September 2015 feels like a lifetime ago — and with French White Wines Event on the horizon and I can still taste it. Michelle and I had just been married, and for part of our honeymoon we chose a place that felt both adventurous and deeply personal: Burgundy, the beating heart of French wine. Ten years later, I look back on that trip as one of the most formative wine experiences of my life.
🍇 A Vineyard as Home
Instead of a city hotel, we stayed on a vineyard in Gevrey Chambertin. Waking up each morning, we stepped out into rows of vines that stretched endlessly into the distance. The rhythm of life was slower, gentler, and deeply connected to the land. The innkeeper didn’t just hand us keys — he poured us glasses of the house wine and welcomed us into a way of life.
🥂 Private Tastings & First Lessons
One of the highlights was a private tasting tour, where we were introduced to the structure of Burgundy wine: villages, premiers crus, grands crus. At the time, I was just scratching the surface of my wine education, so the idea that neighboring parcels of land — sometimes just a stone wall apart — could carry such different reputations and price tags felt revelatory.
Premier cru wines, I learned, represent some of the best vineyard sites in a village, delivering nuance, finesse, and a promise of quality. Grand cru, on the other hand, comes from the most exceptional plots of all — the top tier, where nature and history have conspired to create wines that can stand for decades.
🍷 Burgundy vs. California: Same Grapes, Different Stories
Back then, my reference point for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir was mostly California. Tasting them in Burgundy was like meeting old friends who spoke the same language but with an entirely different accent.
Chardonnay: California Chardonnay often comes with generous ripeness — ripe apple, tropical fruit, toasted oak. In Burgundy, the Chardonnays (from places like Chablis and the Côte de Beaune) were leaner, more mineral-driven, with razor-sharp acidity and subtle layers of citrus and stone fruit. Where California can be bold and sunny, Burgundy whispered of limestone and restraint.
Pinot Noir: California Pinot Noir, especially from Sonoma or Santa Barbara, tends to show plush red fruit, warm spice, and a touch of richness. Burgundy Pinot, by contrast, struck me as earthier, more ethereal — red cherries dusted with forest floor, violets, and spice. They weren’t louder, but they were somehow deeper.
It was the first time I truly grasped the concept of terroir — how soil, climate, and centuries of tradition could shape the very soul of a wine.
🏰 The Old Caves
And then there were the caves. Beneath the vineyards and châteaux, we wandered into centuries-old cellars with arched stone ceilings, candlelight bouncing off dusty bottles. The air was cool, almost damp, and the silence felt sacred. In those moments, wine wasn’t just a drink; it was a link between past and present, between land and culture.
💕 Burgundy as a Honeymoon Destination
Looking back, Burgundy was the perfect honeymoon for us. We weren’t just tourists — we were students, explorers, and partners discovering something together. For Michelle, a fellow wine lover, it was paradise; for me, it was the beginning of a lifelong passion for French wine.
Ten years later, every time I open a bottle of Burgundy, I’m transported back to that trip — the vineyard mornings, the quiet caves, and the joy of sharing it all with the person I love.
