Latest news with #Bourgogne
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
City of Auxerre and AJA aiming to fast-track expansion of Abbé Deschamps
Expanding Stade de l'Abbé Deschamps this year is a matter of importance to the city of Auxerre and its beloved club. That is at the top of the agenda for AJ Auxerre executive chairman Baptiste Malherbe and Auxerre mayor Crescent Marault. Advertisement Speaking to L'Équipe on Friday, Malherbe said: 'I was hoping to inaugurate the new stand in 2025. Now, it's in danger of being 2026. There's a real urgency. Those who say that we can do otherwise are mistaken, in terms of security, development… We need this tool: we have the 17th biggest budget in Ligue 1. We have overperformed for four years relative to our economic means. If we don't have that (stadium expansion), we're dead.' The hope is that the stadium, which has been around since 1918, expands from its current capacity of 17,500 to 20,000 in time for next season. Auxerre finished the previous campaign in 11th place in their first season back in Ligue 1. Marault, meanwhile, is pitching this project as 'essential for the territory.' The club is expected to present the plan at Auxerre's council meeting on June 26 in hopes of receiving funding. The project is expected to cost around €15m for the club, which would not only allow more fans to attend AJA matches but also improve the accessibility of the stadium and its safety. Advertisement The proposed expansion would be at the Leouault stand, one of the lateral stands of Abbé Deschamps. At the moment, Stade Abbé Deschamps is the third-smallest Ligue 1 stadium in terms of capacity, with only Stade Francis Le Blé, home to Stade Brestois (15,000) and AS Monaco's Stade Louis II (16,036) having a smaller capacity. This past season, the average attendance for AJA's home matches in Ligue 1 was 16,600, meaning they were usually at 95% capacity. The population of the city of Auxerre is 35,000. If the Loualt grandstand were to get the green light, the project would also include an expansion of the stadium shop, along with the construction of an 80-room hotel and a medical house or a brewery. Stade Abbé Deschamps was last renovated in 1994 when it got its current name. GFFN | Joel Lefevre
Forbes
5 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
14 Delicious Bourgogne (Burgundy) Wines From Five Different Regions
After recently visiting multiple producers and tasting 130 wines from the Bourgogne region in France, I selected the following 14 bottles from five of its wine producing sub-regions based on their overall quality and value. This renowned French wine region is now pressing to be called Bourgogne rather than its English translation of Burgundy (or Italian translation of Borgogna). The reasons are varied, including that most names of other French wine regions are not translated, and—intriguingly—that the color referred to as 'Burgundy' in English is called 'Bordeaux' in France and Italy. Bourgogne includes 84 distinct appellations, divided into Régional, Village (including Premier Cru) and Grand Cru distinctions, as well as over 1,800 climats—delineated vine plots with unique geological, exposure and hydrological characteristics that produce their own signature aromas/flavors. Prices for wines range widely within Bourgogne, and the region's overall cachet results in a small percentage of its wines commanding notably high prices (although Bourgogne produces 0.4% of the world's volume of wine, that accounts for 4% of global wine trade value). The selected wines below are listed from north to south, within the distinct sub-regions of Chablis & Grand Auxerrois, Côte de Nuits and Hautes Côtes de Nuits, Côte de Beaune and Hautes Côtes de Beaune, Côte Chalonnais and Couchois, and Mâconnais. All wines listed below are made either from white Chardonnay or red Pinot Noir grapes (although a smaller quantity of often excellent wines are made in the Bourgogne using Aligoté, César, Gamay and other grapes). 'Value' is determined by my proprietary Vino Value algorithm that normalizes and combines subjective tasting scores with objective bottle prices (retail, at cellar door) to identify wines of good (♫), excellent (♫♫) and superlative (♫♫♫) value—providing optimal 'bang for the buck.' Note that prices are local in France, and will be higher in the U.S. due to various factors. Note also that these selected wines represent only a very small sample of many high quality wines of desirable value from Bourgogne. Porte Noël in the city of Chablis, Bourgogne, France Domaine des Malandes. Fourchaume. AOC Chablis 1er Cru. 2023. 