I walked through vineyards on paths that were comfortable but not coiffed. Wild flowers grew freely spilling over dry stone walls, autumn berries were ripening and big juicy jewel-like blackberries hung from bushes.
In the village of Pommard I discovered a real life Chocolat shop.
Beaune was beautiful. You can’t go there without a trip to the famous hospice, the Faillot mustard museum,a wine tasting in the town and an apero at the Hotel Le Cep. Louis XIV stayed at this hotel with his entourage (it was a private residence then) and it is incredible to think that he would probably recognise the renaissance style balconies in the charming courtyard.
Close by I visited Cassisium, where the famous liqueur of Burgundy is made. Cassis is a blackcurrant delight, and when you visit this museum it’s like putting your head in a balloon full of blackcurrant, the scent is so strong. There’s a tasting bar where you can try the different types of cassis and a great shop which I noticed was full of restaurateurs buying up crates of “Super Casis” which has an intense taste, far stronger than normal crème de Casis.
Dijon was delicious. For me Dijon is one of those places that ought to be far more famous, but in some ways I’m glad it’s not because there are not a lot of tourists! It is without a doubt a magnificent heritage town and a grand place to wander, which I did with a lovely guide called Guy (you can book him from the tourist office). He knew so many anecdotes about the history of the town, where to see the oldest shops, the best sights and at the end, a great wine bar for a wine tasting.
Every restaurant we went to was superb.
The pride in the wine, the food, location and service is evident and I highly recommend you ask for wine recommendations because that’s the way to really enjoy the best pairings.