My family has long deep ties to Burgundy, dating back to my great grandfather. I spent some key years of my childhood in Chalon-sur-Saône, exploring the countryside of the wine region, walking through the downtown medieval streets of Beaune, Dijon and Chalon, hiking on the trails of the Morvan. I have fun memories of authentic dinners, drinking burgundy wines and singing some “bans bourguignons” around a table full of fun loving friends, their parents and grandparents. Whether you are a wine connoisseur, or have traveled to this region of France, you too are bound to fall in love.Je vous invite à explorer la Bourgogne avec nous.
When someone talks about Burgundy, we immediately think about wine and historic
vintages. But Burgundy is about a lot more than its wine. It is about art, food, architecture and nature. We hope to show you “our” Burgundy during one of our exclusive immersion retreats.
Mais où est la Bourgogne?
Burgundy is one of the biggest regions of France. It is located to the East- Center of France, to the South of Paris. It is known for both its red and white wines, but also for its culinary specialties such as “le coq au vin”, “boeuf bourguignon”, “fondue bourguignonne” etc.
D'où vient le mot Bourgogne?
The Burgundy region owes its name to the “Burgondes”, people originally from the Baltic who invaded the region around the middle of the 5th century. The kingdom of Burgondie will later become the kingdom of Bourgogne.
Un aspect culturel- le ban bourguignon
The origin of the ban bourguignon - a type of celebratory song - is not fully known but is fully practiced! It is believed to have originated in 1905 from a bar in the neighborhood of East Dijon, called Montchapet. It quickly spread throughout the region during celebrations but briefly disappeared during the second world war. It slowly came back to life, and was again used to celebrate the seasons of “les vendanges” and wine making.
Here is a video of one of the ban bourguignon if you are curious to see and hear it: https://youtu.be/2Q6ST9Y-Sfs
Join us on our Burgundy retreats to learn more and experience the Ban bourguignon in person with us.
Must do when visiting Burgundy
Enjoy some moutarde de Dijon, and visit one of the tasting museums
Visit a winery and partake in a wine tasting event
Shop at the local farmers market
Take a walk in the beautiful hills of the “côte chalonnaise”
Visit les hospices de Beaune and have lunch in town
Go to the museum of photography in Chalon-sur-Saone, take an afternoon stroll in the city’s pedestrian only streets and find a local bistro to enjoy a coq au vin with a glass of local red wine
Quiz linguistique - parlez-vous bourguignon ?
For those who have an intermediate/advanced level of French, you can take a quiz on your knowledge of the “bourguignon” language. “ Savez-vous parler Bourguignon?”
Vocabulaire
A few words about Burgundy
Un ban: a song
Un royaume: a kingdom
Une dégustation: a tasting
Un viticulteur: a winemaker
Un pinard: slang for wine
Arpenter: to survey the land/to explore
Interested in learning more French and discovering more about the French culture? Sign up for our online lessons or join us on our immersion retreats!
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