93-94 points. €40.00/$45.60. Excellent Value ♫♫. From Amandine Marchive and Richard Rottiers, whose grandmother began making wines in the region 50 years ago. The family ages most wines in a 70/30 blend of steel tanks and 500 liter Burgundian medium toasted barrels with oak from the Vosges forest. This Chardonnay includes complex aromas of honey and layered tropicals from one of the warmest climats in Chablis. Slightly nutty flavors in a crunchy, enticing mouthful of caramel and slight green apples in this Chardonnay. 'Our goal is to harvest quickly,' Amandine explained. 'Otherwise if it is hot in August you can lose acidity; if it is rainy there is a threat of mildew. We harvest 30 hectares [75 acres] in eight days, hand picking for Premier and Grand Cru plots.' Amandine Marchive of Domaine des Malandes, Chablis, Bourgogne, France Domaine Verret. Chardonnay. AOC Bourgogne Côtes d'Auxuerre. 2023. 91-92 points. €12.00/$13.70. Good Value ♫. From an estate with 148 acres (60 hectares), this 12.5% Chardonnay is vinified 50/50 in steel and used oak barrels and includes aromas of herbs, green apples, myrtle and slight salinity. Chewy, oily mouth feel in this semi-complex wine with a finish that includes slight caramel and lemon/line flavors. Domaine Gabin et Félix Richoux. Veaupessiot. AOC Irancy. 2021. 92-93 points. €25/$28.50. Excellent Value ♫♫. Irancy is an outlier—a village and appellation producing only red wines within Chablis, which is renowned for its dominant white wines. The village includes 250 residents, of which 10 are winemakers. With vines located above the River Yonne, these second generation winemaker brothers grow Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and César—a rare grape with big clustered bunches. Most of their visitors come from Paris, which is only two hours away by train. This Pinot Noir from a cool year vintage aged two years in oak and includes classic Burgundian aromas, including black currants and black cherries as well as some flint and black pepper. Soft and silky tannins. Gabin Richoux of Domaine Richoux, Irancy, Chablis, Bourgogne, France Domaine Le Guellec-Ducouet. Clos Champ. AOC Gevrey-Chambertin. 2023. 96-97 points. €44.00/$50.20. Superlative Value ♫♫♫. This domaine is owned by two business partners—one a winemaker and the other with roots in banking. Michaël Le Guellec took control over vines controlled by his family since 1920, although previously leased out. They use no chemicals. 'We try to make wines fresh and fruity, which people like to drink soon,' Michaël explained. Wines are exported to Asia, Europe and the U.S. Vines that produced grapes for this 13.5% alcohol Pinot Noir wine were planted between 1933 and 1985. Classic Burgundian aromas, including black pepper and volatiles. Suave tannins in this powerful, hefty, structured beauty of a wine with spice rack and elegance on the finish. Compelling, classic and a bargain. Winemaker Michaël Le Guellec of Domaine Le Guellec-Ducouet in Brochon, Côte-de-Nuits, Bourgogne, France, Domaine des Beaumont. AOC Morey-Saint-Denis. 2022. 92-93 points. €43.00/$49.00. Excellent Value ♫♫. Brothers Tanguy and Exupèry, both in their 20's, are 8th generation producers for a family that owns a 13.5 acre (5.5 hectare) estate. The wine is produced from grapes from five different plots and includes edgy aromas of bacon, petrol and wild fennel. This is a dark and hardy Pinot Noir, reminiscent partially of a Colorino, with flavors that include black licorice and star anise. Firm tannic backbone. Pair with grilled beef. Keep going brothers— the results are well worth it! Brothers Tanguy (right) and Exupéry Beaumont, Domaine des Beaumont, Morey-Saint-Denis, Côte-de-Nuits, Bourgogne, France Domaine de Montmain. Les Jiromées Grande Tradition. AOC Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits. 2022. 92-93 points. €36.00/$41.10. Excellent Value ♫♫. This wine estate is located up a beautiful valley west of, and perpendicular to, the axis of the hills that form the Côte d'Or. All wines are aged in oak, usually 30% new. Thirty-five year old Mathieu Piedcourt, originally from Cahors, has turned the valley and winery into a popular destination for visitors and sells wines via a thousand member club as well as by direct sales and export. The story of Mathieu is too fantastic to share in this brief space. This Chardonnay spent two years aging in new oak barrels. Aromas are bright, powerful and succulent and include grapefruit, limes and white flowers. The juice is not filtered. 