France Travel Query

Tis the season for travelling... Seems like the board has been answering quite a few travel questions as of late. Hopefully, I can tap into the reserves and pick your brains for some help with an upcoming trip to France. My wife and I will be spending April 18-28 celebrating our 5 year anniversary/never-had-one honeymoon by drinking and eating and relaxing there. So far its looking like three days in Paris, a couple in and around Burgundy, a day in the Loire and two days in Brittany.

Im pretty good with restaurants, wine bars, etc for our few days in Paris (though if anyone is around and wants to have a Jeebus that would be awesome). The biggest question I have is about where to stay in the Burgundy area. My hope is to find a place that is central enough to check out the Cote d'Or with a side trip to the Jura as well as trying to get to Beaujolais. Is that possible? Is it best to stay some where close to Burgundy and the Jura and then go down to a different place in Beaujolais? Any recommendations on lodging (gites preferred)? My goal is only to visit one or two producers in each area and we will have a car. Id love to go meet the Puff Daddy and possibly Houillon/Overnoy in Jura. In Burgundy, Im not sure, maybe Pacalet? The Mugneret-Gibourg sisters? And in Beaujolais, Id love to go to Yvon Metras or Foillard or Lapierre; any of 'em. Are these even possible? Do I need to have my merchant here set up these appointments or can I email them directly?

Since were only going to be in the Loire for a night (most likely a gite in Saumur), Im not too worried about setting up appointments. Though, Id love to meet Marc Ollivier or maybe Noella Morantin, but it seems that well be there Saturday night to Sunday afternoon. So, most likely not even an option. Any good ideas for a Saturday night dinner?

I thank you all in advance for any and all advice you guys and gals can give. I cant tell you how excited I am to be going on this trip. Its not my first time to France, but the last time I was there (after college almost 12 years ago) I wasnt drinking yet and a vegetarian. Oh how things change.

Again, thanks in advance.

If you are going to stay in Burgundy, stay in Burgundy. I used to stay at a place called les grands crus, or something like that, in Gevrey. It's right below Clos St. Jacques and walking distance to Esmonin.

Also visit Barthod, Fourrier, Mugnier. I've never visited the Mugneret sisters which is a crime considering how much I adore their wines.

There are other places to stay closer in to Beaune, but I don't have experience with that.

Michelin 1-star Une le in Angers has very good food and a very good list. Don't listen to a word Madame says about any wine, and inspect all bottles with care, she will switch things on you with or without your consent.

We drank the last mag of '89 Filliatreau, but the food at Le Caf de la Place 16, Place St. Pierre in Saumur, is less ambitious but totally reasonable if you just want to hang out. Good AAAAA andouillette.

I'd recommend staying in Beaune proper. There are plenty of nice restaurants there, many with great wine lists at insanely reasonable prices. You won't want to have to drive home.

Also, Jura and Beaujolais are too far afield if you only have 2 days in Burgundy. Save them for another trip. There's plenty to do around the Cote d'Or other than just wine. I highly recommend the Michelin REGIONAL green guides (though the big green guide is good too, it is spread awfully thin).

Visit the caveau in Chassagne and ask them for recs on red Chassagne. You will not be disappointed. Do not ask "is any good." Instead ask what are the best three that they have in stock, and what the differences are.

haven't been in years, but i've always enjoyed l'ecusson in beaune.


especially, they have an escargot dish where the snails are cooked in veal bones with the marrow. i have had very few things better in my life.

Thank you all for the advice.

Joe, the Cafe de la Place sounds right up our alley.

VLM and Lee, I think in a round about way you've helped me figure out my plans a bit better. I think skipping Burgundy this trip and doing a night in the Jura and a night in Beaujolais will be the ticket. The Cote d'Or isn't going anywhere and I'd rather do it in all it's glory later (hopefully I'll have deeper pockets then). Perhaps we'll just do a leisurely drive though and maybe have lunch at Ma Cuisine or something.

originally posted by scottreiner:
haven't been in years, but i've always enjoyed l'ecusson in beaune.

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www.ecusson.fr

especially, they have an escargot dish where the snails are cooked in veal bones with the marrow. i have had very few things better in my life.

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Damn, that sounds good. I would eat the hell out of those right now.

