Pirouetting Ballerinas found in the wine of Burgundy

Do you ever drink wine and think of ballerinas pirouetting on your tongue or rolling around in a bowl full of cherries with a loved one?
If the answer is ‘no’ then you have not yet had the pleasure of experiencing a wine tasting led by the exuberant wine educator Quentin Sadler. FOCUS members recently enjoyed an evening led by Quentin and hosted by the BADA Antiques Fair which transforms the Duke of York Square each March.
After arriving at the fair, guests were led through the grand marquis displaying items from some of the most established antiques dealers to the Cellini Restaurant. Tables were set with glasses filled with a fine selection of  Louis Jadot wines and dishes of attractive parmesan crisps. Once we were all seated the real journey began.

Photos of the Burgundy region were shared as we moved from the Côte d'Or, through Côte Chalonnaise down to Mâconnais and ending in Beaujolais. Although, to be fair, we did not end with Beaujolais as from many who are passionate about wine that would have been a disappointment. We did in fact journey back to Côte de Nuits (which to my surprise stands for nuts, not night).
Quentin enlightened us all on the region - from the golden slopes to the colder regions noting the effect the climate has on the wine, colour of the grape and of course the taste. I enjoyed tasting cherries, nectarines, raspberries, currents and strawberries. Some wines were nutty and others smoky, some casual and happy and others angular; it all seemed to make sense at the time and  Quentin was certainly convincing.  Luckily we had a sheet for taking notes on the appearance smell and palate for each of the six wines.

We also were guided through the hierarchy of Village up to Premier Cru and right to the top with Grand Cru. We also were introduced to the oddly quirky system whereby the agricultural authorities in France determine what level the wine commands depending on the vineyards placement on the slope, the place, the reputation, and the price the wine commands.
Throughout the course of the evening Quentin entertained us with his stories of travel, wines and culinary excursions. He was able to bring a smile to everyone’s face in spite of there being guests of varying nationalities with competing views on where the best food and wine came from.
From now on I will wait for ballerinas to twirl on my tongue and look for that bowl of cherries…
Happy wine drinking!
 

Written by Nancy Dickinson.  Nancy is the Director of Events and Seminars at FOCUS. 

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