Sabbatical in France – Fall 2016

Albert Bichot Winery in Burgundy Focuses on Organic Farming And Reducing Bottle Weight

Château-Gris in Nuits-Saint-Georges, France - Organic Wine Estate Owned by Albert Bichot. ALBERT BICHOT When I was doing my 4 month sabbatical abroad in Burgundy, Albert-Bichot was one of the wineries I was able to visit. They have a tasting room in downtown Beaune, but also own many individual wineries throughout Burgundy. As a large producer making 6 to 7 million bottles per year, they actually produce a lot of regional Burgundy wines that are affordable for everyday. At the same time, they also craft some very exceptional Premiere and Grand Cru wines, with price tags soaring in the the [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2023-06-15T12:24:43-07:00June 15, 2023|

Attending the Hospices de Beaune Auction and La Paulee

(November 2016) During the third week of November, Burgundy breaks into a non-stop party mood as visitors from around the world flock to the small town of Beaune to participate in a 4 day wine-tasting feast. This is all centered on the oldest wine auction in the world – the Hospices de Beaune Auction where the proceeds go to medical charities. The Hospices de Beaune in Burgundy, France I was fortunate enough to receive an invitation to attend the auction as a member of the press. See article I published HERE, and was very impressed with the magnificence [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T12:37:23-08:00May 24, 2017|

3 Days in Burgundy

Originally published in the Huffington Post as A New Reason to Visit Burgundy. After several days in Paris, when you begin to long for the beauty of the French countryside, head south to Burgundy. In addition to legendary wine and gourmet food, there is a new reason to visit – the recent UNESCO classification of the ancient vineyards laid out by the monks, called “climats”. This is unique because the climats and tiny wine villages that link them are considered to be a “living cultural landscape.” Visitors can experience this by walking through the vineyards, tasting the wines, and visiting [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T12:51:05-08:00May 23, 2017|

Working Harvest in Burgundy

Originally published in the Huffington Post as How Harvest in Burgundy is Different. (Fall 2016) Even with ten years of harvest experience under my belt from stints in Napa, Australia, and my own small vineyard in Sonoma, I was still not prepared for how different harvest time is in Burgundy. While working there this past autumn, I encountered some very unique differences, with Polish pickers, pick-up truck parties, and hovering helicopters, as just a few of the unusual occurrences. WORKERS HARVESTING GRAPES IN BURGUNDY. PHOTO CREDIT: L. THACH Since I moved to Burgundy at the beginning of September, it was [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:01:18-08:00May 19, 2017|

How to go Winetasting in Burgundy – 6 Tips for Wine Tourists

Due to its long history as a top growing wine region for chardonnay and pinot noir, Burgundy is obviously a place where many tourists want to go winetasting. However, unlike many New World wine locations, such as Napa and Sonoma, it is not always possible to drop by a winery to taste wine without an appointment. There are some exceptions, with more domains opening cellar door operations in the past several years, but in general, it is necessary to do some advance planning. Wine Tasting at Chateau Mersault According to the Burgundy Wine Board (BIVB), there are 3890 [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:01:52-08:00May 1, 2017|

Hiking and Yoga in the Vineyards of Burgundy: My Favorite Trails in Vosne Romanee

(Autumn 2016) Probably one of the best things about living in the tiny village of Vosne Romanee in Burgundy was the opportunity to hike through the famous vineyards. Instead of going to the gym, as I would have in California, I took time each day to do some yoga in my small rental house (gite) and hike through the vineyards just outside my door. Sometimes, I also did yoga poses in the vineyards, and took the time to meditate in such beautiful surroundings. Roading Leading to Romanee Conti Vineyard and Hillside Trails Leaving my house, I would turn [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:02:17-08:00April 26, 2017|

Visiting the Unique Cellars of Philippe LeClerc in Gevrey-Chambertin

(Sept. 2016) Hidden off a narrow road in the tiny wine village of Gevrey-Chambertin is the entrance to a Burgundian winery called Domaine Philippe LeClerc. Located in a 13th century building with yellow limestone walls covered with flowing baskets of colorful flowers, the domain is not only the home to some very excellent pinot noir wines, but also houses a cellar crammed with antique winemaking equipment and a bizarre collection of taxidermy animals. Entrance to Philippe LeClerc Winery in Gevrey-Chambertin, Burgundy I visited here twice with relatives during my three months in Burgundy, and both times we were [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:04:54-08:00April 18, 2017|

