I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees – Hendry David Thoreau.

My approach to life is to plan and structure, while my mom’s is to mingle and meander. The original plan was to travel southwest from Paris to Bordeaux, stop at Lourdes, cross the Pyrenees and enter Spain.

But my mom had other plans. She wanted to travel southeast to Dijon, the capital of Burgundy, touch Geneva and head west to Lyon. Since this virtual world tour is for her, I acquiesced.

Her reason for heading southeast, was Geneva; she was intrigued that one could visit three countries in one day from one city. In fact, Geneva should be positioned as the conduit, from which you can have breakfast in Switzerland, lunch in France and dinner in Italy; all in one day.

Mom is getting frail; her hearing is going; she needs to be watched over. So, now, we share the same bedroom. The joke is that we are practically lovers; we have breakfast together; we have lunch together; we have dinner together; we sleep together!

In keeping with our French travels, we have taken to French music; we sleep to the soothing sounds of La mer and wake up to the exhilaration of Carmen: No:1 Prelude.

Carmen is a four-part opera, composed by Frenchman Georges Bizet; it is about a sultry Spanish gypsy who allures a soldier away from his girlfriend and then dumps him for a bullfighter. Carmen was first performed in Paris in 1875, to mixed reviews, because it was considered inappropriate (Wikipedia).

La mer, our going to bed song, composed by Charles Trenet, is about the sea. It became a hit in 1946 and is a classic chanson (French song). Trenet wrote the lyrics while he was still a teenager, but he did not find the melody, until much later. His inspiration for the melody, came while he was travelling by train, looking out the window at Etang de Thau, which is a lagoon in southern France (Wikipedia).

The song was so popular that it transcended boundaries, travelled to England and America, and was translated into many languages. Bing Crosby and Cliff Richard were among the worldwide recording artists.

In fact, there is an English rendition called Beyond the Sea by Bobby Darin. But people in the know, say that La mer and Beyond the Sea, have different vibes - one is a tribute to love while the other is a tribute to the sea.

Dijon, our first stop in east-central France, is the capitol of Burgundy. Burgundy is one of the most distinguished wine producing regions in France. The others are Bordeaux, the Rhone Valley, the Loire Valley and Champagne. Burgundy’s claim to fame are its red and white wines. So, no excursion to Dijon and Burgundy, can be complete, without a study on wine.

My mother’s exposure to wine is limited to watching her son-in-law drink Merlot over dinner. And, my exposure, is confined to sipping Cabernet Sauvignon, from time to time. But charged by a carafe of zest, we started our exploration.

Broadly, there are three types of grapes for red wines; Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Pinot Noir is the Audrey Hepburn of wines; silky, bright and elegant. Cabernet Sauvignon is the Katherine Hepburn of wines; big, bold and robust. And Merlot, is the Shirley Temple of wines; the subtle middle sister.   

Wines are judged on appearance, aroma, tasting notes, sweetness, terrior (natural environment) and cost.

The Pinot Noir is garnet and it is the lightest of the three. It has aromas of strawberry, red cherries, raspberries with undertones of spice and earth. It is stronger than Merlot but less so than Cabernet Sauvignon. It tastes of lush berries and silky tannins (extracts) and it is the most expensive of the three. Pinot Noir pairs well with lamb, poultry and salmon. If you want sophistication and style, Pinot Noir is your gal.

Cabernet Sauvignon is ruby red and is the darkest of the three. The aromas are black currents, cherries, dark plums with undertones of chocolate and pear. It has a strong tannic taste. It is not as pricey as Pinot Noir; it is approachable or price-friendly. It is a perfect match for red meat and if you want something bold, this is your gal.

Merlot, the subtle middle sister, is figuratively, a blend of Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. It is the sweetest and fruitiest of the three. It is lighter than Cabernet Sauvignon and it has a mellow taste. It has the earthiness of Pinot Noir and strong tannins of Cabernet Sauvignon. Price-wise, it is approachable too. Merlot pairs well with most food except savory cuisine that could overpower its delicate taste.  (So, no spicy Indian dinners with Merlot!) If you feel less fancy, this is your gal.

Equipped with this knowledge, I went hunting for Burgundy reds at my local wine store. They say “Knowledge is Power” and Hallelujah, I found one! A Pinot Noir from Burgundy by Louis Jadot. The House of Louis Jadot is a big name in Burgundy for red and white wines (wine.com).

