Burgundy Wine Tour

Wine Tour Burgundy

Sat 19th May - Sat 5th June 2004

Itinerary

Sat 29 May
9.00 Depart on luxury coach from Clapham Common. Champagne & French pastries en route to Channel Tunnel! Packed lunch and more Champagne following!

4.30 Arrive in Reims (staying at Grand Hotel l'Univers)

• and at 6.30 pm we'll have a Champagne reception in the Hotel. The evening is then free.
• There are plenty of restaurants just round the corner of the hotel, pick one you fancy - whether it's steak and chips or a bowl of moules etc

Sun 30 May
10.30 Depart from hotel. Please pack your bags and put them on the coach.

11.00 Visit to Maison Autréau to taste and buy up stocks of Champagne .

1.30 Fabulous lunch at gourmet restaurant Royal Champagne.

MENU
(accompanied by Champagne & Red wine)
Fois Gras de canard marine au Vin de Bouzy
(Duck Fois Gras, marinated in Red wine)
*
Epaule d'agnau mijotée au vin rouge
(Shoulder of Lamb, with Red wine sauce)
*
Chaource sur pain tousté (Cheese pastry extravaganza)
*
Fondant au chocolat guanaja (Chocolat Fondant)

4.00 Depart for Burgundy - 8.30pm arrive Beaune (Hotel Panorama) for 3 nights.

Evening free. The hotel has it's own very good restaurant, or there are plenty of bars and eateries just down the road in the centre of Beaune, including the Hotel Central also owned by the same people as Le Panorama, and Ermitage-Corton (Thursday night's venue)

Mon 31 May
9.00 Depart hotel

9.30 Visit to the L'ecole des Vins du Borgogne: Wine University in Beaune for an introduction to wines from Burgundy and a tasting of 6 wines.

1.00 Depart for Chateau Melin and cellars of Paul Dumay for tasting and lunch (charcuteries of the region e.g. jambon persillé, cheeses, salads, desserts etc.)

Evening free.

Tues 1 June

Morning free for shopping etc.,

3.30 Depart for Domaine Michele & Patrice Rion in Nuits-Saint-Georges for tour, tasting and dinner at La Cabotte. Wines will be from Patrice Rion.

MENU
Small spring vegetable salad, with parmesan and langoustines
(French translation, not mine)
*
Roasted Pigeon with carrots, cucumber, coriander, mint and lemon and rhubarb
*
Cheese course
*
Strawberries with red fruit and pepper gaspacho - fresh yoghurt if required.

Wed 2 June
10.00 Pack up luggage and load onto coach. Visit to Domaine du Bois Guillame at Demigny for tasting with world famous Jean-Yves Devevey and lunch.

MENU
Mise en Bouche Printaniere au foie gras
(various Amuse Bou che, some with Foie Gras)
*
Filet de sandre a L'emincé d'oseille (Pike)
*
Piece de Bouf Charollais, jus a l'emulsion de vin rouge (Beef)
*
Assortiment de fromages de la region
*
Feuillete croustillant aux fraises

Wines
Bourgogne Chardonnay 2001 ; Hautes Cotes de Beaune Les Chagnots XVIII Lunes 2001 ; Beaune 1 er Cru Pertuisots 2000 (magnum) ; Hautes Cotes de Beaune Blanc et Bourgogne Rouge ; Savigny les Beaune 1 er Cru Les Lavieres 2002.

5.00 After lunch we then move into the fantastic Hotel de la Poste, in the centre of Beaune for two nights.

Thurs 3 June
Day off to explore historic Beaune or Dijon (very quick TGV connection between them).

7.00 Coach departs for optional Dinner at Ermitage Corton extra £50 per person.

MENU
Asparagus with Mousseline sauce
*
Sea Bass with fennel
*
Rack of lamb with artichokes
*
Fresh cheese selection
*
Le Chocolat de l'ermitage version printemps 2004

Wines
Champagne; Marsanny blanc 1997; Meursault 1er Cru Jobard 2000;
Aloxe Corton 1998 Tollot

Fri 4 June
8.30 Pack luggage on coach and depart for Chablis (northern Burgundy ).

11.00 Tasting at Domaine Michel Barat, with picnic lunch

2.30 Domaine Laroche for tour and tasting.

4.30 Check into Hostellerie des Clos for one night.

7.00 Degustation (tasting) with Petit Chablis; Chablis; 2 Chablis 1er Cru; 2 Chablis grand cru and assorted canapés.

8.30 Dinner : Amuse Bouche

MENU
Asparagus cream & thin slices of smoked salmon with avruga (caviar)
*
Cod & Sea Bream in a Chablis Sauce
*
Regional Cheeses
*
Vanilla pastry with cherries and home made ice cream

Wines
Chablis 1er Cru; Irancy 2002

Sat 5 June

8.30 Depart for Calais .

2.00 Lunch at Le Relais restaurant near Ardres

MENU
Langouste a la Thermidor
(Huge prawns cooked Thermidor)
*
La Magret de Cana rd, aux peches roties
(Duck with roast peaches)
*
Le Sorbet Colonel
(special alcoholic sorbet)
*
Les Fromages Regionaux
*
Assiette Gourmande
Wines
Macon Luny Blanc & Chateau Haut-Piquat, St-Emilion 1993

4.30 Shopping in Calais !

9.00 Arrive back in Clapham - exhausted but happy!