A Walk Around The Serene Burgundy, France
Day Four of our Trip to Burgundy (From the Vineyard to the Barrel)
Day 4
For most of us, today started before dawn because we decided to take a few arty pictures in the streets of Beaune's city center.
At around 10am we left the hotel and made our way to the beautiful village of Puligny-Montrachet to meet Mr. Olivier Leflaive, an 18th generation winemaker, who explained to us how to make wine the Leflaive-way. To make the visit even more impressive, his charming service personnel treated us with a five-course lunch in the restaurant Le Table.
Later today, we went to a barrel-maker in Beaune, who explained step-by-step how to make a high-quality barrel for the variety of winemakers in the region and overseas; surely another highlight of our trip.
Burgundy
Burgundy is like no other wine region I have previously visited. Our one-week stay in Burgundy sadly was not enough; there was much we did not see. We never made it to many of the villages we had hoped to visit. Most of our activity was centered near our rental home in the village of Puligny Montrachet and around Beaune, the main city of the Burgundy wine region.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the only grapes that are widely grown in Burgundy. There is a decent amount of the grape Aligoté that is grown, but that is secondary to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. There are four distinct AOC’s or appellations in Burgundy and it is important to know about this if you want to learn about Burgundy wines.
Four distinct appellations – lowest to highest
Bourgogne
This is a wine made from grapes grown in the flat lands of Burgundy and they border the area just below the villages. Here there is less sun, less rocky soil, but more water. A Bourgogne can come from vineyards in one village or from several village vineyards. These wines are less in price and quality, but nonetheless there are some very good wines made from these vineyards. We tasted many for about 12 to 15 Euros. Here in California, my wine shop carries Bourgogne wines for about $20.
Village
The wine is named after the village where the grapes are grown, such as Chablis, Pommard or Gevrey Chambertin. The grapes must all be from vineyards located within the particular village. These vineyards are at an elevation slightly higher than the Bourgogne, and with more complex soils.
Premiere Cru
These vineyards are located higher up and the soil is rockier with fewer nutrients. The vines must struggle more and the roots grow deep.
Grand Cru
These are the best vineyards in Burgundy. There are only 33 designated Grand Cru vineyards in Burgundy. These vineyards produce exceptional quality wines. These wines command very steep prices. The wines of Romanee Conti sell for more than $2000 per bottle.
In Burgundy you will not see the word Chardonnay or Pinot Noir on the label. The label will tell us the village and the vineyard where the grapes were grown. It will also show the producer's name and the appellation. There is said to be more than 4000 producers in the Burgundy region, an area that stretches 88 miles from the north to south. Most of these producers are very small, and they grow and make the wines. Most are family-run operations and the wine is made in their homes with small underground caves.
How to read a Burgundy wine label.
Yield of grapes per appellation
A hectare vineyard is equal to a 10,000 square-meter area and planted with 10,000 vines
In the Bourgogne this produces 8000 to 10,000 bottles of wine.
In the Village appellation one hectare produces 6000 to 8000 bottles of wine.
In the Premiere Cru vineyards one hectare produces a maximum of 6000 bottles.
In the Grand Cru vineyard, one hectacre produces 3500 to 5000 bottles.
The most intriguing feature of Burgundy are the wall-to-wall vineyards surrounding each village. I spent most of my days exploring the vineyards of Puligny Montrachet. Our rental home was here, so it was convenient to drive or cycle through the vineyards of this village. The most amazing thing is the difference from one vineyard plot to another. I saw a small Premier Cru vineyard divided into smaller plots, and different individuals owned these plots. In one plot of perhaps 10 rows of vines, you could see indications of organic farming, i.e. cover crops. In the next plot over, the opposite – use of chemicals. I learned that the organic movement is rapidly increasing each year, but according to one grower only about 25% of the growers practice organic farming.
Above France - Part 1 - Rhone Valley
France in Summer is spectacular and even more so when you have a drone to sight see with. This is Rhone Valley in central France and it's part one of a series I am currently editing.
Great Wines of the World Dinner at Mastro's in Beverly Hills California
wineLA brings you another amazing wine event right here in the heart of Los Angeles. The event takes place at LA's best steak house Mastro's in Beverly Hills, California
When: Thursday, August 27, 2015 from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM (PDT)
You'll be enjoying 18 of the world's greatest wines along with a full dinner consisting of the following
Get Your Tickets Now:
APPETIZERS (BOTH)
-Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
-Shrimp Cocktail
SALAD (CHOOSE ONE)
-Caesar Salad
-Mixed Greens
-Iceberg Wedge
CHOICE OF ENTRÉE (CHOOSE ONE)
-Filet
-Bone-In Filet
-Bone-In Ribeye
-New York Strip
-Scottish Salmon
-Rack of Lamb
-Chilean Seabass
-Herb Roasted Chicken
SERVED WITH (ALL)
-Steamed Broccoli
-Sautéed Mushrooms
-Creamed Corn
-Garlic Mashed Potatoes
CHOICE OF DESSERT (CHOOSE ONE)
-Cheesecake
-Chocolate Sin Cake
-Mastro’s Signature Warm Butter Cake
Get Your Tickets Now:
and the wine list will consist of the following...