4,000 bottles produced. 'We love what we do and we love to share it with others. Last year we had 8,000 visitors. We receive you whether you buy wine or not. I love wines that are powerful but with finesse.' Mathieu Piedcourt of Domaine de Montmain, Villars-Fontaine, Haut-Côte-de-Nuits, Bourgogne, France Maison Louis Latour. Pinot Noir. AOC Bourgogne. 2022. 91-92 points. €20.70/$23.60. Good Value ♫. Louis Latour, a venerable estate that has been in business since 1797, produces not only wines from 119 acres (48 hectares), but owns a cooperage that produces some 3,000 barrels a year—and has done so for centuries. Except for those barrels used in house, all are exported internationally to countries that include Australia and Canada. This 13% alcohol Pinot Noir of solid value includes firm tension between acidity and fruit and is an easy drinking wine to start of a summer gathering. Consider pairing with a dish that includes fat to match its tannic backbone. Cellars with old bottles within Domaine Louis Latour, Beaune, Bourgogne, France Maison Shaps. Les Vaumuriens. AOC Pommard. 2022. 95+ points. €48.00/$54.70. Superlative Value ♫♫♫. Hanna Shaps has been managing this winery for her American father Michael who also produces wine in Virginia in the U.S. 'It's important to be a French-American producer and not an American-French producer,' Hanna explained. The maison is a negociant, and produce some 15 different cuveés and 20,000 bottles per year from four hectares (10 acres) the family owns. This Pinot Noir wine aged 15 months in 50% new oak. Includes sunny, bright, striking and elegant aromas that include sage and black pepper. A wine with heft and structure, shouldered tannins and flavors that include black peppers. A dark, edgy and textured Pinot Noir with sesame and soy on the finish. Hotel de Ville, Beaune, France Bernard et Florian Regnaudot. Clos des Loyéres. AOC Maranges 1er Cru. 2020. €18.00/$20.50. 95+ points. Superlative Value ♫♫♫. This domaine is named after the father/son, 3rd/4th generation winemakers. Florian spent time making wine in Winona, Minnesota in the U.S. The Maranges appellation will be the site for the January, 2026 Saint-Vincent Tournante weekend long festival of music, wine and food. From vines planted in 1931, this Pinot Noir wines includes aromas of blackcurrants, black pepper, tobacco and tar. This is a deep, dark, peppery and elegant wine at astonishing value. Gentle fruit and light, slick tannins. Florian Regnaudot of Domaine Bernard and Florian Regnaudot, Santenay, Côte de Beaune, Bourgogne, France Domaine de l'Evêché. Édition Limitée. Pinot Noir. AOC Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise. 2022. 92-93 points. €25.00/$28.50. Excellent Value ♫♫. Quentin Joussier, fourth generation winemaker, works with his father Vincent, who bought the winery in 1985. The name of the winery translates to 'the bishop.' This Pinot Noir ages in new barrels and is only produced on years when conditions are optimal. Deep, rich aromas of red cherries, raspberries and some Dutch dorp licorice as well as wild fennel. Well integrated and elegant tannins and easy drinking. Quentin Joussier of Domaine de l'Evêché, Saint-Denis-de-Vaux, Côte Chalonnaise, Bourgogne, France, Domaine Michel Juillot. Clos du Roi. AOP Mercurey Premier Cru. 2024. 93-94 points. €35.00/$40.00. Excellent Value ♫♫. Beautiful cheery, light, floral aromas in this Pinot Noir. Precise and focused flavors include red cherries. Winemaker Maxime Rolant said that, 'For me, Mercurey is cherries.' No disagreement with that. Maxime Rolant of Domaine Michel Juillot, Mercurey, Côte Chalonnaise, Bourgogne, France Domaine Montbarbon. En Pommetin. AOC Viré-Clessé. 2023. 92-93 points. €21.00/$24.00. Excellent Value ♫♫. From this estate, on a clear day you can look east and see Mont Blanc, tallest peak in continental Europe. They have 32 acres [13 hectares] of vines, exclusively Chardonnay. Jean-Jacques Féral was a journalist before becoming a winemaker, and won an award for his winemaking in the Mâconnais region in 2022. He works with Martin Froppier. The estate provides vine cuttings to a nursery in the Savoie, which creates massal (rather than clonal) replacement vines for them. This Chardonnay ages eight months in 500 liter oak barrels as well as six months in steel. Aromas of mandarins and menthol and slight salinity. A rich, creamy, delicious wine that includes precise flavors of tropical fruits and slight honey. Pair with chicken, or a caramelized apple tart (tarte tatin). Jean-Jacques Féral of Domaine Montbarbon, Virè, Mâconnais, Bourgogne, France Domaine Auvigue. Au Vignerais. AOP Pouilly-Fuissé 1er Cru. 2021. 