Tag: France

Story of the day: Father’s Day in Burgundy

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A couple of personal journeys to round off the week.

First up is a piece about a Father’s Day trip to France, which was somewhat mangled by the subs at the Daily Mail.

This was the first in a series of stories I wrote about Dijon and Burgundy. There’s still even one yet to be published in the Sunday Telegraph on a contemporary art theme – details to come.

Here’s an extract:

“People are afraid of stuffy tastings at local wine cellars. It can be intimidating, so we try to demystify the process,” says Celine Dandelot on Sensation Vin (pictured above).

We take our seats at a lightbox-style tasting table and watch the introductory briefing on the wall-mounted TV as Celine uncorks the bottles.

Burgundy’s five wine-producing regions, we learn, produce 200 million bottles a year – one-third red, two-thirds white, split into four categories: grand cru, premier cru, village and region.

“We simply look at colour, smell and taste, repeating the same three tests for each of the six wines,” says Celine.

“You can tell the age of a wine from its colour and aroma. By tasting, we identify its characteristics.”

Read the full story, Happy Father’s Day.

Do you have a favourite place in Burgundy? Or a good angle on the region?

Post your comments below.

Story of the day: Dijon City Guide

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I’ve been to Dijon and Burgundy several times over the last few years to follow the story of the urban renaissance.

This story, taken from the Independent, details the final visit last autumn. There’s another story to come for the Sunday Telegraph this spring with a modern art angle. The first trip with my dad (pictured above) was about wine tasting.

Here’s an extract:

Place Darcy has been symbolic of Dijon of late: a work in progress. But, as part of “Le Grand Dijon”, the master plan to revitalise the city by its ambitious mayor, François Rebsamen, Dijon’s sleek new trams are now gliding across the historic city centre.

“Dijon has really come alive with revived public spaces and new pedestrianised streets,” says tour guide Sherry Thevenot of Bourgogne Authentique. “It still has the classical sites, but a new sense of vibrancy pervades.”

That’s it for Burgundy, I think, unless you know more story angles? Time to move on, or more to explore?

Post your thoughts below.