Three Months in Burgundy

(Autumn 2016) The opportunity to live in France for three months was a dream come true – part of a bucket list item I’ve had for years as something I would do “someday”. However someday came much sooner than expected after a doctor told me I only had one year left to live. Five days later another doctor told me it was a misdiagnosis, but during those five days – which were some of the longest of my life – my husband and I had deep talks about how we would spend that last year together. Beautiful Vineyards of [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:05:19-08:00April 9, 2017|

The Route of the Cathars & Wines of Limoux and Maury, France

June 2012 – Before leaving the US, I read several articles on the Cathars and their unusual and tragic history in the Languedoc-Roussillon area of France. Therefore, I was anxious to visit some of their territory, and was pleasantly surprised to find that the Route of the Cathars coincided with my planned visits to the wine towns of Limoux and Maury. (Wine was introduced into this region in 600 B.C. by the Phoenicians and Greeks.) Lonely Region of France -Route of the Cathars The Cathars were an usual sect of Christians who were vegetarians and believed in reincarnation. [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:07:07-08:00March 17, 2017|

Tasting the Wine of Dreams at Domaine Romanee Conti

(May 2014) It is the dream of every wine lover to someday have a chance to visit “the Mecca of Wine” - Domaine Romanee Conti. So when the opportunity finally came for a private tasting at DRC, I couldn’t believe it was actually true. I won’t go into details of how I finally received an invitation. Just know that it took months, and contacting many people – to whom I say thanks to in my dreams every night. Statue of St. Vivant in Courtyard of DRC The Gates of DRC There is no sign announcing the entrance to DRC, but [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:08:17-08:00March 12, 2017|

Starving in the Jura and Sipping Vin Jaune in Chateau Chalon

(October 2016) Reminder to self: do not visit the Jura wine region on a Saturday at the end of October. It was Halloween weekend when I decided to visit the Jura wine region, one-hour drive south of Burgundy. For years I’ve wanted to travel here to taste the famous “yellow wines” or Vin Jaune of Jura. In addition, I’ve read repeatedly of the miraculous match of this wine to the Bresse chicken cooked in a cream and mushroom sauce. Little did I know that the week of All Saints Eve is a time when many restaurants and domains decide to [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:23:09-08:00November 26, 2016|

Last Day in Alsace – A Castle, Palace and Restaurant Staeffele

(October 2016) During my time in Alsace I was kindly invited to stay with my Great Aunt at her house near Saverne. When I wasn’t visiting wineries, we had a chance to talk and she told me some of the family history. She grew up in both Alsace and Ulm, Germany, just over the border. I was surprised to learn that Alsace has changed governance five times in the last 150 years – being traded back and forth between France and Germany. She told me she learned not only to speak both French and German, but also the local dialect [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:23:55-08:00November 15, 2016|

Visit to Marcel Deiss – King of Alsatian Field Blends

(October 2016) The day I visited Domaine Marcel Deiss in Alsace turned out to be a very busy but delicious day. It started with a tour and presentation at the University of Strasbourg in the morning, followed by a lunch with my professor friend, Coralie. She booked a reservation at Restaurant A La Couronnein Scherwiller, where we started with the traditional Alsatian dish of tart flambée (similar to a thin crust pizza with cheese and onions – delicious), and then had three more courses plus a glass of riesling. It was difficult to move afterwards, especially since I had the [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:24:22-08:00November 13, 2016|

Visit to Domaine Zind Humbrecht – Home of Classic Alsatian Riesling and More

(October 2016) – The sun was starting to break through the clouds when I arrived at Domaine Zind Humbrecht at 2pm in the afternoon. Olivier Humbrecht and his adorable black bulldog came out to greet me in front of the modern style winery, set among the vineyards near the small town of Turckheim. I had met Olivier on an MW wine trip to Tbilisi Georgia earlier in the year, and so I was prepared for the very tall (6 foot 5 inches) impressive French man who is one of the very few in the country who have passed the MW [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:27:42-08:00November 9, 2016|

Alsace – One of the Most Beautiful Wine Regions of France

(Oct. 2016) Though there are other more famous wine regions in France, it is hard to dispute that Alsace is one of the most beautiful. With the vineyards flowing down steep hillsides to nestle against storybook villages filled with cobble stone streets, candy colored houses with bright flower boxes, and giant white storks nesting on rooftops, it seems as if the region is part of a fairytale. Wine Village in Alsace The wines are also exquisite, with a focus on dry, semi-sweet, and dessert styles made primarily from riesling, pinot gris, muscat, and gewürztraminer. There is even a large cremant [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:29:14-08:00October 30, 2016|