I’ve often heard friends in the wine industry grumble about how everyone thinks their life is some paradisal existence mostly entailing drinking wine. Friends and family imagine a storybook lifestyle in which they walk the vineyards picking grapes and enjoying long daily lunches with wine. My family certainly commented on the Disneyland-like look of Beaune’s cobblestone streets, charming architecture and historic churches when they first visited. For those of us who changed careers or are expats re-rooted into the French countryside (I’m a Californian transplant in Burgundy myself), we get this a lot.
Of course the grumbling comes in because it’s not Disneyland. Winemakers are some of the hardest workers I know. Growing grapes and turning them into the coveted wine that fills the bottles of Burgundy represents long days, back-breaking pruning of the vines in the coldest months of the year, and a very real vulnerability to weather and climate. So much is done by hand here, from harvesting to vinification, bottling to waxing, labeling, and shipping: these are fastidious tasks which really demand a labor of love.
Interspersed between each of the above mentioned trials however, there is magic. It’s not the “Happiest Place on Earth” kind, and that’s precisely what is so magnetic about it.
The harvest period is the epitome of this somewhat paradoxical lifestyle. Pressure is at its peak, mornings are early and nights are late. Physically, mentally and emotionally, we are all exhausted by the end of it. And yet, it is a moment of celebration, release and joy. Watching the teams of harvesters with buckets on their backs moving up and down the rows at daybreak is a beautiful thing, and we manage to see it through the fatigue. Around me today, cars are honking as they drive through the villages decorated with vines and flowers, harvesters hang out of the back of trucks singing and shouting, spraying water and throwing grapes. It is a moment hors-temps, folkloric, and full of hope.
There is a community of (perhaps oxymoronic?) workaholics and bon vivants installed in this place because of this powerful allure. They make wine, coffee, beer, and cider; they run beautiful bed & breakfasts, cozy wine bars, and cook soulful food worth traveling for. This community makes Burgundy all the more special and is behind the following establishments.
Le Soleil – Lola Taboury Bize opened Le Soleil in Savigny-lès-Beaune next to the family winery Domaine Simon Bize, on a beautiful avenue of linden trees a few years ago. It quickly became a favorite restaurant and convivial gathering place. Laila Aouba prepares bright and creative dishes in a tapas and family-style format (a refreshing change from the traditional French formule). The wine list leans natural and rounds up the exciting new names alongside the institutions from Burgundy and beyond.
Domaine de Cassiopée – Talloulah Dubourg and Hugo Mathurin started their domaine in Sampigny-lès-Maranges in 2020. Their 5 hectares of vines mostly comprises Hautes Côtes de Beaune, Maranges and Bourgogne appellations. The young couple is working hard to convert the vineyards into organic farming and adhere to a philosophy of low intervention winemaking, low to no sulfur, and are simply lovely, genuine people.
VIF – They say it takes a lot of beer to make a good wine and Burgundian winemakers have found a favorite in VIF. Tommy Pace and Lara Young started their microbrewery in 2020 and are based in Ladoix. Tommy has a winemaking background and both share a passion for artisanal beverages, taking inspiration from German, American and Belgian beer cultures.
L’Arche des Vins – A newer addition to the landscape of wine bars in Beaune, this is the sort of locale you go to for an after-work glass and end up closing down the bar. The establishment is owned by childhood friends Félix Arnulf and Romain Paxion who grew up in Burgundy and whose friendships (and allocations) in the community run deep.
Domaine Camille Thiriet – Matt Chittick and Camille Thiriet started their domaine in Comblanchien in the Côte de Nuits in 2016. They champion the Côte de Nuits appellation and while they’ve recently purchased a new domaine in Corgoloin, they aim to keep their production small to give as much attention as possible to every bottle. To me, the wines are in the sweet spot of being both easy to drink and serious Burgundy.
La Maison de Pommard – Right on the central square of the renowned winemaking village of Pommard is the home of the de Montille family, painstakingly renovated with architect Emanuele Salini and converted into an elegant bed and breakfast by Isabelle de Montille. The design is minimal, thoughtful and refined. Access to Isabelle’s well-allocated cellar is a serious perk.
Château Chandon de Briailles – For a cultural stop (after a great lunch at Le Soleil and hike through the vineyards), visit the manoir and gardens of Domaine Chandon de Briailles in Savigny-les-Beaune. A folly of the 18th century, the chateau and its gardens were built at a time when the architect, Jules Hardouin-Mansart, and the landscape architect, André Le Nôtre, were completing the Château de Versailles and its gardens. The gardens are planted with ancient trees, beautiful flower beds, and adorned with sculptures. If you have an opportunity to taste them, the biodynamic wines of the François de Nicolay’s domaine are fantastic as well. I am producing a temporary art exhibition here this Autumn (October 20 – November 25).
Saint Romain Coffee Roastery – Matt McClune is a painter installed in the beautiful hilltop village of Saint Romain. He started his boutique roastery during the pandemic. He has approached coffee-making from the angle of terroir: the idea of tasting place. Much like with wine, he is deeply interested in the environment from where his beans come from and follows the process with laser precision every step of the way.
La Dilettante – Run by Laurent Brelin (lovingly called Lolo), La Dilettante is the kind of classic wine bar that feels as if it’s been there forever. The coziest spot in Beaune (along with Caves Madeleine, Lolo’s previous restaurant), it is the perfect place to geek out over a delicious bottle along with a board of cheese and charcuterie.
L’Epicerie Paysanne – A modern-meets-traditional epicerie run by Bertrand Bazin in the center of Beaune. The go-to spot for locavore products – fruit and vegetables, locally-roasted coffee, honey, jam and more.
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