It also reminds me, is Auberge du Cep in Fleurie still worth going to?
(While not escargot, I hear that their frogs legs are to die for)

Staying in Beaune proper is great, precisely because you don't need to drive back after dinner.
I've also enjoyed staying at Villa Louise in Aloxe-Corton, you can find your way there from Beaune through the vineyards, literally.
A little further up is Clos de la Vouge, if you want Cote de Nuits to be more accessible.
You may get lucky - usually, the spring is a terrible time to taste, but the malos are looking to be very quick in 09.

Here is a place to stay 10km from Saumur that I thought was great. 12th - 17th century place carved into the tuffeau. Check out the troglodyte pool.

Demeure de la Vignole.

There is a hotel on the grounds of Ch. Chambord. Room 5 has the best view. (It's not a splendid hotel but you have access to the grounds before the tourists arrive/after the tourists leave.)

Also consider Domaine des Bidaudieres in Vouvray, not so far away.

My two cents, you're trying to do way too much. Jura to Brittany is a long way. Any of those places really deserve a week or more. Every time we go there we come back we say, we moved around too much. We're now at the point that we rent gites by the week, or two.

Use the gites de france website to find a good gite.

Buy the Michelin atlas so you can find places. Cheap here in the States.

You've picked super areas, hard to go wrong with any of them. Of all of them, Beaujolais would be at the top of my list, along with the Maconnais, as far as the right combo of beauty/accessibility/warm welcome/cheapness/great wine/place least likely to hear another American voice.

originally posted by BJ:
My two cents, you're trying to do way too much. Jura to Brittany is a long way. Any of those places really deserve a week or more. Every time we go there we come back we say, we moved around too much. We're now at the point that we rent gites by the week, or two.

Use the gites de france website to find a good gite.

Buy the Michelin atlas so you can find places. Cheap here in the States.

You've picked super areas, hard to go wrong with any of them. Of all of them, Beaujolais would be at the top of my list, along with the Maconnais, as far as the right combo of beauty/accessibility/warm welcome/cheapness/great wine/place least likely to hear another American voice.

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Brad... Thanks. You know, I wholeheartedly agree that it is almost too much to try and fit in to the bit of time we're going to be there. But, it's hard. I traveled around Europe for almost a year after college and that was 12 years ago; haven't been back since. So, who knows when or if I'll be able to make it back after this. Especially with two four-and-a-half year olds (who are not coming with us!), I'm just considering myself lucky enough to be going at all. That being said, nothing is set in stone yet and I'll think about cutting back some of the ambitiousness.

Speaking of luck, I found this online last night and thought I'd share. This is the reason we're able to afford this trip H&R Block Commercial. That's my voice saying "Last summer my kid my four figures..." Thank you H&R Block!

originally posted by lars makie:
That being said, nothing is set in stone yet and I'll think about cutting back some of the ambitiousness.

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Scrap Brittany.

originally posted by Sharon Bowman:

originally posted by lars makie:
That being said, nothing is set in stone yet and I'll think about cutting back some of the ambitiousness.

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Scrap Brittany.

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I would if I could, but it's really the only way I could get my wife to do this trip. I agree that it throws the biggest wrench into plans. Brittany is for her. Though, we're not going all the way to Brest. We're just going to be north of Rennes; St. Malo. So, not too too far from Saumur.

Ah, problematic. Because, yes, it's far away, it's cold 'n' rainy, and there's no wine.

Though you can glut yourselves on oysters and go look at thatched cottages and stuff.

originally posted by Sharon Bowman:
Though you can glut yourselves on oysters

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That's the plan.

originally posted by Sharon Bowman:
Ah, problematic. Because, yes, it's far away, it's cold 'n' rainy, and there's no wine.

Though you can glut yourselves on oysters and go look at thatched cottages and stuff.

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Surely they can pack some wine from the Nantais to fortify themselves on such occasions.

Mark Lipton

originally posted by MLipton:

originally posted by Sharon Bowman:
Ah, problematic. Because, yes, it's far away, it's cold 'n' rainy, and there's no wine.

Though you can glut yourselves on oysters and go look at thatched cottages and stuff.

Click to expand...

Surely they can pack some wine from the Nantais to fortify themselves on such occasions.

Mark Lipton

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'Tis also the plan.

Man, I can't wait to see me some thatched cottages!

I think you'll really like Brittany. It is one of my favorite parts of France. The old border towns, Vitre, Josselin, Fougeres, are particularly cool. Nice walking on the GR along the coast.