Other architectural treasures of Burgundy recall its ancient predilection for good food and wine—the handsome château of the Clos de Vougeot, set in the midst of its famous vineyards, and particularly the Hospices de Beaune, the medieval masterpiece which serves as the setting for France’s most famous wine auction. The Hospices, an ornate and colorful structure with steep roofs of colored tile, was built in 1443 as a home for the aged poor by Nicolas Rolin, Chancellor of the Duke of Burgundy. Five centuries later it still serves the same purpose, and you will see many venerable Burgundians in its courtyards, under the care of nuns who still wear the fifteenth-century robes and hood of their order. Chancellor Rolin willed his vineyards to the Hospices, and others have followed his good example, with the result that the hospital now owns many important plots. Every November the wines made in these vineyards are auctioned off in the central courtyard, and the bidding is spirited. Besides being true Burgundies, beyond the suspicion of clandestine mixture with Algerian wines, they have sentimental interest.
Beaune’s biggest day is when this sale takes place. The town is crowded with merchants, newsmen, and mere amateurs of good wine. An exposition of wines precedes the solemnity of the auction, and a robust banquet follows it. The sales make the front page in all the Paris papers and are taken as an indication of price trends in the whole district.
The great restaurants of Dijon and Beaune apparently have not entirely recovered from the setback of the war. Yet it seems impossible that one could dine poorly in either city; the tradition of fine cooking is just too deeply ingrained. Without specifically recommending the following restaurants (not having dined in either city in 1948), we submit these names as offering the best outlook to the traveler. In Dijon: Hôtel Nord, Grande Taverne, Restaurant Pré-aux-Clercs, Restaurant aux Trois Faisans. In Beaune: Hôtel de la Cloche, Hôtel de la Poste.
Motorists who make the Paris-Riviera run in two days have long made the food-conscious town of Saulieu their overnight stop. Among the three worthy hotels here, the preference of the critics goes to the Hôtel Côte-d’Or. It was one of the finest tables of France in the good old days and is still very good indeed. The classic Burgundian dishes, quenelles, coq au Chambertin, jambon à la crème, and many others, are served, and beautifully. There are several other rural inns in the Département of the Côted’Or where you should have a pleasant gastronomic adventure. Among the most interesting possibilities are:
CHATILLON-SUR-SEINE—Hôtel Côred’Or
Burgundian truffles are found near this town, and the hotel makes a specialty of terrine de caneton truffé, among other tempting things.
Pinterest
