Just back from Burgundy and Champagne

I’ve just been on quite an exhausting 3-day trip to Champagne, Chablis and Burgundy, visiting winemakers and seeing how far the vines have progressed in the vineyards. (Not very far at all actually. There are even some growers who have not yet finished their winter pruning!) It’s an interesting round trip to three very different wine district and three very different towns. Reims is quite big, famous for its cathedral, but it is not obvious to find good restaurants, except if you are prepared to pay a substantial amount of money. (That actually goes for the whole of Champagne.) Chablis – the world famous wine district – is also the name of a small town. Very small actually. But they have a decent selection of good restaurants thanks to a few recently opened eating places. But for hotels… Not easy to get some decent rooms for a small group of wine lovers. Beaune, the last stop on the trip, has a tremendous selection of both hotels and restaurants, from the super-luxury ones to very good value places. You could spend a week there and discover a new “resto” every night.

Do take a look at my wine tour program for the autumn season – That is an excellent way to discover some good restaurants and to visit some of the most interesting wine producers in a region. This season I have the Rhône Valley and Bordeaux on the menu, but I also do custom tours if you would like something special.