48 hours in Beaune

Burgundy-Franche-Comté/2023

The Burgundy town has survived the centuries without losing its charm or identity. A prosperous little town, the mere mention of which is the stuff of dreams for wine lovers the world over, it floats like an island in the heart of an ocean of poetically-named plots. Outside the walls, it's wine tourism at its best. Intramuros is all about weaving your way between wine merchants and wine bars to reach the Holy Grail: the Hospices de Beaune, temple of charity, cradle of Gothic architecture and scene of crazy auctions.

The golden liquid swirling in the glass, the light crimson shimmering under the circular movement of the wrist: you'll come across this scene over and over again in Beaune, the wine town. The juice of the vine has been flowing through its veins since ancient times. The Romans drank it mixed with herbs and spices. The monks, then the Dukes of Burgundy, learned to work it and elevate it to the height of refinement, letting the vine invade and shape the landscape. Petrarch claimed that the Avignon bishops' stubborn refusal to return to Rome stemmed from their fear of no longer being supplied with Beaune wines. And the visitors who flock to the city - 4,000 hotel rooms for 20,000 inhabitants - won't blame them. Wherever you stroll, you'll unknowingly step over the vaults of a cellar, come across barrels or a wine bar. In the narrow, cobbled streets, languages collide. People come here from all over the world for the preserved charm of the ancient fortifications, the white stone houses topped with glazed tiles, and the elegant monuments. But above all, they want to "taste". Everyone plays the connoisseur for the duration of a visit, dipping their nose into their glass with an inspired air to guess the aromas of red fruit, leather or honey before taking a sip, blissfully content. For the majority, however, Burgundy is still a difficult stallion to master. It comes from a country that is adept at single grape varieties - pinot noir for reds and chardonnay for whites - but above all at micro-parcels. And while the size of this historic land represents only 3% of France's vineyards, it boasts the largest number of appellations, proudly embracing the quintessential notion of terroirs, known here as "climats". There are over 1,400 of them, tiny areas shaped by the work of man, identified by the wine they produce. Their names are so many promises of tastings to come: Aux Beaux Bruns, Les Poulettes, La Jeunellotte, Sous le Dos d'Âne... To find your bearings in this geographical and gustatory patchwork, the first visit you should make on arrival is undoubtedly to the Cité des climats et vins de Bourgogne. Freshly inaugurated, it was initiated when the terroir was classified by Unesco in 2015. It offers a journey as entertaining as it is educational. Use the "aroma cellar" to learn how to taste, and the many maps to understand the organization of the vineyards. Armed with these tools, all that's left to do is drift off to the outskirts of town to explore the landscape that flows from combes to hills. There are few chateaux in Burgundy, more like manor houses. The modesty of the estates is inversely proportional to their renown. A stop at one of these prestigious mansions, like those in Meursault, will give you the opportunity to become dizzy in the chiaroscuro of a maze of cellars with the scent of must, wood and saltpetre. And to dream away at the labels of some rare crus and vintages. Wine tourism is often the other source of income for these families, who run wineries that are veritable living museums. Back in town, it's time to leave the ramparts and explore what's happening on the other side of the ring road. Take the Fondet villas, for example, Art Nouveau nuggets designed by a noble couple at the end of the 19th century. Polychrome roofs, ceramic cabochons and terracotta lace: hidden away in a cul-de-sac, these dozen little marvels are a delight to behold. A little further on, the Fallot family runs Burgundy's last artisanal mustard factory - the region is the source of 90% of the 95,000 tonnes produced in France. Seeds ground on site, sophisticated flavors and rare vinegars: the store is stunning. Returning intramuros, between a gingerbread maker and a snail specialist, a plaque tells us that Louis Chevrolet, founder of the famous American firm, spent his childhood here, in his parents' mechanical workshop. There's no shortage of famous names here: in 1891, Maison Champy, one of the city's first wine merchant families and one of the last to make wine inside the old town, commissioned a certain Gustave Eiffel to enlarge its premises, which were built on the cellars of a former 15th-century convent of Jacobine nuns. The architect had been recommended by Louis Pasteur, himself commissioned by Napoleon III to find a method of preserving wine. It was at Champy that he invented pasteurization, but the star of Beaune is the hospices. Before it became this sublime museum space in 1988, the Gothic building was dedicated to caring for the underprivileged. Created by Nicolas Rolin, chancellor to Philip the Good, and managed by his wife, this "palace for the poor" was designed to heal as much through modern care as through beauty. This majesty has survived the test of time and touches the hearts of all visitors. So much so, in fact, that vineyard donations continue: 80 hectares to date, 60 of which are managed by the hospices. The grand auction on the third Sunday in November, conducted by Sotheby's, remains the highlight of the year for Beaune, which continues its tradition of philanthropy, supporting a hospital and a retirement home. "There is more philosophy and wisdom in a bottle of wine than in all books", declared Pasteur on his return from Beaune. Duly noted. G. B.