Barging Through Burgundy

A trip report from Andrew Harper Travel Advisors Sue Cole and Debra Bernatowicz

The intimate Belmond Amaryllis barge, with its lovely antique Louis XVI furniture and trompe l’oeil wall murals, was our home for three nights on the peaceful and picturesque Canal de Bourgogne through France’s Burgundy region. We boarded in the town of St. Leger sur Dheune, where we were treated to a gracious Champagne welcome. Our lovely and comfortable cabin with a marble bath and large picture windows afforded ongoing views of life along the canal as we drifted past charming villages, farms and brilliant yellow fields in bloom.

Our private chef provided remarkable gourmet meals, not surprisingly accompanied by wines from the region, served either in the formal dining room or on deck under the stars. The actual vineyards themselves, not the producer or wines, are given classifications by the French government. The classification as a grand cru is, of course, for the best of the best. Barely a notch below grand cru wines are the premier crus. And village wines can be quite lovely, value-conscious options.

Our private guide escorted us to some of the most interesting places along our route, including a tasting and tour at the Château de Pommard Winery with its ancient vines and stunning, sometimes whimsical art features situated around the estate. While in the 18th-century cellars, surrounded by hundreds of oak barrels imprinted with the chateau’s coat of arms, we tasted some of Pommard’s fine wines. The outing concluded with a short visit to the delightful Appellation Chocolat shop. At our stop in Beaune we visited the amazing family-owned and operated Maison Joseph Drouhin Winery (which once housed the King of France’s wine collection) and enjoyed a tour of this honeycomb of cellars. One of the largest wine estates in the region, it has been in the hands of the Drouhin family for four generations. The family legacy of fine wine continues here with great enthusiasm.

And one of the highlights of our trip—a peaceful ride in a hot air balloon—afforded a unique perspective of the countryside and vineyards below. The magic continued when the pilot made a precision landing in a farmer’s field—to the surprise and delight of the farmer and his wife. After an excited phone call to their children, they joined us for a glass of Champagne, just as dusk turned to night.