But I could not find any Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from Burgundy. So, I headed out to Harrisons Wine, run by Jasper Chai who has 20 years of experience. He had only, one varietal (single variety of grape) from France, but none from Burgundy. He explained that French wines are generally more expensive than other wines; with the lower demand because of COVID, they have not restocked French wines.

Although I got no wine from Harrisons, I got a wine connoisseur for a friend! This is what I learnt from Jasper:

The only red varietal from Burgundy is Pinot Noir. The terrior of Burgundy is only well suited, to this grape, for red wines. This is why my treasure hunt for Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from Burgundy was a bust.

The main areas for wine in Burgundy are Beaune, Chalon and Maconnais. Beaune is the capital of Burgundy Wines and is well known for its Chardonnay (white) and Pinot Noir (winetourism).

Pinot Noir from Burgundy varies in price. Starting with the entry-level Pinot Noir from Louis Jadot at RM150 to the high-end Chanson Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru, 2015 vintages at RM1,500.

The factors determining price, are terrior and acreage. The Pinot Noir grape, grows well on slopes and not plateaus. For example, the Pinot Noir from Romania, is grown on plateaus; the wine is cheap but it is runny. Vineyards with special terrior also have small acreage. This means they produce a limited number of bottles and because supply is limited, prices are high.

Cheese is a good companion for wine and Burgundy is also famous for cheese. There are four cheeses that Burgundy is famed for, and I went looking for two: Epoisses (King of cheese) and Abbaye de Citeaux (Monk’s cheese).

I could find neither at any fromagerie in Kuala Lumpur. But Atlas Gourmet, at the Four Seasons Plaza, had four French cheeses: Fourme d’Ambert, Blue d’Auvergne, Raclette Fumee and Brie. The most expensive was the Blue d’Auvergne, followed by the Fourme d’Ambert, Raclette Fumee and Brie. And a hundred grams of each cheese, set me back RM100.

The Fourme d’Ambert is one of the oldest cheeses in France, which dates back to Roman times. It is a semi-hard cheese, as the name suggests, from the Ambert region. Its flavour is sharp and tangy. The Raclette Fumee, produced in Burgundy, is a semi-hard cow’s milk cheese. It has a slightly sweet and slightly nutty flavor. The Bleu d’Auvergne is a soft French blue cheese that is made from cow’s milk. It comes from Auvergne. Its flavour is strong and pungent but less pungent than other blue cheeses. 

Lim at the Atlas Gourmet recommended pairing my French cheeses with Louis Jadot Chateau des acquis Moulin-a-Vent, which costs RM150. Together, the Moulin-a-Vent and my cheeses, would have set me back RM250. Besides, I already had a Louis Jadot Pinot Noir, which cost RM150. So, with a heavy heart, I said no to the Moulin-a-Vent.

Although, the Pinot Noir and Moulin-a-Vent are cousins, they are different. The Pinot Noir is from the Pinot Noir grape, which is grown in Burgundy. It has a fruity aroma. The Moulin-a-Vent on the other hand, is from the Gamay (purple) grape grown in Beaujolais (next to Burgundy). It has a floral aroma. The Burgundy Pinot Noir is typically more expensive than the Moulin-a-Vent, but that was not my experience.

I loved the ambience at Atlas Gourmet, and so I stayed on to have some wine and cheese. I chose their house red, Castel Del Monte from Italy, and their Premium cheese board. The cheese board came with three different cheeses: Asiago (semi-soft), Brie (soft) and Grana Padano (hard) and it was accompanied by honey, cranberries, green raisins and crackers.

The cheese board pairing was on point. It followed rule one of the cheese board, which is to mix cheeses of different taste and texture. But, not being a wine connoisseur, I could not tell if the wine and cheese paired well. Nevertheless, I had an amazing time; I was “to the manor born” or make that, “to the Châteaux born!”

Finally, to pull our Burgundy trip together, mom and I, created a Burgundian/ French cheese board and paired it with the Louis Jadot Pinot Noir from Burgundy and Sparkling Grape Juice from Spain. Also, to set the tone for the evening, we sipped the Audrey Hepburn of wines, in the soft glow of a Candelabra. And, all the while, La mer played gently in the background. This was a marvelous moment in Dijon, Burgundy, for both of us.

Next, We Wander: Geneva, Switzerland.