94+ points. €34.00/$38.90. Superlative Value ♫♫♫. The winery is located in a beautifully renovated centuries old church. Sylvain Brenas explained their thinking. 'The idea is to show a different style of Chardonnay. We are in the extreme south of Mâconnais, only a few kilometers from where the Beaujolais appellation begins.' This Chardonnay aged 16 months in a 50/50 combination of steel and oak. Aromas of salinity, pineapple, mangos. Crisp and creamy mouthful with slight menthol and guavas on the finish. Pair with scallops and shallots. Sylvain Brenas of Domaines Auvigue, Fuissé, Máconnais, Bourgogne, France Domaine Corsin. L'Exception. AOP Pouilly-Fuissé. 94-95 points. €39.80/$45.50. Superlative Value ♫♫♫. This winery, founded in 1864, gathers grapes from 40 separate plots. The hosts, including Pauline Mussy and Tiphanie Fortune, are casual, down to earth, warm and unpretentious. Their welcoming tasting room inadvertently resembles an Alpine ski lodge. This Chardonnay is made by winemaker Jérémy Corsin using grapes from three different plots and 70 year old vines. It is barrel vinified and barrel aged. Flinty, slightly salty and classic Burgundian Chardonnay aromas. Rich and creamy mid palate with crisp acidity and rich tropical fruits. Winemaker Jérémy Corsin with a bottle of 1997 Domaine Corsin, Mâconnais, Bourgogne, France
Vogue
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue
Maria Grazia Chiuri's First Project Post-Dior? The Restoration and Revival of a Roman Theater
Instead of channeling your resources into, say, a château in Bourgogne or a Parisian hôtel particulier, you chose to invest in something far less conventional—and far more generous: a cultural adventure. What sparked this vision? Where did the idea for the theater come from? It originated from the fascination for a story—the story of Mimì Pecci Blunt. And also quite by chance. We came across these documents and sketches by Tomaso Buzzi, the eclectic architect who gave the theater its look. At the time, it was still part of the property owned by writer Gaia de Beaumont, Mimi Pecci Blunt's granddaughter. Buzzi's drawings were instantly captivating—not only for their beauty, but because they sparked Rachele's and my curiosity, drawing us into the remarkable world of this extraordinary woman. We discovered how she had moved through all the major artistic movements of the 20th century, maintaining personal relationships with a wide range of artists, whom she would invite to her homes in Paris, Villa Marlia, Rome, and New York. At a certain point in her life, she decided that she needed to have a dedicated space—a private theater. At the beginning we had no intention of buying it, let alone managing it. But we definitely continued to be interested in her, because her life touched on so many themes we were passionate about, and involved many artists we admired. She had an incredibly strong network of international artistic connections, which even intersected with the research we were doing in Paris for Dior's fashion shows. So it was a personal interest of ours in the first place—almost like an archaeological dig into 20th-century culture and modernism, which, to be honest, I had never formally studied, but had always found fascinating. Later on, the opportunity arose to acquire the theater building itself, because the owners had decided to sell it. At the time, the theater was still active, with a regular drama program—in fact, my husband and I were subscribers. More than anything, we didn't want it to be repurposed for something else, for some sort of cheap retail space, and our original idea was actually to keep the existing managers in place. But then COVID happened, and the management decided not to renew the lease. Negotiating with the family that owned the property was quite complicated—also because it wasn't just my decision. My husband, my son, and my daughter were involved too. We finally said: why don't we renovate it? Especially after we discovered Tomaso Buzzi's original beautiful sketches. We had fallen in love with them. That's when the adventure began. We spent five years on research and renovation. We were lucky that there was an architect, Fabio Tudisco, who was already working in the theater and was passionate about its history—we worked with him on the restoration. So it was a series of very particular events and coincidences—and above all, the idea of giving this place back to the city of Rome.
