Avril 9th

Today was a very light day in the lab. Most of the analysis had been done the day before so Kyriakos and I headed to Dijon to have lunch with his children Athena and Alexi. To commerate my time spent in Greece, Kyriakos prepared souvlaki, tzitziki, tipiti and greek salad. It was delicious. We, of course, started the meal with an ouzo and then moved to a Greek Rose which complemented the meal perfectly. Ya Sou! The rest of the day was spent shopping with Kyriakos' children. We quite possibly visited every clothing shop in Dijon. Alex and Athena are lovely and went out of their way to give me an intimate tour of Dijon in English!

That night Kyriakos lent me the the company Peugeot to drive for the weekend. We picked it up from the lab and I followed him into Beaune to suss out parking spots for the next day. Every Saturday there is a huge market in the center of Beaune. I wanted to make sure that I got a good parking spot that afforded me the ability of moving in and out of the presumably crowded city with ease. Kyriakos helped me find what I thought would be the perfect spot. Sure, I would have to pay in the morning...but it would be easy make my escape should I want to explore the country side. Little did I know what was in store for me.

Later in the evening I met up for a drink with Thomas Mazoyer who worked for Domaine Drouhin in Oregon in 2007. As luck would have it, all of the monuments in the city of Beaune had these brilliant computer generated light shows projected onto them for the Beaune film festival. Truly Stunning! I am not sure any of the photos I put up can do them justice. The film festival was for Policier films, like " Little Odessa", "We own the night" and other police style dramas. The buzz around town was that Samuel L Jackson was on the jury selection and he could possibly be roaming the very small, cobbled streets of Beaune....maybe even having a coffee and cigarette at any number of the cafes, so I decided to keep my eyes peeled. I figured that if we did meet we would most likely become friends as what are the odds of two Americans wandering around the streets of this small Burgundian town. But needless to say.....

Avril 10th

Had a bit of a sleep in today but I knew I would have to get up before 9 to run down to the car to put money in the meter. My alarm went off at 8:3o and I quickly got dressed and ran downstairs with my wallet.

There was a bit of a shock, or really it was complete punch in the stomach when I saw that my car had been swallowed by the market. Quite literally. The vendors carried on with their booths and set up around the car. I was so embarrassed that I didn't want to go get the ticket off the car until after the market had ended. I did manage to stealthily grab a photo and then run back upstairs to call Kyriakos. "Je Suis TRES TRES Desolee" Kyriakos but the marche ate your car. He said not to worry and that he was sorry if it ruined my plans....ruined my day? Was that possible?

As I was definitely not going anywhere, I headed to the market to pick up some fresh produce, bread and Chevre. There are few words to describe the bustling of the market. My senses were overloaded with the colors, the melange of aromas as well as the general cacophony of the market. I would love to be transported here every Saturday.,,,although I know I would probably primarily buy the cheeses which would get me into trouble later. I know the paradox exists, but how do the French stay so trim? If I unlock the answer to this often asked question....I promise you here, that I will share the secret.

After I spent too much money on three different types of Chevre, purple asparagus, bread, marinated mushroom, Belgium endive and some tangerines. I met a woman named Yolande Coent. She is an Oenologist/journalist who lives in town. She is part owner in a Domaine named Domaine de Clivet. My friends Brad and Bethany are friends with another owner Phillipe who is from Canada but lives in Bordeaux. He generously offered to let me stay at the "rustic"apartment in his winery just 1 km outside of Beaune. Yolande, a very friendly and stylish women who has an affinity for Pink Martini, drove me to look at the house. Can I say location is everything! The apartment was indeed rustic but certainly, could be comfortable. But it had the most breathtaking view of Mersault. I told her that there was still a possibility that i could stay in the apartment that I was in for another week, which would be easier, as I would not have to rent a car....but if it was not a possibility, I would love to stay at the house.

After the trip to the house, Yolande invited me out for lunch and I happily agreed. It was decided that we would meet again at noon as it was only 11 and walk to the restaurant from outside her Hospice de Beaune adjacent apartment. She would make a reservation at Caves Madeline and we would dine would her friend Francois. I used the next hour to peruse the market once more and put my newly purchased items away.

