Written on 14/07/2020
Did you know that Burgundy has been drunk on the moon? Here are a few anecdotes to share over a glass.
Burgundy wine dates back to ancient times. It has inspired writers of all ages, revealed the most illustrious muses, intoxicated victorious and defeated soldiers alike. It is so closely linked to human history that it has shaped it. Here are a few anecdotes that bear witness to this influence.
BURGUNDY, THE MEDICINE OF LOUIS XIV
Until 1693, the Sun King drank only (red) Champagne. Plagued by terrible ailments, his newly-hired physician, Fagon, saw only one remedy: Burgundy. According to him, Champagne wine "sours very easily because it has more tartar and less spirit than Burgundy wine". Louis XIV eventually saw reason, and his new-found love of Pinot Noir played a major role in the development of our terroir.
GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN, IMPERIAL WINE
It was in the Côte d'Or that the young soldier Bonaparte learned some of his trade. It was also here that he discovered his first love, the only one he would remain faithful to for the rest of his life: Burgundy wine. In Paris and on all fronts, he never parted with his cases of Gevrey-Chambertin, just like his bicorne. It's even said that during the Russian campaign, his aide-de-camp kept a bottle against his chest, to keep him at the right temperature in case the Emperor became weak. It is also said that the defeat of Waterloo was due to a slight abuse of Cambertin...
Perhaps we've answered the age-old question: what on earth was Napoleon constantly holding under his shirt?
WE DRANK BURGUNDY ON THE MOON!
In 1870, Jules Verne sent three of his characters into orbit around the Moon. They were propelled there by a huge cannon; and, once in orbit, they celebrated with an equally huge cannon: Nuit Saint Georges. Some two hundred years later, Neil Armstrong also showed his good taste by placing a wine label on the lunar surface.
THE MOST EXPENSIVE WINE IN THE WORLD IS... BURGUNDIAN!
Closer to home, in 2018, Sotheby's organized an auction of prestige wines. These vintages ranged from 1937 to 1964.
A bottle from 1945, from an initial production of 600 bottles, will break all records: 428,000 euros for a Romanée-Conti!
And that's how great Burgundy is...