BBC News
17-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
PSG come from behind to beat Auxerre in season finale
Post Attempt missed. Florian Ayé (Auxerre) header from the right side of the six yard box misses to the right. Assisted by Lasso Coulibaly with a cross following a corner.
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Travel + Leisure
13-05-2025
- Travel + Leisure
Burgundy Is Your French Country Vacation Fantasy Come To Life—And It's Only a Train Ride Away From Paris
"Burgundy?" Three red wine emojis. 'Is it good for kids?' Crying with laughter face. The above text exchange with my Parisian friend Pascale was not very reassuring. Charolais cattle grazing near Burgundy's Morvan Regional Natural Park. As I studied a map of Burgundy while planning a vacation with my 10-year-old son, Lucas, many of the place names looked strangely familiar. Chablis, Pouilly-Fuissé, Puligny-Montrachet, Pommard: it was like perusing the wine list of a fancy French restaurant. I had never been to Burgundy (a.k.a. La Bourgogne), but surely there was more to the region than grands crus and Michelin-starred restaurants? Could a tour of its byways and backwaters offer rural respite for this harried mom and her screen-addled son? After a whirlwind 48 hours in Paris—where we strolled wide-eyed along the Seine, ate our body weight in steak frites, and witnessed a marriage proposal at the top of the Eiffel Tower—Lucas and I set off by train from the Paris-Bercy station. On a Saturday morning in August, it seemed as though every Parisian left in the city was amassed on the station platforms, desperate to escape. As far as I could tell, we were the only foreigners on the 2½-hour route to Clamecy, a market town in central Burgundy. At each stop, more people scrambled off, and fewer climbed aboard. At one station, a guard hollered something in French and all the remaining passengers jumped off the train and squeezed into the front carriage. Rather like the medieval villages that flecked the tidy green landscape, even the train was getting smaller. Clamecy was clearly off the beaten track, even for Parisian weekenders. From left: The streets of medieval Clamecy, a town in central Burgundy; summer berries at Clamecy market. Indeed, this sleepy little town was so unprepared for its trickle of summer visitors that there hadn't been a single rental car available during our visit. My resourceful cousin Suzanne—a New Yorker who moved to Paris more than 20 years ago, then decamped to a hamlet outside Clamecy during the pandemic—had come up with a solution: she rented a white cargo van for our three-day stay. Chic it was not, but what fun to squeeze into the front cabin and survey our new surroundings from this lofty perch. 'We're in Burgundy, but not the fancy part,' Suzanne deadpanned as we drove past Clamecy's half-timbered buildings. There was a lovely, lived-in feel to the lopsided alleys, which were appointed with all the essentials of Gallic life: a tabac, a flea market, a Gothic church, a post office, a secondhand bookstore, a chocolaterie, and a couple of cafés and bakeries. A few dog walkers strolled along the grassy banks of the Yonne River; the only other traffic was the occasional barge or a bicycle freewheeling along the embankment. From left: Boris Lévy, Adrien Lachappelle, Nicolas Delaroche, and Jamie Freeman-Turner, the founders of Boule d'Or, in Clamecy; a guest room at the Boule d'Or,. With around 800 miles of rivers and canals, Burgundy has the largest network of inland waterways in France. It's ideal for boating, and well-maintained towpaths make it excellent for cycling, too. For about four centuries, starting in the mid-1400s, Clamecy was a prosperous center of the timber trade, thanks to its location at the confluence of the Yonne and the Canal du Nivernais. Beech and oak logs felled in the Morvan Forest were fastened together and floated along the Yonne, then up the Seine to fuel the fires of the growing population of Paris. These wood 'trains' were steered by flotteurs, or raftsmen, who used wooden poles to maneuver them like gondoliers. The perilous journey to Paris took up to 11 days; the raftsmen then had to trudge back to Clamecy on foot. In the mid 19th century railways began to replace the rafts. The last flottage left Clamecy in 1923. A century later, we spied two brightly colored rowing boats full of men, poking each other with poles. They were preparing for a riverine jousting contest, commemorating the aquatic feats of their ancestors. All 116 locks along the Canal du Nivernais are still operated by an éclusier: a lockkeeper who manually opens and closes the cumbersome iron gates. On the quayside in Clamecy, we watched one deftly handle the cranks and valves, flooding the holding bay with a rush of water to allow a barge to continue its journey. Some of the old lockkeeper's cottages along the canal are now occupied by painters and potters, who sell their wares to passing tourists. From left: La Maison de Colette, in St.