CAU > Seminars and Study Tours > Epicurean Burgundy

Epicurean Burgundy

September 21-28, 2008

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Overview

Burgundy is one of the oldest and most famous wine-producing regions in the world. Its wines, most notably from the Côte d'Or, have set the standard for wine lovers everywhere for hundreds of years. Even non-wine drinkers know (or think they know) what burgundy refers to. The wine, the cuisine, the verdant countryside, the harvest season, and the beautiful city of Beaune are wonderful reasons to explore this legendary region.

Faculty

Our wine expedition will be led by perennial favorite Abby Nash, former restaurateur, past faculty member of Cornell's School of Hotel Administration, and teacher of the very popular CAU wine course. Abby has designed this gastronomic tour of Burgundy's finest subregions. Each day he will introduce us to a different wine, guide our visits to wineries and vineyards, and lead our sampling of fine wines and regional food favorites. And, as his legion of CAU admirers knows, Abby is as delightful and congenial as he is discerning and knowledgeable. We know you are going to enjoy his company!

Itinerary

Our home for the week, in the utterly charming city of Beaune (the capital of the local wine industry), will be the four-star Hôtel Le Cep, created from a group of mansions built between the fourteenth and eighteenth centuries. Le Cep is sure to delight you; it is both a registered historic monument and a handsomely appointed, very comfortable, extremely well-managed hotel.

Each day we'll set off to a different corner of Burgundy. First will be the Côte de Nuits village of Gevrey-Chambertin, where we'll visit a famous winery and enjoy lunch in Nuits-Saint-Georges at the private home of a well-known local oenologist (a comtesse from an ancient family, by the way). We'll spend the afternoon in Vosne-Romanée with prominent winemakers Armelle and Bernard Rion, whose family has been producing Vosne-Romanée for several generations as well as the legendary Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru.

We'll devote a day to the wines and vineyards of the Côte de Beaune. We'll drive through the scenic Hautes Côtes to a domaine of famed Aloxe-Corton to taste a grand cru, stop in Volnay to lunch on regional favorites accompanied by its famous wine, visit the world-famous Château de Meursault and its charming village, and complete the day with a "tasting dinner" in a private domaine.

We'll visit St. Bénigne, one of the region's finest cooking schools, where we'll train our hands and palates in an expertly led demonstration and hands-on food preparation session. Our morning will culminate in a private lunch, featuring our cordon bleu creations.

Last, and certainly not least, a highlight of our busy week will be our day exploring Dijon, with its marvelous gastronomic specialty shops, where we'll walk, look, taste, and explore, and stay for lunch and a visit to the Château de Clos de Vougeot, headquarters of the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, whose cellars were built by Cistercian monks in the twelfth century. By week's end, we're sure you'll agree that all your senses have been treated to the pleasures of vine and table, the nicest of settings, and the very best of company.

Program Cost and Travel Arrangements

The program fee of $5,490 (per-person, double-occupancy) includes all accommodations and breakfasts, four lunches, four dinners, receptions and wine tastings, all site visits and admission fees, all ground transportation, escort services, taxes, gratuities, emergency medical-evacuation insurance, and the full educational program. The supplement for single occupancy (limited availability) is $938. A group airfare from New York will be offered at additional cost, but you are free to make your own international air arrangements.

Program Notes

This is not a physically demanding trip, but we will be walking over uneven ground at many points and climbing steps. Temperatures this time of year should be very comfortable, although a rain shower is always a possibility.