In a word, phenomenal! Cave Madeline was delicious. Yolande and Francois were friends with the owner Laurent (who so kindly explained the dishes to me in English). We started with Dandelion greens and bacon in a very light vinaigrette with a poached egg on top and then we decided on the same main...Le poisson. A white fish, that I have no idea what it was but it had a similar texture to halibut, grilled and served with wilted greens and mashed potatoes with hints of fromage and creme. Outstanding. We drank various whites with our meal. We started with a Mersault, then a Bourgogne blanc and finally with a white wine of. unknown orgin (at least to me as I didn't hear the appellation)....which was a shame as it was the best of the three. Lunch ended with me declining dessert but accepting a coffee (of course!).

Yolande used to work for Clos Vougeot, so she offered to drive me there to have a look around. Before the French Revolution the Chateau and the vineyards were owned by the Abbey of Citeaux, however, qfter 1818 it was owned by the state. They have four wooden presses in the building that every year still gets dirty for the traditional pressing of approximately one ton.

There is so much history that surrounds this property and its vineyards that I could spend many blogs recounting its legacy. But instead. I will provide you with this link that provides a far more in depth description. http://www.tastevin-bourgogne.com/Anindex2.htm ( Make sure you click on the English Translation.)

Avril 11th

I set my alarm for 6:30 am so I would be able to be on the road by 7ish. In my ever present need to for preparation and planning, I decided it would be best to explore the confusing one way streets of Beaune early before the town woke up. After multiple turns around the Rue de Marechal Foch, it was time for me to break loose of the city's confines and head out to the country side. I drove north to up to Gevrey-Chambertin and then took the the Rue de Grand Cru all the way down to Puligny-Montrachet. It was a beautiful afternoon so I took my time and stopped to take some photos along the way. I was back to the apartment around 1:30 so I could rest before that evening's events.

Kyriakos had asked me to accompany him to the Beaune Film Festival closing gala. Bien Sur! We were running a little late so missed the closing cermonies however, arrived just in time for the dinner to start. Most of the attendees were pillars of the Beaune community. The room consisted of everyone from the Mayor to restauranteers to the film and production crews. Kyriakos and I were hoping to catch a glimpse of Mr. Jackson however, we were informed that he had left earlier in the day to head back to the US. I guess it was never meant to be....nonetheless, the evening was a lot of fun and I had an opporunity to rub elbows with a few of the French elite.

Avril 7 and 8

Avril 7th

Today, I got to make myself useful in the lab. I ran turbidities on both white and red samples. Many of the samples that I had to analyse were bottles meant for export so many of the samples were very clear, around 1 ntu. In addition, I had the opportunity to witness the analysis of wine for the anthocyanin Malvidin via chromatography. I believe the next statement will cement my membership in the oenology geek club but.... it was fascinating! I was under the assumption that malvin 3-glucoside is the more common anthocyanin in young wines before it polymerizes and forms larger complexes with other tannin/phenolic molecules. Kyriako's lab analyzes wines, that are meant to be exported to Brazil, for this particular molecule. When I inquired about this test, I was told it is a method to determine whether a particular red wine (usually Pinot Noir) contained was a "hybrid" or in other words was doctored to enhance the color. This analysis was very pertinent a couple of decades ago when producers had more hybrid varietals planted. Kyriakos informed me that most of those vines have been pulled and that it is no longer a real concern in the industry. He said that Brazil is the only country that he knows of that still requires this analysis. As luck would have it, at least for me, one of the wine samples proved positive for Malvidin. Perhaps there are still some rogue vines lurking out there.....

Avril 8th

Today was very eventful. In the morning I picked up samples with Aurelie P. Many of Burgundia Oenologia's clients can call the lab and request a sample pick up for the next day. Everyday, Aurelie P drives around first thing in the morning and either drops off necessary products or picks up samples. I had the pleasure of accompanying her. We drove mainly around Aloxe-Corton today...you could see just the beginning of the vineyards beginning to awake from what I understand was an exceptionally cold winter. As a result, Aurelie said, the growth in the vineyards are about a month beyond this year. We stopped at many very notable Domaines. Some clients request only sample analysis while others require consulting as well.