-Sauveur-en-Puisaye; the living room of the writer Colette's childhood home, now a museum. Artists of all kinds have been inspired by the region's gentle landscapes and austere architecture, and almost every village has a museum commemorating some local luminary or other. Over the course of a languid long weekend, we admired Art Deco posters by graphic artist Charles Loupot in Clamecy's Romain Rolland Museum of Art & History; marveled at Colette's collection of paperweights and pressed butterflies (and her succession of unlikely lovers) at the author's namesake museum in St.-Sauveur-en-Puisaye, the charming village where she grew up; and were astonished by the Picassos, Kandinskys, and Mirós at the Musée Zervos, in Vézelay—an incredible collection that belonged to the critic and editor Christian Zervos, who published the seminal journal Cahiers d'Art. When he died, Zervos bequeathed the art to his beloved town. From left: The Canal du Nivernay; blue skies over Morvan Regional Natural Park. Curiously, the Zervos Museum is often overlooked by the day-trippers traipsing up to the hilltop Basilica of Ste.-Marie-Madeleine, which has been a pilgrimage site for more than 1,000 years. Its vaulted abbey, with its ghostly sculptures and stained-glass windows, is profoundly moving, but I found the unbroken vistas of rolling pastures, isolated farmhouses, and scattered hamlets to be equally stirring. Lucas was less impressed by the scenery. Churches and museums are not a 10-year-old boy's idea of a good time. To make matters worse, we had missed the 12–2 p.m. lunch slot strictly observed by many restaurants in France's smaller cities and towns. Luckily, Suzanne had another great idea: we would drive to the nearest guinguette . In summer, social life revolves around these riverside cafés-cum-cabarets, where sustenance comes with musical entertainment and opportunities for swimming. At La Guinguette de Coulanges, the fast food had a distinctly local flavor: instead of hot dogs, we ate andouillettes (a sausage stuffed with pork tripe), and the burgers came with ratatouille and onion confit. (Under new ownership as of February, the guinguette now specializes in crêpes and galettes.) Sunbathers on Lac de St.-Agnan, near Saulieu. As we ate, we watched a couple of seniors burning up the plein-air dance floor, quickstepping through well-rehearsed routines to Elvis and Chuck Berry while toddlers high on sugary soda freestyled in the wings. Locals chattered over $3 glasses of kir, while the younger set messed about in kayaks or swung from a rope into the cool green river. If the ballroom dancing was unexpected, the evening's entertainment in Clamecy was even more surprising. Around dusk, we joined a motley crew of locals in a riverside clearing to watch a riotous performance by Les Rustines de l'Ange, a skirt-clad band of accordion players whose repertoire included rousing cover versions of AC/DC's 'Highway to Hell' and the Madness ska classic 'One Step Beyond.' From left: Summer tomatoes with sheep-milk cheese at La Côte d'Or, the restaurant at Le Relais Bernard Loiseau; the quarry-walled garden at La Boule d'Or. The next day, we were better prepared to forestall midday meltdowns. After a slow breakfast of croissants and coffee at Suzanne's beautiful, antique-filled home, where we were staying, we stocked up with provisions for a picnic. At the lively market in Quarré-les-Tombes we picked up pavé du Morvan (an air-dried pork sausage coated in seasonings), gougères (puffy cheese pastries), green olives, baguettes, and buttery blackcurrant tarts. Lucas was diverted by a treat—waffles with chocolate and hazelnut spread—at one of the sunny cafés on the square, while I trawled the market stalls that were selling straw baskets, Moroccan slippers, and locally made pocket knives. Suitably fortified, we pressed onward to Guédelon, where a madcap troupe of quarrymen and stonemasons, tilers and joiners, blacksmiths and carters are building a castle using only tools and techniques that were available in the 13th