Down in the Caverns at Patriarche in Beaune, France

“Wine enters through the mouth,

Love, the eyes.

I raise the glass to my mouth,

I look at you,

I sigh.”

― W.B. Yeats

Patriarche Père & Fils winery has been a landmark in Burgundy’s wine industry since the Romans left Gaul.  For those with a master’s degree, but lacking a proper high school education, Gaul was the Roman name for France…is it coming back to you now?  Julius Caesar, veni vidi vici and all that?  By the way, the Romans left in A.D. 486.

Ok, so I exaggerated Patriarche’s longevity by 1200 years or so.  The winery truly emerged in 1780.

Enough history.  Let’s jump forward to 2016 and a visit to the caves of P P & Fils.  I’ve gotten you past the tollgate (€17.50 pp), the oaken-barrel-lined hallway leading to the beautifully restored Chapel, and you’re ready to descend into the underground.

In the Chapel

What’s in the caves?  Wine tasting, while wandering like lost souls in the caverns of Hades.  Dark?  Yes, it is.  Lit only enough to cut down on stumbles and lawyers' fees. But not to worry.  You're greeted by an astute and friendly guide who offers an intro to the wines.  And after your guide slips quietly into the shadows, there's an audio-visual to help you at every tasting station. Four or five kilometers (about 3 miles) of caves hold hundreds of thousands of bottles, some of which date to the turn of the century.  I’m speaking of 19^th to 20^th.  Everywhere you look, dusty bottles lie patiently stacked, like the sleeping soldiers of Charlemagne. The caves themselves are part and parcel of the Visitandines  convent, which Partriarche purchased in the 1700s.

So, what are the Visitandines?  Very short answer:  nuns.  A bit more?  Ok, Visitandines is only one of several sobriquets for The Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary.  Need more?  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Visitation_of_Holy_Mary

Now, how about some tasting?  Your toll taker gave you little silvered metal tasting cups and you’re welcome to help yourself, on your stroll from station to station.  You’ll sample more than a few whites and more than twice that many reds, including a couple of Grand Cru.  By the way, in Burgundy, reds are overwhelmingly Pinot Noir, and whites are Chardonnay.  But, what is Grand Cru?  Let’s leave it at ‘the best of the best.’  In Burgundy only 2% of the 69,000 acres (28,000 hectares) are classified as Grand Cru, but the caveats are many.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Burgundy_Grand_Crus

 General comments about Burgundy wines.  No use giving details about my tastings since offerings change.  But in general:

-       Dry as your mouth, while riding a camel through a sandstorm in the Sahara

-       Aroma and flavor held in high esteem by the dirt eaters of Mississippi and Georgia

-       Lingering tannins that strike the back of the throat like well driven nails

In French Wine for Dummies By Ed McCarthy and Mary Ewing-Mulligan, I found a remark I wholeheartedly agree with:  “Nothing quite compares in aroma and flavor to a great red Burgundy.”  Yes, and nothing says I love you like a good spanking.

If you’re like me, you enjoy a fruity nose, smooth flavor, from the start to the mellow, well-rounded finish.  In which case Burgundy may not be your first choice.  A big HOWEVER.  I did find several eminently drinkable bottles in sidewalk cafés.

 Also, if you’re used to paying $10-12 for a rather nice accompaniment to lunch, the Burgundy prices may leave your mouth even drier and your bank account treading water.  The cheapest bottle on any menu runs about $28.50 and most are quite a bit more.

Still, touring Patriarche caverns is a picturesque step into the bowels of the wine business and the varied Burgundy vintages.  No way to tell without tasting.  I’ve found that two red wines  (or whites) from the same vineyard may taste entirely differently.  It may be due to different slopes with different sun exposures, different soil compositions, or any of a hundred other reasons.

My advice?  Taste. Period.  Don’t be swayed by wine snobs.  Don’t rely on large black rating numbers from a magazine.  Don’t even listen to me.

Although I may personally get astonishingly pensive and shaky at the mention of a bottle of Burgundy, you may find yourself celebrating the very same wine at the pop of the first cork.

And even if the wines of Patriache are not to your taste, a stroll through the caverns is worth every cent to a photographer, or anyone who wants a shortcut education in the fermented grape, its heritage and possibilities.

“High and fine literature is wine, and mine is only water; but everybody likes water.”

― Mark Twain

“What wine goes with Captain Crunch?”

― George Carlin

“Let us have wine and women, mirth and laughter, sermons and soda water the day after.”

― George Gordon Byron