A Year in Burgundy

One of the parts of living in France that I love the most is being immersed in tradition. Wine making is one such time-honored trade.

I just finished watching a fabulous documentary called “A Year in Burgundy”, which I haphazardly happened upon this rainy Sunday afternoon. The film follows seven family-owned, renowned vineyards throughout one entire year of their creation. We are privy – through the lens of camera – to their secrets (some dating back as many as 6 generations!), their methods, their troubles and frustration, their joys and celebrations.

Throughout the hour-and-a-half we meet Lalou Bize-Leroy, Thibaut Morey (a pianist who composed the music for the film!), Christophe Perrot-Minot, Bruno Clavelier, Denis Mortet, Michel Gay and his son Sebastian, as well as Dominique Cornin; we discover the Burgundy region (90 minutes by train from Paris), learn about its 2000 year old history and experience a few of the age-old traditions that make French wine making the grand old dame of the industry.

I happened to find the film on Netflix, but it is also available on Amazon. It is the first film of a trilogy, the second being “A Year in Champagne” to be release this year.

If you are as intrigued as I am after watching the film, check out the film’s website to learn more about these vineyards and their keepers.

I so enjoyed this last 90 minutes submerged in the fascinating world of family wine making. I hope you do too!