Food Wine Burgundy

For decades, David Downie and Alison Harris have been exploring Burgundy—they walked clear across it in 2006—reporting on their finds for top magazines and newspapers worldwide. This is the third Terroir Guide they have collaborated on and perhaps the most detailed and personal of any so far. Burgundy is one of France’s great food and wine regions. Many of the world’s most sought-after wines are produced there; so, too, are some of the most underrated, underpriced white wines in France. Each of Burgundy’s five wine districts is thoroughly explored in this guide, with recommendations on which wines to buy and which wineries to visit. Wine terminology is explained in a way that anyone can understand. On the food side, Burgundy still has a surprising number of luxurious restaurants, as well as dozens of country auberges visitors dream of discovering. Downie leads you to just such places, as well as to specialty food shops where you can taste the region’s terroir firsthand. Burgundy’s lush scenery distills the essence of French terroir, and each of its subregions has a distinctive character where the architecture and art reflect this storied diversity.

Library Journal

Downie (Food Wine Rome) pragmatically explains how world markets push out many "moms and pops" that produce a quaint bounty in vast, varied, and lush landscapes and how haute influences in bistro cuisines replace traditional dishes and forsake roots. Not writing a dirge, Downie instead calls readers to arms by celebrating the terroir (literally "terrain") and how it, along with the particular climates, has created culinary jewels for millennia—snails, Charolais beef, chèvre, honey, truffles, and grand cru pinot noirs and chardonnays. He easily demystifies the processes of wine making and the distinction and variety of Burgundy's regional productions. Downie succinctly maps and divides Burgundy into four regions, walking readers through each town and discussing lodgings, markets, artisans, and vintners. He also deconstructs restaurants' menus for their technique and signatures. VERDICT Beautifully depicted, handily sized, and substantially sourced for contact info and seasonal hours. Not a stand-alone general guide, this book is a regional standard for oenophiles and the palatably enchanted traveler. Highly recommended.—Ben Malczewski, Ypsilanti Dist. Lib., MI

David Downie’s books include Food Wine The Italian Riviera & Genoa and Food Wine Rome (both from The Little Bookroom). He divides his time between France and Italy.

Alison Harris’s latest books, Markets of Paris, The Patisseries of Paris, Chic Shopping Paris, Food Wine The Italian Riviera & Genoa, and Food Wine Rome are published by The Little Bookroom.