Your 5-star guide to drinking in France’s wine regions
Trusted culinary entrepreneur offers sensational tips for savouring the most celebrated wine country.
A feast of architecture, cuisine, wine and food. My love affair with this part of France began more than three decades ago when I first visited Europe as a student.
It didn’t take long for me to fall for the history, its food and of course, the wines. My epiphany came on a lazy summer afternoon while enjoying the delights of some rustic coq au vin. The friendly owner/chef offered to share his bottle of wine and there was no turning back. Burgundy, with its mesmerising and perfumed pinot noir and chardonnay. Bordeaux, with its enveloping power of rich cabernet and merlot blends. And of course, Champagne, home of the world’s most famous sparkling wines. From that moment my passion and interest in exploring these historical places has never waned.
These villages of France deserve all the time and attention one can muster. While some places require advance planning and reservations, many small hotels can be surprisingly welcoming during the off-season. The famous and not-so-famous wineries, however, rarely provide access on a walk-in basis. Cellar doors don’t exist and if a visit is granted, it is always by appointment. The good news is that, in a growing trend, some of the more prominent wineries are now geared to accept visitors and, in many cases, have their own restaurants.
BURGUNDY
L’Hôtel de Beaune
Burgundy sits in the heart of France, nestled between Paris and the foodie haven of Lyon in the south. It’s the fairy-tale land of Renaissance châteaux, medieval abbeys, stonewalled villages and the world-renowned vineyards of Côte D’Or. The rich history of wine growing here dates to the Romans and is woven into the tapestry of Imperial France – its kings, courts and viticulturist monks. It is divided into three winegrowing areas: Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune and the chalky hills of Chablis.
The tiny medieval town of Beaune is known as the capital of Burgundy. Beaune is all about wine and food; wine shops and bistros are scattered everywhere throughout the town, while boulangeries and a farmer’s market champion the local produce.
L’Hôtel is a small 17-room hotel with two delicious restaurants, including its revered Le Bistro. Enjoy the house specialities, which may include Bresse roast chicken with morels or bœuf à la Bourguignonne. The 19th-century mansion, once home to famed Burgundy wine merchants the Jadot family, is a great base from which to explore the town and the surrounding vineyards. Rent a bike and cycle the world’s most famous wine route, The Routes des Grands Crus.
5 rue Samuel Legay, 21200 Beaune, France
COMO Le Montrachet
Puligny-Montrachet is a stonewalled hamlet at the centre of Burgundy’s white wine region. It is named after the grand-cru vineyard of Montrachet, arguably the world’s most sought-after white wine. COMO Hotels & Resorts tastefully converted a 19th-century set of limestone buildings to create this small luxury hotel, which opened last year. COMO Le Montrachet is also known for one of the region’s finest restaurants, and its cellars hold some of France’s best arrays of Burgundy.
10 place du Pasquier de la Fontaine 21190 Puligny-Montrachet, France
BORDEAUX
Hôtel de Pavie
The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Saint-Émilion is littered with historic hallmarks, as well as plenty of wine shops and family-run restaurants. In the town’s centre is charming Hôtel de Pavie, a small five-star hotel from the owners of Château Pavie. Its restaurant, La Table de Pavie, offers regional haute cuisine, paired with wines from surrounding vineyards. You can admire the landscape from the raised terrace, which also offers breathtaking views across the village’s rooftops.
5 rue du Clocher, 33330 Saint-Émilion, France
Château Troplong Mondot
Château Troplong Mondot is a first grand cru classé 90-acre working vineyard. Its 18th-century château perches on a hilltop overlooking Saint-Émilion. The five-room château has been fully restored and is available for rent in its entirety or individually. The rural retreat offers tailor-made experiences, such as immersion vineyard tours, alfresco lunches where guests can sample old vintages, and truffle hunting during the winter months. Along with the château, its Michelin-starred restaurant – Logis de la Cadène, Saint-Emilion’s oldest – also offers four guest rooms as does its Maison de la Cadène, just down the road.
Château Troplong Mondot, 33330 Saint-Laurent-des-Combes, France
CHAMPAGNE
Domaine Les Crayères
Grand is the operative word when describing this opulent and historic 20-room château. Les Crayères is located on the Saint-Nicaise hill in the beautiful town of Reims, centre of the Champagne region. It overlooks the Basilica of Saint-Rémi in the distance, while its vast terrace extends out over the estate’s magnificent parklands. The signature restaurant, Le Parc, is one of France’s very best while its wine list is as deep as the incredible chalk cellars running beneath the town. Reims has a great food market that operates on certain days along with a host of local bistros. Famous Champagne houses such as Moët & Chandon, Bollinger and Veuve Clicquot are open daily for tastings and in some cases, also have their own restaurants.
64 boulevard Henry Vasnier, 51100 Reims, France
Résidence Eisenhower
In the very heart of Reims sits the Residence Eisenhower. Literally a few steps away is the 13th-century Cathedral of Notre-Dame, setting for the coronations of the kings of France. The gracious Beaux-Arts hotel is now owned by Champagne house Piper-Heidsieck and here you get to enjoy the intimacy of a private mansion while living like an aristocrat from one of the region’s famous families. This residence was known as L’hôtel Mignot when it hosted General Dwight David Eisenhower – supreme commander of the Allied expeditionary forces in Europe – who took up residence in the days of deliverance from World War II. It has been fully restored and now operates as a small hotel with eight unique rooms, its name a nod to that most famous guest.
17 boulevard Lundy, 51100 Reims, France
This story is from the July issue of WISH.