century. Everything from the mortar to the rope has been handmade on the dusty site. (This wildly ambitious experiment, which began in 1997, is the subject of a BBC TV series, Secrets of the Castle. Some of the skills learned at Guédelon were also applied to rebuilding Notre Dame after the 2019 fire.) Seeing this enormous collective enterprise take shape in real time—much of it by trial and error—was like witnessing history in reverse. A street in Quarré-les-Tombes. Later, through Suzanne's connections, we got a backstage tour of another collective labor of love: La Boule d'Or, an abandoned auberge in Clamecy that has been transformed into an artists' residency and guesthouse by four friends, with help from an army of volunteers recruited on TikTok. 'The idea had been germinating for years,' Boris Lévy, a soft-spoken cinematographer from Paris, told me over a beer in the garden, which is set in a disused limestone quarry. Limestone was used to build the 12th-century chapel on the grounds, which now hosts acoustic gigs and pop-up dinners. Lévy found the derelict property on Le Bon Coin, the French equivalent of Craigslist. Its simple guest rooms are furnished with flea-market finds. 'It isn't a classical hotel; it's more of a cultural space that celebrates the importance of community,' Lévy said. 'A place where you can meet like-minded people in the kitchen instead of ordering room service.' I was already plotting a return trip to stay at La Boule d'Or; but at that moment, Lucas, a born bon vivant, was ready for some room service. In planning this trip, I'd enlisted the help of one of T+L's A-List travel advisors, Marc Bonte, whose team at French Side Travel helped dream up an itinerary that would please both me and Lucas. On the third day, we swapped Suzanne and our cargo van for 'prestige chauffeur' Erick Gayet and his Mercedes-Benz V-Class limousine and set off for one of the region's most luxurious hotels. A beefy Bourguignon in a navy blazer and blue suede shoes, Gayet patiently fielded my questions as we glided down the highway to Saulieu. A reproduction of a François Pompon sculpture on display in the town of Saulieu. More or less in the middle of Burgundy, the town of Saulieu has been a staging post for travelers between northern and southern Europe since Roman times. Today it is the gateway to the Morvan Regional Natural Park, a glorious swath of granite peaks, mountain lakes, and woodlands threaded with hiking and biking trails. This being France, the great outdoors comes with a temple of gastronomy, in the form of Le Relais Bernard Loiseau. Named after the celebrated chef who was an inspiration for the Pixar movie Ratatouille, this supremely civilized hotel is today owned and managed by Loiseau's family. Established in 1875, the former coaching inn (or relais ) is a bastion of old-fashioned art de vivre . A courtly manager, Charles Manderveld, welcomed me as 'Madame Aouar,' which made me feel way more sophisticated than plain old Ms. Howard. ' Relais towns were seven to eight leagues apart, the distance a horse could travel in a single day,' Manderveld explained as he showed us around the property. Even the newest additions—like our Cocoon Suite, with its decadent pink-marble bathroom and crisply made bed enclosed within sliding wicker doors—felt reassuringly solid and snug. Sculpted frogs spouted water into the swimming pool at the end of the garden. In the cellar, Manderveld pointed out the empty bottles of outrageously expensive wine that Loiseau had once quaffed with his pals at a marble tasting table. 'Is that where they do massages?' Lucas asked. 'No, but there's a three-story spa for that,' Manderveld replied with a smile. The pool at Le Relais Bernard Loiseau, a hotel in Saulieu. Le Relais Bernard Loiseau's wood-clad spa bills itself as a 'multisensory universe.' Shimmering tiles, showers with a rainforest soundtrack, and purple lighting gave it a wellness-disco effect, much to Lucas's delight. He was the only child racing excitably between the 'bubbling beach,' 'geyser,' and 'gooseneck shower,' but the middle-aged bathers nonchalantly throwing buckets of ice over their heads didn't seem to mind. Refreshed, we took a stroll around Saulieu. Its local museum is dedicated to François Pompon, a student of Rodin whose life-size sculptures of bears and bulls are dotted around town. We followed a trail of arrows embedded in the sidewalks that directs visitors to noteworthy landmarks. I was distracted by the many antiques shops, until one arrow led us to the huge red door of the Basilica of St.