The Winelover’s Pilgrimage: A Weekend in Dijon (Part 2 of 3)
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REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL, 1,2,3…
(1) Dijon market
Markets throughout France are subject to similar commercial pressures as elsewhere – competition from huge hypermarkets sucking up trade for miles around, travelling caravans selling factory cheeses – so Les Halles in Dijon is to be treasured.
It's a covered market, housed in an airy, spacious iron framed building designed and built by Gustav Eiffel, a native of Dijon, who went on to build a certain tower in Paris, as well as the skeletal internal structure for the Statue of Liberty in New York (a fraternal gift from the French). Funny thing is, Eiffel is an adopted name by Gustav's immigrant forebears, the Bonickhausens.
"The Bonickhausen Tower" ?
Nah. Doesn't have the same ring to it.
Inside this light, airy, hangar of a building, you'll find everything you could possibly want from a French market – extensive boucherie, boulangerie, all manner of fresh fruit and vegetables, local produce, imported goods, with the surrounding streets filled on market days with antiques, brocante, buttons, shoes, clothes and so on. It's not designed for tourists, this is the Dijon market for the Dijonnais, it's open most days but the big day is Tuesday.
Throughout the rest of the town you'll find upmarket boutiques and shops selling as much mustard as you could possibly imagine (in flavours and colours you never thought possible) Towards the southern end of the city, seek out Place Emile Zola, where the upscale fashion stores give way to an internet café or two and more bohemian flavour, reflecting the tastes and passions of the city's student population. Good cafes and bars.
(2) The wine routes
This is beautiful countryside to explore off the main route - so get a map and head for the hills!
For a first time visit, it's possible to simply set off south out of Dijon and roll up without so much as a telephone call in advance – there are signs all over the place welcoming you, mostly to caves rather than vineyards, so don't be put off by warnings of padlocked doors. What is true is that if you know what you're looking for, it's best to plan in advance. Serious vineyards are working environments so it's best to call and then turn up on time. The tourist board will help or any of the hotels.
Immediately south is the Cote de Nuits, source of most Grand Cru Burgundies. It's a narrow strip of land where the soil is crucial (limestone) and where you'll find the village of Gevrey Chambertin, which has it's own tourist office too. The D-roads here are to be explored, particularly up in the hills, and a circular route will bring you back round to Nuits St George.
The other Grand Cru area further south is Corton where you'll find family businesses like Maison Capitain-Gagnerot, near Ladoix, producing top quality wines since 1802 (the family tree is on the wall) The Abbeye Hotel set up a visit for me to the cellars and taste a variety of the reds and whites they produce, 100% Pinot Noirs and 100% Chardonnays which command high prices at market (although recently prices have fallen a little). Their Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru is a flowery, fragrant white with heavier aromas at work and a powerful aftertaste that seems almost criminal to spit out!
En route along the D8 is the hill village of Arcenant, one of the prettiest vistas you'll find in France.
(3) Beaune
There is no other city with so many wine shops as Beaune, for this is the capital of the entire industry, which has evidently produced wealth over the centuries.
An expression of this wealth, which can be occasionally glimpsed on some of the countryside Chateaux, (Corton for example) are the multi-coloured roofs, best seen here in town at places like Hospices Civils de Beaune a charity which owns vineyards and has been looking after the poor and destitute for over 500 years. You can't mistake them, the tiles are a vibrant, eye catching aspect, designed to impress, and while the charity continues its work elsewhere, the building is now a museum.
Beneath the cobbled streets, there are cellars galore and not surprisingly Beaune's main art gallery and museum is adjoined by the "Burgundy Wine Museum".
LET'S DO LUNCH
Cheap
Snacking in Dijon is as popular as it is everywhere but just opposite the McDonalds in the town centre you'll find Bourgogne Street, a modern store which sells all manner of delicacies including the local gingerbread. This is not to be missed. A rich mix made with honey, one small hunk of this will keep you going for most of the day. The shop has also gathered together artisanal products from around the region, from the ubiquitous mustard, to snails, foie gras, wines and cassis,
Not so cheap
There are plenty of small restaurants in Dijon with menu formulas, from €11 up, but one to be highly recommended is Le Germinal, on Place Emile Zola. This is not surprising as Germinal was Zola's undisputed masterpiece, a torrid tale set in 19th century mining towns, and has been adapted several times for the screen.
But the connection ends with the name. The restaurant specializes in frogs legs – you can have them prepared any number of ways, and the décor suffers from that French sense of humour where everything has to have a frog on it – they float from the ceiling, hang on the walls, adorn the tablemats and napkins. As if eating them wasn't enough.
The house speciality aside, the lunch menu will be whatever is freshly prepared from the market that day – a large salad, fish, beef, etc. Quality wines are served by the glass, carafe and bottle at reasonable prices and the staff are charming.
There are also many bistros surrounding Dijon Market.
Not cheap but worthwhile
At the Abbeye de la Bussiere, the main restaurant is supplemented with a bistro. This is undoubtedly the grandest bistro you'll ever sit in, but the menu is short and uncomplicated, so it qualifies on that definition. With a view over the sweeping parklands, choose from a seasonal menu that might include smoked salmon blinis, hearts of lettuce, fresh mushroom soup, followed by grilled steak or fish, cheese and dessert, but don't let the simplicity of this description fool you, everything they serve is exemplary. The house wines are outstanding – a Ladoix 1st Cru Basses Mourottes was velvety smooth, deeply coloured and fruity.
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Useful links
Bourgogne Street
Hospices Civiles de Beaune museum
Maison Capitain-Gagnerot
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