-2012 Weingut Daniel Vollenweider Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Kabinett
-2010 Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Clos Windsbuhl,
-2007 Stony Hill Vineyard Chardonnay, Napa Valley
-2011 Domaine Jomain Les Perrieres, Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru, France
-2001 Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Cuvee Vieilles
-2009 Domaine Robert Chevillon Les Cailles, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier
-2006 Kistler Vineyards 'Kistler Vineyard' Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
-2011 Littorai The Haven Pinot Noir
-1996 Ceretto Bricco Rocche Prapo, Barolo DOCG
-2007 Sine Qua Non Labels Syrah
-2004 Saxum Vineyards Broken Stones
-2001 La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904
-1980 R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva
-2004 Dominio de Pingus Flor de Pingus
-2005 Chateau Palmer, Margaux
-2011 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon
-2012 Pott Stagecoach Vineyard Her Majesty's Secret Service Cabernet Sauvignon
-2000 Martinelli Jackass Vineyard Zinfandel
Find out more by visiting wineLA.com
Cycling near Beaune France
After a shot of morning Grappa, we braved the chilly 10c temps and got on the bikes for a 40km circuit west of Beaune. After biking through the vineyards on the bike route, we came to Pommard. Then west on the D17 to D23 and a sharp climb brought us through Bouze. Next was Savigny-les-Beaune followed by Aloxe-Corton. The rain started just as we were 5km from Beaune.
Twin Cities Wine Sommelier @ the 2010 Les Grands Jours de Bourgogne
Don't miss this opportunity to take a glimpse inside Burgundy's largest tasting, Les Grands Jours de Bourgogne, and even spot a Grand Cru plot with Twin Cities Wine Sommelier Leslee Miller, Owner of Amusée (amuseewine.com). Experience this rare opp with Minneapolis's leading Wine Educator, as she shares her experience with a first-hand look at the festival from Chateau de Chassagne-Montrachet. Featuring some of the world's most expensive Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, 2010 Les Grands Jours de Bourgogne, a 5 day festival featuring hundreds of Burgundian Winemakers, was not something you wanted to miss as a serious wine drinker. Take a look why...
In HD
CellarHand European Wine Tour 2011 - Leroy
An incredible tasting of the 2009s from bottle. We where the first in the world to do so.
The wines are stunning.
Cellarhand NSW will be releasing them next year!
1983 Mercurey 1er Cru Burgundy vintage wine from Yats Wine Cellars
1983 Mercurey Premier Cru Clos du Roy of Julies Régnier, a fine vintage red wine from the Cote Chalonnaise of Burgundy France, uncorked on 11th December, 2010 in fine dining Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar located in Clark Pampanga Philippines.
Mercurey is the largest wine appellation of Burgundy's Cote Chalonnaise region. Once upon a time, it ranked among the top wines of Burgundy but was overtaken by more illustrious neighbors in Cote de Nuits and Cote de Beaune until recently. Many characterize the premier cru of Mercurey to be quite similar to a Pommard, and indeed I myself fell victim during blind tastings on at least one occasion.
This 83 1er Cru Mercurey is fuller than usual, displaying surprising ripeness, opulence and intensity of sweet flavors, easily mistaken to be a 10-year-old Pinot Noir from say California or Yarra Valley, albeit not the alcohol strength of course. Already quite old and a touch fragile though not frail and tired at all, the brownish rims betray its age and so does the finish which is a little diffuse. Apart from those flaws, it is one of the really enjoyable matured red Burgundy reds.
I never got to taste this particular Mercurey when it was young and vibrant. I have a feeling that it was assertive, forward and very fruit-forward in youth, lacking a little in structure. The acidity lacks freshness too.
Experts recommend Beaufort and Emmental cheeses but I find cheese a bit too strong for this wine. I enjoyed it with a chicken cooked in red wine sauce, a la cog au vin. I am sure it would be quite a treat with a salmon poached in red wine also.
Useful tips on how and where to buy wine in Philippines, Manila, Makati, Ortigas, Alabang, Pampanga, Subic, Angeles City and Clark Freeport are here for the convenience of wine lovers and wine shoppers.
Residents of Manila, Subic, Cebu, Pampanga, Angeles City and Clark Freeport look for a good place to buy fine wine. Wine lovers and connoisseurs discover a good wine shop in Manila and Pampanga that offers fine vintage wines at reasonable prices. Vintages going back 10 to 50 years of fine wine are available at this wine shop called Yats Wine Cellars.
Wine from all major wine regions are available in this wine shop, including fine wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone, Loire, Sauternes Barsac, Champagne, Chablis, Meursault, Cote Rotie and Romanee Conti are all available here. In addition to French wines, this leading Philippines wine supplier also has a good selection of wines from Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany and Australia. The selection of Brunello, Chianti, Rioja, Riesling, Gruner Veltliner and Ice wine are impressive.
Wines from new world regions are well represented at this wine shop in Ortigas, Makati, Metro Manila Philippines. Fine wines from Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina and South Africa are offered in their wine shops, wine bars and fine dining restaurants throughout the Philippines, Metro Manila and Pampanga.
This wine shop Manila Philippines makes wine shopping a really rewarding and exciting exercise. Wine shops should always have an element of surprise so that customers can enjoy a little bit of thrill when a wine enthusiast goes to a wine shop in Manila to look for a good bottle of wine in Philippines.
Yats Wine Cellars Philippines
3003C East Tower, Philippines Stock Exchange Center (Tektite)
Exchange Road, Ortigas Center, Metro Manila, Philippines
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 ask for Rea or Kristine
If Philippines is part of an upcoming travel and holiday plan, wine lovers might want to visit Clark Freeport Zone just 70 minutes from Manila. This bustling new city that is slated to replace Manila as the new capital of the Philippines has the largest wine shop called Clark Wine Center. For more information, log on to
For wine lovers in Hong Kong, Macau and China:
Yats International HK Sales Office,
Room 1302, 13/F., The Centre Mark
287-299 Queen's Road Central Sheung Wan,
Hong Kong SAR
Tel: (852) 2788-0738 ask for Miss Eva Leung
Wine@Yats-International.com
Taste Along w/ Adam the Wine Guy #106- Paris on Location, Fixin
Gettin down bistro style w/ the 2006 Fixin, Burgundy, from A. Fromental..grab a glass and Taste Along