After the whirl wind introduction the area, I met Kyriakos back at the Lab. We had an appointment Monsieur Gerard Fagnoni of Chateau de Santenay. The Chateau was spectacular! I am told that it belonged to the Duke of Burgundy in the 14th centurary. Monsieur Faginoli is a very animated person and lovely to taste with. With at least 50 samples to taste and discuss and only ~2hours to do it, I learned as well as witnessed the art of speed tasting. Back at Archery, I tend to be very thoughtful (if not excessively) about the wine I am tasting, this proved to be a challenging exercise...but I think with a little practice I could earn some racing stripes.

Later, the day continued with a tasting within the lab of a smaller producer who shall remain anonymous as the discussion consisted of methods to ameliorate Brettanomyces affected wines. The methods proposed today ranged from Elegom (gum arabic), copper, and Stabivin additions. It is always interesting to trial various fining agents even in the end they are never applied. The Elegom was particularly intriguing as it did improve the Brett tainted wine. There were still elements of the classic Brett/4ep/4eg character: barnyard, leather, bandaid, however with the addition of Elegom, the aroma profile displayed some fruit (mainly black/blue fruit aromas) that were previously masked.

The day ended with a glass of wine to toast my the end of my jet lag and my ability to stay up past 8pm. I haven't quite figured out how to label the photos that I am posting...but today, I have posted a picture of the lab, my beautiful apartment both inside and outside, Chateau de La Cree, and the city of Beaune. More pics to follow of Chateau de Santenay as well as of the vineyards...stay tuned. Bonsoiree!

J'arrive en Bourgogne

After three planes; two trains, one car and 24 hours, I finally made it to Beaune. The journey, though arduous, proved worthwhile as I drove through the cobbled streets of the city, reminding me that I definitely was not in Oregon anymore. I promised myself after my last visit to Europe, that I would travel lightly, however, despite my sincere effort to travel light, I managed to schlep a six pack of wine and a suitcase that felt heavier than it should for the carefully planned contents inside. It proved to be especially cumbersome on the last leg of the trip when I had to switch trains in Lyon to head back up to Beaune. The small, crowded train was not very hospitable to my very heavy suitcase... by which point held all of the wine (9 bottles) that had traveled across the Alantic with me. Nonetheless, I encountered some very friendly people that made my travels much easier. In fact, a young man that did not speak much English carried my enormous suitcase up three flights of stairs as we ran to catch my last train. I will be forever grateful for his help, without which might have left me stranded in the Lyon train station. Traveling overseas always reminds of the generosity of the global community.

April 6th: " Mon premier jour de travail"

Today, I was introduced to Burgundia Oenologia, Kyriakos Kynigopolous's Lab. It is without a doubt a very well oiled machine. There are three Oenologists (Anthony, Aurelie P and Laurent) and two lab technicians (Melanie and Adeline), a Qualite Manager (Aurelie A) and a secretary ( Emily). It is interesting to witness the relationship between the Oenologists and the Oenologues (winemakers). Almost all of the analysis is sent to a lab as many wineries are not equipped to perform any analysis as are many of the trials. I spent the morning shadowing the lab technicians and learning the goings on of the lab. Much of the analysis is done by machine via FTIR and PCR. Which is understandable considering the number of samples that pass through the doors. Adeline informed me that during "la vendange" (harvest) they can see 200-300 samples a day. Whew! I will have to remember this as I am procrastinating over the 41 malo samples, waiting for me every other week.

Aurelie P escorted me to Tonnellerie Redmond to meet the owner, the very lovely, Madame Dubois and have a tour of the facility. It is a smaller cooperage that produces approximately 20,000 barrels per year. They still focus on Forest designated barrels and have been family owned (although not the same family) for over a century. Tonnellerie Redmond has generously allowed me to stay in their beautiful Maison in the center of Beaune. Quite literally, the Hospice de Beaune is right around the corner.

Later in the afternoon, I accompanied Anthony to a tasting at Chateau de la Cree in Sautenay. What a beautiful Chateau! We tasted 2009 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with Owner and winemaker. What a wonderful introduction to the wines of Bourgogne! They too have a cement Oeuf that they ferment Chardonnay in. Some of the Chardonnays had some reduction but were strong in acidity (j'adore!) and varied in complexity. The Pinots were lighter than the wines we have in Oregon but aromatic, fruit-centric and clean.

Unfortunately, jet lag reared its ugly head and I needed to be in bed by 6. By and By a lovely start to the trip.