Cheesin' (and Winin') through Burgundy

June 11, 2016

Cheesin' (and Winin') through Burgundy

Hey friends :) Today marks two weeks that I've been in France. Time certainly flies, and just like that, I'm getting ready to come home again. My suitcase is probably 3 times heavier and 10 times the value of what it started out as, but the experience here was priceless. Anyway, we'll leave the sentimental stuff for when I get back. Let's have a look at what I actually did and learned here, because it's not all fun and games, right? :P Over these past two weeks, we've gone on quite a few fieldtrips, mostly for wine and cheese, but you'd be surprised what else France has to offer. So here we go :)

1. Lycée Agricole de Davayé: Agricultural High School, one of 25 in France, where the students learn firsthand how to make wine and cheese :)

2. Margarettha Booij: A Dutch cheesemaker that makes goat cheese here in Burgundy. She has 21 goats and one billy goat named (B)Abraham :P Needless to say, she makes delicious cheeses.

Babraham :P

Margarettha and Margaret :)

3. Beaune: The wine capital of Burgundy. We visited the headquarters of one of the most prestigious wine négotiants (who age and sell wines), Bouchard Pere et Fils. This was more or less a VIP visit, as most of the people who are invited for wine tastings are among the richest people in the world. Their cellars hold over 2 million bottles of wine, some aging back to the 1800's (Thomas Jefferson's favorite wines are still kept there!)

4. Stud Farm :) The historical Haras de Cluny used to be a farm to raise stallions for war. Now it's an equestrian center for arts students.

Little Yoki <3

5. Gaugry Dairy: Where delicious Burgundian cheeses are made. We were treated to a fancy wine tasting :)

6. Clos de Vougeot: These vineyards produce Grand Cru wines, the highest level (and most expensive) of wines. One bottle can sell for up to $1000! These wines used to be made by monks as part of their work, but now the vineyards are owned by over 80 different people. The abbot's house is now used to host meetings of a prestigious wine-tasting fraternity.

Standing in the part of the most expensive real estate in the world!

7. Salins les Bains: Salt mines! During the 19th and 20th centuries, this town grew wealthy from it's salt production. Because this region of France used to be submerged under the ocean (during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods), there's a salt water table underground that can be drawn up and evaporated for salt. This salt was mainly used as a preservative, but also for making cheese :)

Underground salt mines

8. Arbois: Home of the great Louis Pasteur, who discovered these microbes that are so important in wine and cheese.

Louis' lab :)

9. Fruitiere de Grande Riviere: where Comté and Morbier cheeses are made. These cheeses are native to the Franche-Comté region of France and are quite unique. Comté cheeses are huge round cheeses that weigh over 100 lbs! Morbier cheese have two layers of cheese, separated by a layer of vegetable ash. The ash used to be used to preserve the bottom layer of the cheese because there wasn't enough milk to make both layers on the same day. Now it's just to keep up the tradition.

Cutting the curds :)

Cheese cellar

10. Baume les Messieurs: This is the monastery from which monks were sent out to establish the Cluny Abbey. It's in a sheltered valley, surrounded by these majestic cliff faces. A beautiful way to end the class :)