Travel to Burgundy

[wondersofwine]

I believe in most instances an appointment would be advisable. Some of the more exclusive Grand Cru estates may not offer tastings at all. One approach would be to contact a negociant. You might contact Alex Gambal, an American that spends part of the year in Burgundy as a negociant/eleveur (and is producing some very nice wines, both reds and whites). Here is a contact:
http://www.alexgambal.com/tastings.html It gives his phone and fax numbers. His office is in Beaune. (I have met Alex at least three times at the Nantucket Wine Festival and have enjoyed tasting his wines).
Beaune is an attractive city with many wine shipping offices and a visit to the Hospice de Beaune (Flemish architectural detail) is worth a visit. The Hospice de Beaune is the beneficiary of many donated wine properties and hosts a famous annual wine action which helps set the price for that year's vintage.
Dijon is probably a larger city and maybe worth a visit for the art museums and restaurants. You might choose Dijon as the base of your visit if it sounds attractive to you. I am not familiar with the smaller towns but will check some of my wine guides over the weekend. I have an older book "A Wine Tour of France" and while the restaurant and hotel information is likely to be seriously out-of-date, the author does tell which villages are attractive and worth a visit.

[This message has been edited by wondersofwine (edited 09-02-2005).]