I first heard Brian talking about spending his 50th birthday in Burgundy two years ago while we were in Miami celebrating his 48th. I promised to accompany him but it was so far in the future that I consigned it to a distant place in my “things-i-am-thinking-about” folder. Not so Brian. He mentioned it consistently at our tasting group get-togethers and launched a full frontal attack on the problem beginning late last year.
Burgundy has historically been a tough place to visit for the uninitiated or unconnected. It does not really have a mass wine tourism infrastructure or mentality and the producers would actually prefer not to be bothered. Visitors to the region are mostly wine professionals, writers, and affluent/influential burgundy consumers with long-standing relationships and track records. And visiting groups are generally limited in size.
Brian was bucking that model in that he intended to bring a sizeable group of his friends into the region for four or so days for the purpose of visiting wineries and eating in area restaurants. And he had no cards.
The first favorable thing to happen to him along the way was that the group self-selected down to 11 people, making it easier to handle and, maybe, increasing the likelihood of securing winery visits.
His initial plan was to spend a few days in Paris and then head out to Burgundy for four days. Beginning with these objectives, Brian, ably assisted by his wife Erin, crafted a focused and, ultimately, highly successful program which was enjoyable and satisfying for all involved. And no winemakers were hurt during the process.
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| Erin, Hudson, and Brian |
Brian began with a list of all the important producers in Côte d’Or and contacted each by email to determine if they took visits from the public and, if they did, would they take a group of our size at a time of our choosing. His aim was to do two meaningful tours and tastings per day with solid lunches and dinners at known locales to follow. Over the course of many months he secured appointments with quality producers in both Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuit, thus ensuring that participants would get a balanced view of the region and its wines.
In addition, Brian and Erin made accommodation arrangements for the group in both Paris and Burgundy, set up activities for the group in Paris, arranged transportation between and Paris and Burgundy as well as within Burgundy. The full travel group was: the aforementioned Brian and Erin, along with their son Hudson; Jackie (Brian’s Mom); David and Jen (Brian’s brother and his significant other); Fred and Laurie; Matt and Caryn; and the author.
Jackie
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| Jackie, David, Jen, and Laurie |
Fred, Laurie, Matt, and Caryn
Attendees arrived into Paris at varying times. The only scheduled group activities were a Friday lunch at Willi’s Wine bar, to be followed by a private boat cruise on the Seine. Most people had activities preceding but those will not be covered as they were not considered a part of the “official” birthday celebration.
There was some slight confusion as to whether the lunch at Willi’s was scheduled for noon or 12:30. I was already out at an exhibition so I made it to the establishment by noon. The remaining members filtered in between 12:00 and 12:30 at which time we were shepherded into a private room.
It did not take long for the volume in the room to begin heading north as an effusive wine-consumption benchmark was quickly established. We had a wonderful meal and enjoyable wines but, more importantly for people who were going to be spending a week together, no one sucked.
At the conclusion. of the lunch we walked over to the River Seine to link up with our boat. I was excited. I had ridden Bateaux-Mouche-type boats on the Seine on many occasions but had not gone the private boat route previously. Erin and Brian had rented a boat and captain exclusively for our party.
Once the boat dock was vacated our boat made its way onside and we boarded.
The day had warmed up considerably and was perfect for a river cruise. The river banks were peppered with people walking, sitting, standing, and even dancing, welcoming, as they were, the sun with open arms and hearts.
Champagne and conversation flowed freely as the equally young Captain and First Mate maneuvered the boat down the river and the wines down our throats.
A beautiful way to see the sights of Paris but, like all good things the ride came to an end. We disembarked and headed back to our individual habitats. Somewhere on the way back i discovered that i had left my scarf and jacket on the boat. It has not surfaced as yet.
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