansel and Gretel, with its colorful half-timbered houses, often embellished with frescoes or carving. The palpable German influence begins as we drive, passing towns named Lichtenberg, Pfaffenhosse, Spausbach and Ibsheim.
This embattled part of Europe was in a continued tug of war between France and Germany, jerked from one country to another and back again before becoming a definitive part of France after World War II. Family names, too, show that mélange - you'll find blends such as Pierre Hoffstatt or Heinrich Fontaine on many a mailbox in the region.
Strasbourg, the capital of the Alsace region, is our base for the night, and our guides await when we get off the bus.
Walking is the best way to discover the narrow streets of Petite France, the historic center, and we're soon strolling the waterside lanes - across the river is the
Maison de Tanneurs, where we'll have dinner later.
This area is where the tanners lived in the 1500's, taking advantage of the abundant flow of the Ill, seen here rushing under the hotel where we'll spend the night, for their labor.
Rooftops were ventilated for drying skins centuries ago.
Many ancient structures are beautifully restored, leaving a fascinating core of charming homes and shops - check out the date on this one!
Saturday shoppers crowd the streets as we approach the majestic cathedral. I have a faint memory of the cathedral glowing with a colorful light show at night from when we stayed here over a decade ago.
Today we get to see the interior as well, and it is full of well-worth- the-time treasures, such as this astronomical clock,
with fig
ures marking the hour, phases of the sun and moon, and constellations, all working perfectly since 184.3
a gorgeous organ too - wish we could hear it!
Back outside, we pass intricate guild signs
and colorful frescoed façades, mullioned windows glimmering in the twilight.
And now, a chance to view Strasbourg's beauty from the water, as we board for a Cocktail Cruise on the River Ill.
Nibbling and sipping
we float up in a lock
and continue on our tour, passing a couple of ancient towers, former guardians of the city.
As lights twinkle on, we disembark and walk to dinner.
The Maison des Tanneurs, built in 1572, became a restaurant in 1949, and the smiling owners welcome us with a sparkling aperitif in the courtyard.
The current proprietor shares the history of this popular spot, and waiters bring shiny copper pans full of Alsace's pride, choucroute, to the table.
Our vegetarian friend across the table is not enthusiastic about the dish.
France's version of sauerkraut is more delicate than Germany's, but neither version is something I'd choose if I could select my meal.
I nibble at a ham hock and that's enough for me. The dessert of glazed Kugelhopf, Alsace's favorite cake, sounds wonderful, but I'm falling asleep at the table, and choose to walk back to the hotel so I can get at least a few hours sleep before we continue our tour in the morning.
The Crystal Empires of France
Saturday, March 24, 2012, part 1
Lorraine & Alsace, FranceInterested in a Music and Markets Tour? We'd love to hear from you!Next on the itinerary: Our spring tours in Barcelona, Venice or PragueA couple of years ago, while in
Paris for Thanksgiving, we were strolling alo
ng the cobbled lanes of
Isle Saint Louis in Paris, and stopped to enjoy the window display of an intriguing antiquaire on rue La Regrattier. An elegant Art Deco pair of crystal candlesticks kept calling Kirk's name, and, carefully cushioned in bubble wrap, they came back to Virginia with us, where they now are one of the first things you see when you enter our home.
Kirk wanted to know the provenance of these beauties, and Monsieur Kieken, the owner, told us they were from the renowned Saint Louis crystal factory in northeastern France.
When we saw that very factory, and the associated museum, listed on this Lorraine-Alsace trip itinerary offered by the French Tourist Office, we were excited that we would be able to see the place from where our candlesticks came.
The
Cristallerie Royal 
Saint Louis was founded in 1787 by order of Louis XV, beginning as a glass factory. Since the discovery of crystal fifteen years later, the factory has been devoted to the design and production of crystal items.
A fabulous crystal chandelier hangs above the bare earth, surrounded by a winding showcase of centuries of dazzling craftsmanship.
Before we look through the museum, we must first see from where these gorgeous pieces come.... the glowing furnaces, kept at a temperature of at least 1200 degrees fahrenheit, heat the room as high as the catwalk upon which we stand... glad we're not
here in the summer!
Molten crystal streams from one furnace - we watch from a safe distance!
After our factory tour, we're free to tour the museum, and shop at the boutique. I tell the museum guide about our candlesticks, describing their stacked square base, and he immediately knows the era and the designer, Jean Sala, and says that some of his work of the same style is in the museum, as well as in the Paris
Museum o
f Decorative Arts on rue de Rivoli. So now I'm on a hunt, and breezing past the ornate styles of centuries past, I head for the Art Deco period, and there it is, a candlestick with the same base, designed by Monsieur Sala.
Although we're tempted by some gorgeous champagne flutes in the boutique (how can we resist such a factory price?!) we make it back on the bus without any more crystal delights.
Next stop, a more familiar name, Lalique, just down the road in Wingen-Sur-Moder in Alsace. This is the village where Lalique set up his factory in 1921, after being told by the Saint Louis factory that they were not interested in jewelry. Baccarat, also, is not far from here, and has its foundations in the Saint Louis factory as well. Why are there so many crystal and glass factories in this northeast corner of France? The two reasons, we're told, are the raw material of sand and dirt, and the abundance of forests - the wood was needed to stoke the fires.
Before viewing the recently opened
Lalique museum, we're invited to lunch at their café.... and the delicious meal is a work of art on its own! We'll see these delicate green-stemmed glasses often in the next couple of days - used, as they're intended, for Alsace's prized Riesling wine.
And then, a feast for the eyes - one piece after another of Lalique's exquisite jewelry,
perfume bottles designed for particular fragrance- houses, and larger pieces - vases, urns, and more, delight our eyes.
It's a good thing that our guides are hurrying us along to the next stop... that boutique was even more tempting than the last one!
Labels: Alsace, Cristallerie Saint Louis, Lalique, Lorraine
Grand Est, or Great East, is the name of this four-day tour
provided for us by the French Tourist Office and the eastern regions of
France. We've been in a different hotel every night, and last night's Hotel Philippe Le Bon in Dijon was one of our favorites, with its inviting courtyard (where several of those younger members on the tour stayed up late relaxing and chatting after dinner) and spacious renovated rooms. I understand that the not-yet- renovated rooms were not at all as comfortable as ours - so ask for the upgraded rooms if you go!
Laurent describes some of the characteristics of Pinot Noir, the grape of choice in Burgundy. Of interest to me was that its tap roots go down 40 feet! 
Also, that although the volume per hectare is strictly proscribed in order to be a qualified Burgundy, from then on, the winemaker has a lot of latitude, such as deciding whether to put it in oak or not.
