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this type of visit, I always spot something new, another pixel of information to be added to an ever-evolving tapestry. The Cité should be an adjunct to, not a substitute for, this type of exploration. Wine visitor centers have a
school, and a top-floor wine bar, with views back toward Beaune and the vineyards beyond. The lack of an in-house restaurant or wine shop is surprising, though the latter is hardly necessary, given the proximity of two excellent merchants, the well- established La Grande Boutique du Vin (which was previously Perardel) and the much newer Prestige Cellar. From the center of Beaune, the Cité is about a 20-minute walk out past the Palais des Congrès, a distance that will necessitate transport for many people. With so many attractions in Beaune itself, the Cité will need to be imaginatively promoted and marketed in order to draw people away from the casual wander from one’s hotel that can be enjoyed at the drop of a hat. About another hour south on the A6 motorway takes us to Mâcon, flagged as “the cradle of Chardonnay” in the publicity material. There, the Cité is sited right beside the River Saône and is housed in the current Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bourgogne building, extended to create extra space and now crowned by a new tower modeled to represent the great wooden screw of a vis de pressoir, the original wooden wine presses, some monumental examples of which can be seen in the Château du Clos de Vougeot. Here, the focus is “on the vineyards of southern Bourgogne: Côte Chalonnaise, Côte du Couchois and Mâconnais,” with nary a mention of Beaujolais. Though it is a distinct and largely autonomous region, Beaujolais still falls under the greater Burgundy umbrella, and it is perplexing that it is not included in the Mâcon Cité. This seems especially so when one considers the ever-strengthening ties between noted Côte d’Or producers (Jadot, Thibaut Liger-Belair, Lafarge…) and Beaujolais.
24 | THE WORLD OF FINE WINE | ISSUE 79 | 2023
A beginning, not an end All three locations, but most especially Beaune, should form a starting point to further exploration—a beginning, not an end. Start your visit there, then bring it to life by going for a drive through the vineyards or, better still, a cycle ride or, best of all, a walk. Let the Cité be the door opener, then close the circle by visiting the vineyards. Otherwise, it will be a sterile experience, little better than watching a documentary on television. Plant your feet on the ground. Nothing beats that. I have learned more from quiet reflection while walking through or standing in the vineyards than could ever be gleaned from the most sophisticated displays or interactive experiences. The primacy of vineyard visits is sometimes lost as a schedule comprising multiple cellar visits is put together. Much as these can be enlightening and entertaining, it is worth remembering that you can taste the wine at home. You can’t visit the vineyard other than by going there. As an example, it is easy to explain how Puligny became Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne became Chassagne- Montrachet, each village adding the name of its most prestigious vineyard and both able to claim Montrachet because it straddles the boundary between them. “So, Chevalier is also a village?” asks an attentive interlocutor. I can think of no better way of clarifying this confusion than to walk up the short incline to the Chevalier-Montrachet vineyard, where understanding will come as if by osmosis. Crystal-clear understanding of another sort comes by way of a stroll past premier cru Les Suchots in Vosne-Romanée. On the map, it sits sandwiched between grands crus Echézeaux to the north and Richebourg and Romanée-St-Vivant to the south, so why only premier cru? The pat answer is that Suchots sits in a slight declivity, only perceived by walking the terrain. No matter how many times I do
checkered history. I well remember attending the opening of Vinopolis in London back in what now seems a bygone age. The mocked-up Boeing 747 to take attendees virtually to far distant wine regions (was virtual even a thing back then?) and the Lambretta scooters were eye-catching, but they failed to woo the punters, and the ambitious project is now barely remembered. Ditto Copia in Napa, where ambition exceeded commercial reality. Robert Mondavi backed it with considerable funds. It was artistic and tasteful but perhaps ever so slightly ho-hum, and it failed to ignite real interest. Whisper it: Wine is only truly interesting and engaging when you are drinking it. For all but a tiny minority of people like myself—and I’ll happily answer to the charge of wine nut—it’s not quite as engaging as we like to think. If the Cité can offer an experience that is connected to the region and not dislocated from its roots, then it will succeed. It should be promoted as a portal to Burgundy, the region, the people, and the wines, with the aim not just of imparting knowledge, facts, and figures, but doing so in a way that leads to greater understanding. It must excite interest and stimulate inquiry. Any vaunting ambition to be a one- (or three-) stop shop should be kept well under wraps, no matter how impressive the centers may be. Burgundy cannot be captured so easily. Care must be taken with the backstory, too, for it is massive, stretching back over two millennia, the envy of many other regions. Presented correctly, it can be an inspiration, but if done clumsily, it becomes an impediment. Let it be foundation, not superstructure. Yes, the region and its wines are complex—but that is what gives them enduring attraction. And as long as they are properly presented, they should not lead to confusion. If people leave Chablis, Beaune, or Mâcon saying, “Now, let’s explore those vineyards,” then the Cité des Climats et Vins de Bourgogne will be marked down as a success.
Above: The Cité in Mâcon, its tower representing the great wooden screw of an ancient winepress.
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