THE TRAIL OF THE FIVE SENSES©, INTO THE WOODS

Every fall since 2008, during the weekend of the Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction, Bouchard Aîné & Fils invites visitors on a voyage of the senses with some exceptional food and wine combinations.

And there was a dual leitmotif at last year’s event which had the theme of INTO THE WOODS. The oaky notes of the wine from ageing in barrels and those of the mushrooms, the fruits of the Morvan and Cîteaux forests, offered an exercise in style to surprise and charm the taste buds. The uncontested star of the show was the Burgundy truffle, used in some gourmet combinations served with crus from the Côte-d’Or – two treasures from a single terroir.

The 18^th century cellars were decorated to match the theme, taking visitors on a journey through Burgundy with its vines and forests, its fairytales and legends.

Beaune chef Laurent Parra used all his culinary skills to create a selection of delicious amuse-bouches and the event finished on a high, with a 34-year-old wine in magnums, to accompany the king of cheeses, studded with the celebrated Tuber uncinatum !

Beaune Premier Cru Les Marconnets 2017 white, in the barrel “The Royal Oak of the Forest”

Crémant de Bourgogne in magnums & woodland chips “A Carpet of Leaves Beneath our Feet”

Beaune Premier Cru Les Marconnets 2015 white & jambon persillé with truffles “Favorite of the Kings of France”

Meursault 2015 “A Flight to the Hilltops”

Pommard La Chanière 2015 & mushroom and foie gras terrine “Hornbeam, Elm, and Boletus”

Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Les Chabœufs 2005 & a tortilla of black chanterelles, truffle crisp, and woodland seeds “Horn of Plenty”

Gevrey-Chambertin 1983 in magnums & truffled Brillat-Savarin cheese “A Soft Carpet of Moss”

The history of the Maison Bouchard Aîné & Fils is closely connected to that of Burgundy wines and the city of Beaune. With cellars where the wines are aged, collections of family objects and souvenirs from the days when the Bouchard family invented the trade of négociant-éleveur, visitors can travel back in time as well as exploring the Trail of the Five Senses® in the 18^th century cellars beneath the Hôtel du Conseiller du Roy in Beaune.

The house opened to the public in 1998 and continues on its path of sensory exploration. It was the first to offer creative themed tastings to coincide with the Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction, based on original food and wine combinations, accessible to both newcomers and confirmed wine lovers. Over the space of a weekend, the cellars are transformed to fit the theme with a wonderfully artistic touch. This is a Burgundian history that is still being written.