We arrived in Beaune after a short but awesome tour of Chablis. We drove into the city center of Beaune, which is still surrounded by the old fortress walls. The streets inside the old city center can barely fit cars let alone pedestrians. After waiting for some friends to arrive from Switzerland, we headed to our first Beaune brasserie. Good, but not great. I had a seafood pizza with escargot and other goodies, but the crust was more like pie crust than pizza crust.
Our first wine tasting event took place at the Marche aux Vins in Beaune near the Hospices de Beaune. The cost is 10 Euro per person, depending on the day, you taste about 15 wines and you also get a sommelier tasting cup for the tour that you get to keep. The tasting is in the caves underneath Beaune that were once part of the church which still exists across the street. You taste trough the major areas of Burgundy finishing with a grand cru, and various premiere crus. Overall a great experience, a must when visiting Beaune.
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| An awesome cellar, I tried to get behind the bar! |
After Marche aux Vins we headed to the Musee du Vin de Bourgogne which is in the former Palace of the Dukes of Bourgogne. The place was quite impressive and another must while in Beaune. The palace houses the history of wine in the Burgundy region.
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| Old grape press |
After a long day of tasting wine and bumming around Beaune we turned in for the evening, napped, and then headed out to the streets of Beaune which included a dinner, and various watering holes (I just don't recall this evening and there are no pictures to remind me!) The next day was great, the epitome of France, the weekend market! Sprawling blocks and blocks and blocks of Beaune was the Saturday market full of vendors, vegetables, fresh fish, meats, truffles, foie gras, the works!! Pictures do this more justice than we trying to write.
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| yours truly enjoying a jambon and gruyere crepe |
Up next, the heavy tasting and back roads driving through Burgundy.
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