We drove and tasted our way around the Côte-d’Or where we drank plenty of Montrachet and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. Burgundy wine tasting is the best!
We woke up surprisingly refreshed after our epic three-star dinner at Maison Lameloise. Perhaps our good night’s sleep was due to the comfortable room at La Maison Chaudenay, a charming B&B in Burgundy.
We couldn’t resist a light breakfast, which was highlighted by chats with Australian travelers staying at the inn. (Since the B&B is owned by a former Aussie and a former Kiwi, it’s not surprising that travelers from down under were at breakfast.)
We took a quick walk around the premises, took a final look at the grand Sequoia tree in the backyard, and then we were on our way to do some Burgundy wine tasting.
Photos of La Maison Chaudenay
Burgundy Wine Tasting in the Côte-d’Or
Since the inclement weather eliminated the option of biking, we started our day by driving to the official tasting room in Chassagne-Montrachet, where we got to taste a good selection of the world’s greatest white wines representing the best of France.
Needless to say, we were looking forward to exploring the wine country of Burgundy due to the region’s rich history and our love for wine. For better and worse, we were in Burgundy at the height of the harvest.
Yes, we observed some interesting seasonal activity, but we also lost access to many smaller producers who were busily picking their grapes. This is why we hadn’t set up rendezvous appointments.
We then hopped onto the Route des Grands Crus stretching through the vine-filled Côte d’Or. Our next stop was a tasting in Puligny-Montrachet, where we sampled and purchased delicious white wines.
The day was still young, so we headed to the town of Meursault, also known for its Chardonnay wines. Suddenly, it was lunchtime, and everything was closed except for the restaurants.
As we discovered, the French would prefer that everyone eat lunch between 12:00 – 2:00 and shop between 2:00 – 7:00. So, we had no choice but to take a lunch break.
We stopped at a small roadside restaurant in Meursault called Le Bouchon, where we dined at a French equivalent of a luncheonette.
After lunch, we drove through the grape-lined fields to our next destination, Pommard – yet another cute village with more wine to be tasted. It was a tough job, but we were up to the challenge.
Cassis Museum and Tasting
Our next stop was a bit off the beaten path, at least for Americans. We drove up to Nuits-Saint-Georges and went to the Cassissium, a museum dedicated to Cassis, the local blackcurrant liqueur.
Headsets in English helped since everything in the museum was in French and German. We toured the somewhat campy museum and sampled various drinks featuring Cassis and Marc, a local version of pomace brandy.
Our Burgundy adventure continued as we headed off to our final destination of the day – La Ruchotte in Bligny-Sur-Ouche.
Thirsty for More Wine?
Check out our Stellenbosch wine tasting experiences for inspiration. Then discover why Alto Adige is Italy’s wine wonderland.
About the Authors
Daryl & Mindi Hirsch
Saveur Magazine’s BEST TRAVEL BLOG award winners Daryl and Mindi Hirsch share their culinary travel experiences and recipes on the 2foodtrippers website and YouTube. The married Food and Travel content creators live in Lisbon, Portugal.
Original Publication Date: October 22, 2012
Heidi
Wednesday 24th of October 2012
yummmmm! and love your photos :)
Bob
Tuesday 23rd of October 2012
This time I ate before I read your very interesting blog. Much better. The wine and museum looked interesting also.
Linda Rosen
Tuesday 23rd of October 2012
It sounds delightful. Your planning was worth the effort because you knew where to go. I.m amazed how you found these places.