-Andoche. There were no other visitors, but up in the gallery, someone was belting out a hymn on the blue and gold organ, charging the space with a swell of emotion. From left: Antiques for sale in the town of Saulieu; exploring the town of Flavigny-sur-Ozerain. At dinner, our fresh-faced waiter revealed that he was the church organist; it was hard to fathom that such a slight young man could produce such powerful music. I had been secretly relieved to learn that the hotel's Michelin two-starred restaurant, La Côte d'Or, was closed that night, as I was not sure whether Lucas's table manners were up to the challenge. The ambience in the bistro of Le Relais was relaxed, the room humming with French diners and their immaculately behaved children. By contrast, my young hoodlum mopped up béarnaise sauce with his fingers and squealed when the dessert trolley was wheeled over, but there was not so much as a raised eyebrow from the unflappable staff. Much like the service, the cooking was precise and faultless, and the brief wine list was absolutely on point. When my trio of local cheeses arrived I was too preoccupied with my Crémant de Bourgogne to pay them proper attention, so instead Lucas dug in, spooning the intensely gooey Époisses with gusto. It was hard to bid farewell to the ministrations of the maître d' in the hotel's sun-dappled breakfast room, but I was on a mission to stay at both a relais and a château. For our last night, we had booked one of the four rooms at the Château de St.-Aubin, in the Côte de Beaune, where some of the world's most prized white wines are produced. The door of a lockkeeper's cottage. En route, Gayet suggested a stop at MuséoParc Alésia, an interactive museum on the site of an epic Gallo-Roman battle in 52 B.C. Designed by Swiss architect Bernard Tschumi, the striking circular museum is the antithesis of Guédelon: history is brought vividly to life through 3-D puzzles, animations, and video games. I felt like I was stepping inside an Asterix cartoon—a brilliant way of bringing history to life for my comic-book-fanatic son. A 10-minute drive from Alésia, we fast-forwarded to the Middle Ages. Officially designated as one of the most beautiful villages in France, Flavigny-sur-Ozerain is an enchanting patchwork of pale stone houses with painted wooden shutters. Most of Burgundy's medieval villages look like movie sets, but Flavigny really was the location for Chocolat, the schmaltzy 2000 romance starring Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche. In real life, the village is famous for a different kind of confection: the anise-flavored bonbons, produced with the same recipe since 1591, at Les Anis de Flavigny. On a tour of the converted Benedictine abbey, we saw thousands of candies rattling around in copper vats as they were being squirted with essence of violet, rose, or citron. Afterward, we got our sugar fix in the retro tearoom and gift shop. Lunch at La Grange, a restaurant in Flavigny-sur-Ozerain where farmers cook and serve their own produce. As we continued south, untamed landscapes gave way to neatly parceled vineyards. At dusk, we rolled into the village of St.-Aubin, where tractors were parked outside modest vignerons' houses. Gayet deposited our luggage outside the Château de St.-Aubin, but there was nobody around. So we wandered across the courtyard to Maison Prosper Maufoux, the estate winery, and snagged the last table at Prosper, the vineyard's glass-walled restaurant. A full moon rose over the vines as we tucked in to perfectly pink veal and puréed potatoes as fluffy as whipped cream. Époisses made another appearance as a custardy foam oozing into a 'chutney' of julienned carrots and caramelized hazelnuts. You could easily bankrupt yourself on the wine list, but I struck gold on my first try with a glass of Clos du Château, the best Chardonnay I have ever tasted. 'It's not really a castle,' Lucas said as he surveyed the scene. 'But at least there's a pool.' Lucas had imagined a moat and drawbridge, but he certainly wasn't complaining. Our luggage was full of candy. He had acquired a taste for stinky cheese, and I had developed a dangerous penchant for fine wine. In short: despite my initial misgivings, Burgundy was a triumph. Three popping cork emojis, five star emojis, and a whole lot of tricolor flags. A version of this story first appeared in the June 2025 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline "Burgundy ... But Hold the Wine ."
