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Beaune – The Centre of French Wine
Beaune is quite the centre of Burgundian culture. Having seen the striking tiles on the roofs in Aloxe Corton on our way we were fascinated by the rooftops of the walled town of Beaune, culminating in the magnificent Hôtel-Dieu (Hospices de Beaune). Beaune is a place that revels in its medieval atmosphere and the history contained in the cobbled streets. In many ways it the centre of this wine-producing region and here in Beaune you can indulge in tasting wine from every village and domain of the surrounding countryside.
This you can do in one of the many restaurants who will supply typical Burgundian fare, generally meat based of course, complimenting the meal for you with a fine wine selection. Sadly, although I have had very few poor dining experiences in France it was in Beaune at a quite high-end restaurant that I had the worst Beef Bourguignon imaginable. Beaune though is also a town where I have had some of my best meals, so choose carefully. Beaune is a wonderful place to find yourself in spring or summer when you can eat al fresco on a restaurant terrace, particularly on market day. People watching is a great pastime as this market sprawls through the streets up to the high walls of the Hôtel-Dieu.
The centre of Beaune and the Hospice are alive throughout the year with many festivals and events. These culminate in the wine auction festival at the Hospice when the prices for that year’s vintages are set and the great and the good of the wine world revel in their achievements of the year. The 15th century hospital makes the perfect backdrop to this colourful event. The wine prices for some of the domains of the region are often quite staggering. Before entering one of the many wine boutiques, it is best to study the window carefully. It is a fine game to play to cast your eye around the display constantly finding a bottle that is just that bit more expensive than the last one you spotted. Once into the hundreds of euros you tend to give up. There is however always something for every budget.
Speaking of wine stores there is one that you really must visit. It is just higher up the road from the Hospice. If you follow the high wall for a short distance, you will find it on the opposite side. Marché aux Vins buys wine every year at Hospices de Nuits wine auction and carries a remarkable selection. We have bought a bottle or two here, but I can also say that I have also bought a second-hand family car for less than some of the extraordinary vintages on offer here. It is a feast for the eyes and the senses to stroll around this store. Some bottles catch the eye because of the colourful and intricate labels but often it is the price tag that stands out. A truly fabulous place and one that offers all available wine accessories, including of course that essential accompaniment to a wine tasting in Burgundy – a tastevin.
A stroll through the streets of Beaune on an early morning is a special treat, especially to a photographer. Get up early and enjoy the deserted streets to take in all the incredible architecture of this ancient town.
I recall a most enjoyable early morning stroll through rain drenched streets after an overnight downpour. It was a delight to wander through the peaceful town with my camera. I love photography, so to be able to have had this picturesque town to myself was special. The glistening of early sunlight on the wet-coloured roofs of the Hospice was irresistible.
This walk-through Beaune also highlighted a major difference between France and home in England. Beaune boasts a beautiful richly decorated carousel in the Place Carnot. This morning a mother was taking her young daughter to nursery school but had let her play for a moment around the carousel. It was a charming scene. I gestured to the young mother to be allowed to photograph the panorama, and she was delighted to let me do so. I would never, ever, ask to do that in England. France does have many well documented social issues it is true, but it has also retained a certain naïve trust in people, it thinks the best of the visitor and I love that. I recall in England only a few months earlier when I had taken a sea front photo in Lytham St Annes. Looking towards the pier there was an ice cream cabin about thirty metres away from me. From there a lengthy line of children queued away into the distance along the sea wall for their treat with the promenade busy with visitors, an almost Victorian promenade scene. I had taken the shot on a clearly wide-angle lens, not a zoom lens in sight, when a deranged woman teacher tried to grab my camera off me demanding to see my photo. What she thought I could possibly have taken I could only imagine but it was a sad reflection of today’s climate.
Beaune is always a beautiful town, but early morning is special. If, like me, you can be there after a rain shower, then the Hôtel-Dieu sparkles even more with the wet roof tiles glistening in the sun. The colours of this medieval roof are vibrant and contrast beautifully with the blue sky behind. Beaune is a town that repays looking up at the architecture. This is true throughout France. The town has endless photo opportunities and as I stroll, I spot more and more. The café owners are starting to set out the tables for the locals to arrive for a coffee and petit dejeuner. They nod a silent bonjour as I pass by. Another young mother takes her daughters to school and as the town wakes up, I go back to the hotel for my own petit dejeuner.
Beaune is a perfect place to stop for lunch. It has many narrow, ancient, winding side streets. These reward you with some lovely little restaurants that are ideal for a quiet, lingering meal. This day we got more than we were bargaining for. One item on French lunch menus that you will often come across are the ubiquitous brochettes. The French love a good kebab. Perhaps the wine had dulled my senses, but I only partially read the menu as I have often had brochettes for lunch. They are always the same, peppers, lamb, chicken. Always a fine choice for an inexpensive lunch stop. This first-rate pair of well packed skewers were indeed excellent. The pieces of chicken were somewhat unusual, a bit small and I assumed they may have been guinea fowl or quail. Well, if I had read the menu, I would have spotted that they were cuisses de grenouilles – frog’s legs. Delicious, but all the same not really my meat of choice. I still have snails to try yet to pretty much complete my collection of French delicacies.
Taken from my book – Off the Autoroute
Enjoy a trip back in time with my Vinyl collection
French Travel Books - France, Paris, Provence & French Food & Wine 