Our Postcard from Burgundy
Originally posted on & updated on 29th October, 2024
This week our my-french-house.com postcard comes from the Burgundy region, which once was better know as the valley of the kings. A part of France that’s renowned around the globe for its wines, Burgundy is steeped in history as well as being a foodie’s paradise. Situated south-east of Paris in east-central France, this area is easy to get to from the UK and the rest of Europe (and the world really, thanks to its relative proximity to Paris and Lyon) but it’s not so easy to leave once you’ve visited.
As any regular reader of this blog will know, the team at my-french-house.com enjoys a (responsibly of course) glass of wine or two and on this trip we’ve been more than spoilt for choice. The pinot noir and chardonnay grapes are what have really put this place on the global wine map and they are the key ingredients in some jolly good wines, it has to be said. Known in the UK for Beaujolais and the often knocked Chardonnay, the wines you meet on the ground here are very different from the over-oaked, heavy chardonnays that got a bad name in bars.
However, the wine industry here that goes as far back as the 2nd century AD when it was under the control of the monks and Benedictines seriously does produce some of the globe’s most stunning wines. Chablis and Cotes de Beaunes are only two of the appellations that you’ll get the chance to try in this area, and we just know if you appreciate fine wines, you won’t be disappointed. This is what makes Burgundy the ideal spot to come for a wine tasting tour that lets you work your way around some of the finest wineries in the country (just make sure you’re not the driver!).
And, of course, with great wine goes great food. Once more, Burgundy won’t leave you disappointed. Needless to say, we sampled one of the finest boeuf bourguignons while in the neighbourhood. A term used to describe pretty much anything cooked in red wine, the particular bourguignon we had on our first night was made from charolais beef, a breed that this region is renowned for. This, along with a night of escargots and a lunch of coq au vin left us feeling as if we’d need to do the 5 and 2 diet for a very long time to make up for our overindulgence!
When we were in burgundy, we stayed in Dijon, a city that’s become famous for it’s mustard. We decided to push the boat out on this trip and stayed in the five-star Grand Hotel - La Cloche - MGallery Collection. With a few things to celebrate, we decided we deserved a bit of five-star luxury. A great location in downtown Dijon, the hotel is perfect because it has car parking and outside space, both of which were on our “wish list”. As soon as we arrived, we knew we’d made the right decision; it felt as if the concierge was working only for us, and that there were no other guests in the hotel. Our room was spacious and airy and we thoroughly enjoyed a light dinner (very welcome respite after our country cookery exploits of the earlier days) in the hotel garden.
Although there are plenty of interesting towns and cities in the Burgundy region, we’ve decided on Dijon because it’s a great spot from which to base yourself if you’re house-hunting in this area and a wonderful location to consider if you have teenage kids, thanks to the university options. Some of the other towns you might consider are Autun, which is known for its history and architecture; Chablis, which needs little in the way of introduction and Vezelay, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
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