Burgundy wine tasting etiquette questions

WINE TALK
1

While tasting in buygundy:

  1. Where do I spit?
  2. Would they think its weird if I took notes?
  3. Is it rude to ask if I can buy any?
2

  1. Ah, the great where-to-spit question! If it’s dirt, on the floor out of the main path, or onto a drain if it’s concrete. But the best advice is to take a small sip the first time and watch what your host does. Or ask.

  2. I think generally taking notes conveys seriousness. I’d be surprised if anyone took offense.

  3. Depends on the property. If it’s DRC or some other place where the wines are highly allocated, probably not. Most other places will be only too happy to sell direct. You might want to check out Le Cavon de Bacchus, a store in Nuits (Le Cavon de Bacchus" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;). They sell a good array of Cotes de Nuits producers and can ship to the US, or could when I last visited some years ago.

3

(spelling corrected in title, Berry [wink.gif] )

4
  1. It depends. Some places have a vessel. Some don’t. The stones near the barrels were frequent repositories, and the floor was even used at one visit. Follow the lead of the winemaker. A lot of places will allow/encourage you to put the remainder in your tasting glass back into the barrel.
  2. No.
  3. We visited 20 or so places. Only asked if the wines were available in the US. I think there a host of issues involved in selling to visitors that preclude such purchases. So I don’t think it’s rude so much as “not possible”.

I am happy to be corrected on any of these.

Jacques Lardiere at Jadot is the most amazing spitter I’ve ever seen. He can hit the bucket without missing a drop from 10 feet away, I think.

5

Berry – I’m in accord with Steve and John above.

With respect to Steve’s number 1, I can’t think of any place in Burgundy where the wine isn’t poured back into the barrel if a barrel is available* (a few places will put it in a different barrel, though, occasionally even a barrel of a different wine, e.g., village wine repoured into Bourgogne, premier cru repoured into village). It’s often easiest to give the vigneron your glass to repour as sometimes the bung holes are tightly enclosed by other barrels and also because you will be busy writing. (If you’re reasonably tall, though, and your host or hostess is not, he or she will often be grateful if you assist in a repour that should go into a barrel that is placed high up.) If there is a group, it is usually most efficient for everyone to pour the rest back into one person’s glass so that there is a single repour into the barrel. If a bottle is opened, especially if it is a rare bottle and you don’t finish your glass, it is polite to ask if they want you to repour it into the bottle. For that, the responses are more mixed than repouring into barrel.

No harm in asking if you can buy. The market has been slow for the 2007s and 2008s, so there may even be some positive surprises.

One thing to keep in mind (and I think this applies in general, and not just to me as press): first impressions are really crucial. You will be watched very closely the first wine or two that you taste, and based on your comments, they will decide whether you know Burgundy or not. That will play a big part in determining how the rest of the visit goes and what you will be offered to taste and what you will not be offered.

Also remember that you are a guest and not there as a matter of right. I have seen incredible rudeness by some visitors (including some professionals). It is expected that you may not be exactly on time. But if you see that you are going to be more than 15-20 minutes late, it is courteous to call and let them know. You can do this by a cell phone, or you can ask your present host to use the phone or you can ask your host to call for you (this is no problem if your host is friends with your next appointment; occasionally it can be awkward). Sometimes, you are down in the cellar and don’t emerge until 30-45 minutes after your next appointment was due to start (this may be less the case for you since I probably schedule more appointments in a day than you do). If you call as you leave the last place to let them know that you are en route from x, they will be able to estimate when you will arrive and will be grateful.

This is not an etiquette question, but remember that driving under the influence is a very serious offense in France, and the legal limit is .05, not .08 like in CA. There are a lot of police out there enforcing the rules. Plan the spacing of your visits and your meals with that in mind and BY ALL MEANS, SPIT!!!

  • I visit a few places (e.g., Drouhin, Bouchard P&F, Faiveley) where I taste in a tasting room with samples drawn off into bottles, and there the remains are usually discarded, but it’s less likely that you’ll encounter that situation. Sometimes, you will discard into the spit bucket, sometimes into a separate vessel that mixes all the undrunk wine (and presumably will be recycled by topping up). Also, if the wine has been moved to tank to await bottling and you are tasting wine from the tank, there sometimes will be a vessel to collect all undrunk wine, sometimes there is nothing to do but discard it (not easy to do when the wine in question is a Montrachet!)
6

I was wondering, lol

7

Ok, now Im nervous

8
  1. Try only tasting in places with gravel floors :wink:. On a serious note, do try to put back in the barrel what you don’t drink. It ain’t like in Bordeaux where they make 15,000+ cases.
  2. I think it’s a great idea! Watch your time though. Write short hand or don’t get too involved.
  3. Better to find restaurants willing to part out with older, harder to find wines (shops are insanely expensive).
9

You’ve shown good reactions from what I’ve seen on the boards. Just be honest and tell them what you’re perceiving. Red Burgundy these days from barrel is not different from bottle*, indeed a former outstanding Burgundy importer used to say it is never again as as good as it was from barrel. If there are some reductive aromas, you need to imagine past them. Whites can sometimes be more challenging from barrel, but I gather your interest is mostly red.

  • I’ve never tasted in February, when you are going. The 2009s may well be very difficult to taste because many malos haven’t finished (or even started) and also because they are very, very cold. In fact, you may not be even shown 2009s at some estates. The only problem with 2008s should be that they may be very, very cold – if so, point that out.
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Thanks for the input. We actually arent going to too many places while out there. Right now I have appointments at Drouhin, Patrice Rion, Dublere and Mugneret-Gibourg. Im trying to get an appointment at Henri Jouan but I havnt heard back from the distributer yet.

Im skipping the famous places like Dujac, Rousseau, Mungier and Roumier becaue I dont really buy those wines.

11

The Drouhin cellars underneath the City of Beaune are quite a trip!

12

I bet. I hear Bouchard is amazing too in that regard.

13

Maxime Rion (son and degreed winemaker) couldn’t be a nicer guy. Quiet with very good english. Loved their 06 Argilieres. Excellent choice for a visit. Not sure about details, but Maxime mentioned his respect for the winemaking skill at nearby Domaine Lecheneaut in NSG.

RT

14

Hi Berry,

I just got back from a 10-day trip to Burgundy. Visited a dozen domaines.

  1. Yes, you can spit. If they don’t provide a spitoon, ask if you can spit on the floor, into a drain, or on gravel atop which the barrels are stored. No serious winemaker should oblige anyone to swallow rather than spit.
    You don’t want to have a car accident or end up in prison :frowning:.
    A system I saw at a couple estates was a “portable spitoon” on wheels, that is extremely useful when tasting a dozen different wines out of barrel.

  2. I always take notes. No problem there whatsoever.

  3. I often asked if I can buy after visiting if I really like the wine. If quantities are limited, or if it is difficult to do the paperwork for a tiny purchase, the winegrower will just say so. But please do not think that anyone would ever be offended.

All the best,
Alex R.