reccos for burgundy?

i'll be leaving for france in 10 days and near the end be in burgundy. any ideas for visiting/tasting/buying good reds that aren't imported into the US or at least not readily available? i'd like to 'discover'(along with you) some good unknown stuff. presumably it might also be less expensive. thanks in advance.

along the same lines, does anyone plan to be a either the big Sancerre tasting in Sancerre at the end of May or Vitiloire in Tours the first weekend in June?

any ideas for visiting/tasting/buying good reds that aren't imported into the US or at least not readily available? i'd like to 'discover'(along with you) some good unknown stuff. presumably it might also be less expensive.

I wouldn't think Burgundy is the most promising region for this strategy. But perhaps you'll prove me wrong.

Pay a visit to the cave cooperative wine store in Chassagne-Montrachet.

-Paul W.

thanks paul. i've been happy with what coops elsewhere are doing - spending money on modern equipment and hiring local sons and daughters who have been away to school to learn good practices as well as doing internships abroad. i never really thought about how this might work out in burgundy; but i like the idea. will do.

David,

I can strongly recommend http://www.wellarrangedtravel.com/Tours ... deaux.html

My sister-in-law owns Well Arranged Travel, and last year I went with her to meet her new local wine tour guides. Can't say enough about how good the tour and tasting experience was. Outstanding guides willing to customize your tour to your buying interests, and will ship your mixed cases anywhere but Utah.

If Paul is suggesting the store I am thinking of, it's the store that functions as a co-op (so it has a wide variety of producers represented), it's not a co-op winery like La Chablisienne, Domane Wachau, or Produttori del Barbaresco (but Paul will correct me if I'm wrong). The store I'm thinking of has a decent library of vintages.

I'm with Rahsaan that Burgundy- maybe the most geeked over and traveled to wine region in the world by serious wine folks- maybe isn't most fertile place to look for the undiscovered gems. But good luck, hope we are wrong!

so far i'm looking at visiting roger belland in santenay and michelle and patrice rion in premeaux. i guess neither is undiscovered; but......

David said:

so far i'm looking at visiting roger belland in santenay and michelle and patrice rion in premeaux. i guess neither is undiscovered; but.....

Barrel tasting with Rion was one of the highlights of the trip I mentioned earlier. He's passionate about what he's doing, funny, charming and a font of local knowledge.

Dale,

Yes, that's the place I was thinking of, and you're right--it's not a co-op winery, it's a co-op store. Wine from a wide variety of producers are for sale there, and they have some wines available for in-store tasting.

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Otherwise, Burgundy isn't like Sonoma or Napa or even the Southern Rhone, where you can just drive up to a bunch of wineries and taste their wines. Your best bet is to get appointments arranged through the wine trade. Although there are exceptions. One year I was in Burgundy in May, and during the week of Ascension Thursday the whole town of Savigny-Les-Beaune had an open-cellars day, with a couple of dozen producers holding tastings. I don't know of they do this annually, but it might be worth looking out for this or similar events in Burgundy.

-Paul W.

thanks, paul. good advice all around.

I got the town wrong in my last message. I meant to say Savigny-Les-Beaune, not Santenay. I've corrected it. Sorry about that!

-Paul W.

You might want to arrange to visit Alex Gambal operation. He's an American who acts as negociant/eleveur and owns some vineyards in Burgundy. Imports to USA on limited basis. Produces both whites and reds--Chassagne-Montrachet, St. Aubin, Savigny-les-Beaunes, Volnay. Vougeot, etc.

so far i'm looking at visiting roger belland in santenay and michelle and patrice rion in premeaux. i guess neither is undiscovered; but......

If you are going to Santenay I would recommend Le Terroir for lunch or dinner. Right on the town square. And I would definitely revisit Francoise and Denis Clair (up and coming father and son team and cousin of Bruno Clair) as well as Lucien Muzard et Fils. Just ask directions while you are at the restaurant. Wish I could join you. My favorite region. Also check out Les Maranges, just southeast of Santenay for undiscovered terrior.

thanks richard. are all three located close to one another on the rue de la chapelle? thats what it looks like. you need an appointment at them and i can't find a website for lucien muzard. maybe i'll call when i arrive in the area. i emailed the clairs. thanks.