You’re familiar with the wines of Chablis, right? But have you enjoyed the delicious wines of Bourgogne-Épineuil? Bourgogne-Épineuil cover the hills immediately above Tonnerre, a city just ten miles east of Chablis. Both wine growing areas lie in the north of Burgundy (or “Bourgogne”), a two-hour drive southeast of Paris. But while Chablis is a large […]
Cellar Tasting: Bourgogne-Épineuil and Domaine Dominique Gruhier Read More »
In Burgundy, truly accomplished winegrowers lavish meticulous care on all their wines from top to bottom. As Clive Coates, M.W. advised in “The Wines of Burgundy” (University of California Press, 2008), tasting a grower’s lesser wines in difficult vintages delivers more reliable information than tasting only their top wines from fine years. Consider, for instance,
Cellar Tasting: 2014 Domaine Sylvie Esmonin, Côte de Nuits-Villages Read More »
When choosing a “white Burgundy” to drink with friends, Bourgogne-Aligoté may not come readily to mind. Not surprising. Most American importers and retailers give scant attention to Aligoté as Burgundy’s “other” white wine grape. But Bourgogne-Aligoté’s fortunes are changing. SURGING QUALITY The quality of Bourgogne-Aligoté wines has surged over the last decade thanks to dedicated
Bourgogne-Aligoté….the Other White Burgundy. Read More »
[EDITOR”S NOTE: Sadly Becky Wasserman-Hone passed away in August 2021. Her legacy as an affable and intelligent Bourgogne champion abides.] It’s fashionable to stereotype Burgundy wines as overly complicated and too expensive. Becky Wasserman-Hone simply doesn’t buy it. She has heard it all before over her forty year career as an expatriate-American working as an
Becky Wasserman-Hone: The Gentle Maven of Burgundy Read More »
“I am reminded of spring by the quality of the air …It is a natural resurrection, an experience of immortality.” — Henry David Thoreau, Feb. 24, 1852, from “Early Spring in Massachusetts”
Crisp White Wines From Bourgogne Côtes D’Auxerre and Bourgogne Tonnerre Read More »
When you love drinking red burgundies, giving up is just not option. Abiding passion must be served. Yet over the last decade as prices on even village wines have escalated to $60 or more per bottle, popular producers’ wines have sadly slipped out of reach in recent vintages. When you’re feeling the disappointment, just remember
Dave’s Wine Tips: Shrewd Buying Delivers Burgundies With Quality and Value. Read More »
It certainly comes as no secret that steadily growing global demand for red Burgundies over the last two decades has narrowed the possibilities for discovering “good values.” Wines from top producers command hundreds of dollars per bottle. So it’s reassuring to taste a wine like Nicolas Rossignol’s marvelous 2015 Bourgogne Rouge Cuvée L’Héritière and realize that
Wine of the Weekend: Nicolas Rossignol’s 2015 Bourgogne Rouge Cuvée L’Héritière Read More »
When visiting Paris and Burgundy, two of France’s most popular destinations, we all share a burning question. Where can I eat and drink well and memorably without breaking the bank? In Paris, the relatively new Vantre offers an intriguing option, and in Burgundy, Restaurant Le Terroir in Santenay provides a reliably charming choice. Vantre occupies
Restaurants “Vantre” in Paris and “Le Terroir” in Burgundy Deliver Memorable Moments Read More »
At a recent “blind” tasting of six wines from Vosne-Romanée and Flagey-Échezeaux, a marvelous moment occurred for everybody in our little luncheon group. All of us were stopped in our tracks with emotion over the profound beauty and sheer pleasure of one of the wines, the 1996 Domaine Dujac Échezeaux.
Eighteenth century French philosopher Voltaire suggested “Il faut cultiver notre jardin”—“We must cultivate our garden”—even in the face of life’s complications and chaos. Burgundy winegrower Jean-Claude Rateau takes Voltaire’s advice to heart. Since graduating from Beaune’s Lycée Viticole in the late 1970’s, he has carefully cultivated his vineyards like a garden using organic and biodynamic