My first task was to set out to the tiny town of Vougeot (despite ongoing train strikes), set beside some of the region's "Grand Cru" vineyards, and create a walking itinerary. The centuries' old estates and cellars, like the one pictured below, are seemingly impenetrable, open only to those with ranks of nobility, or at least those willing to pay the hefty prices some some of the Grand Cru wines, which start at about 80€ a bottle. But looks are deceiving: once inside the welcome is warm and sincere, frankly much more inviting than in my Provence (sorry Provençal winemakers, but it's true). And I was able to taste a variety of wines without having to pay, or without feeling pressured to buy (it did help however, when I announced I was setting up a walking tour, and sending people who are able to afford the wines...)
Below is the 12th century château du Clos de Vougeot, a few minutes' walk from the village of Vougeot, among the reputed vines. The tree in the forefront is used as this photographer's tool to block a large, white camping car at the château entrance...
The vineyards are set as on a thin line just above the Rhône Valley: high enough so that the water table is far below the surface, and low enough to enjoy the warm sunny climate on the first slopes. All of the best wines are mono-varietal: Pinot Noir for the reds, Chardonnay for the whites. The appellation "Grand Cru" concerns only 1.5% of Burgundy's vineyards, reserved for the best terroirs, or as they call them here: climats. I was told that the Pinot Noir grape is neutral in flavour, taking in all the particularities offered by the soil and the climate, ensuring the wines are very different from one climat to another. Complicated stuff to grasp, especially after having tasted 5 wines...
The waymarking here has a little twist, following the "bunches of grapes" sign. The walking in Burgundy is all about the prestigious vines and villages. While the landscapes aren't as grandiose as others I've experienced in France, the vines are indeed very grandiose. The holiday I was putting together here is very much about the vines: and what better way to get a grasp of the vignoble bourgignon than to walk among its vineyards, from one village to the next...
In the tiny hamlet of Chambolle Musigny, a linden tree planted in 1575.
I spent the night in the town of Beaune, often referred to as the capital of Burgundy (at least of its wines). The town is beatifully kept, majestic buildings and monuments, the streets are filled with 4-star hotels and Americans, a tourism centred 100% around wines and winemaking.
And only steps from the town -- literally -- are the prized vines, which is what makes a walking holiday here such a great concept. This was not the ideal time to come and see the vines, just days before the first buds. The political region is called the Côte-d'Or, translated as "golden slope", and referring to the scene in the autumn, with the vine leaves changing colour, a golden blanket above the Rhône Valley. Perhaps I'll come back in the fall...
The following day's walk was in the hills to the west, above the vines, starting from a village so small there aren't any shops. The boulangerie ambulante, or "bakery on wheels", makes its way to the village of St. Romain every morning at 8am, except on Mondays...
The morning was beautiful: fresh and cool air, bright sunshine, all the motivation needed to set off for a day's hike.
Leaving Saint Romain I set off on a quaint track through the forest, leading up to a limestone plateau. This is more my kind of hiking...
From the top, the views of the valley below are widesweeping. A touch hazy, the distant Alps weren't in view on this day, though apparently Mont Blanc often paints the backdrop of this particular scene.
The tiny town of Orches, nestled just below the limestone plateau, facing the morning sun in admiration.
In the town of Rochepot, the halfway point of the hike, I had the chance to admire its 13th century castle, set in the three photos below:
Near the end of the hike, high on the plateau, the views opened of the Rhône Valley: a veritable sea of vines stretching into the horizon.
A short video of lunch on my first day's hike:
