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This Week... from our inbox, Burgundytoday´s weekly roundup of news, views & events september 4
10,000 cyclists will take to the streets of Dijon on September 12 leaving the Parc de la Toison d’Or and going on a journey of exploration through a TV studio, shopping mall and all sorts of unlikely venues to arrive in the centre of the city. This year, roller blading is also included. If you would like to join in the fun, full details Country Style
If you favour a more leisurely approach, drive along the wine route of the Mâconnais and look over vineyards with names known throughout the world: Pouilly-Fuissé, Mâcon, Saint-Véran, Viré-Clessé. As Alphonse de Lamartine, the famous poet born in Mâcon said: "On these autumn days when nature breathes out, the air is so scented, the light so pure!" Inside Burgundy Jasper Morris MW is Berry Brothers and Rudd’s Burgundy wine expert. In October, this wine merchant is launching Morris’ book ‘Inside Burgundy’ with a £50 cover price. It will be the first book from BBR’s new publishing arm.
In January of this year a contemporary music and art centre opened in Auxerre called Le Silex. It is in full swing, with a big schedule of performers hot on the current music scene. But that is not all that’s hot about it. It is the progressive architecture that first drew our attention. The heating and ventilation system of the building is state of the art geothermal energy transmitted through tubes embedded in the foundation piles of the building, and then circulated by a heat pump. Things are hotting up in Auxerre. August 27The secrets within
In 1943 the Germans were occupying France. Heavy bombing by the allied forces around Paris resulted in the Luftwaffe suffering severe damage to their planes and the Germans searched from a more secure place to repair the fighters. The huge caves provided just the solution and in 1943 Focke Wulf came in to run the operation. Over the next year, 160 aircraft were repaired in this safe and secure hideout, a runway was built and Russian, Polish and Spanish prisoners of war together with local people worked at the installation. During the liberation, the Germans fled in August 1944 and before they departed, they tried to destroy the camp but failed. Left behind were 120 fuselages and 150 pairs of wings. The French then set up production and made an aircraft called the NC900 from the parts. 70 aircraft were produced but due to previous sabotage of the parts, production came to a halt in 1946, never to reopen. Fete de Cassis
In brief Dancing in the streets this weekend in Dijon at the Fête de la Vigne, a folklore festival. See the programme Flying down to Bordeaux: If you would like to compare notes on wine in that ‘other’ wine region Bordeaux, from September 20 you will be able to fly direct from Dijon airport with the company Eastern Airways. Flights to Bordeaux and Toulouse will take 1h 40. To rapturous applause, Arsys de Bourgogne staged a magnificent performance of the Brahms Requiem to round off this year’s Vézelay festival last Saturday. Televised by France 2, look out for the CD when the choir’s new website is up and running shortly. Beaune Exhibition Exhibition dates and venues: 1 September to mid-November 2010, Beaune; mid-November 2010 to June 2011, Château du Clos de Vougeot; and June to September 2011, Nuits-Saint-Georges. August 20Has AstErix abandoned his beer and wild boar?
McDonalds is frequently plagued by controversy in France, remember the French farmer who attacked one of their restaurants under construction in southern France. However, ‘despite the country’s reputation as the birthplace of haute cuisine…’ writes Henry Samuel in The Telegraph,’ France is the company’s second most profitable market after the USA’. wine and cheese
Chaource – good with white, red or rosé. A Chablis or Champagne for white, a Gevrey Chambertin or Aloxe Corton for red. For more on Matching Wine With Food The Pearl of the Cote
Taize Freight returns on the waterways
At present, 90% of freight is transported by road. River transport has obvious disadvantages, the river does not go door to door and it is slower. However, the price is more competitive, greater shipments can be carried in one trip, and if this saves twelve trucks on the road, it has to be good news. The Saône River Highway is already operating and there are plans in place for the Yonne which we will be bringing you more on in September. august 6food Hot Spots Remember aniseed balls?
Walnut flavoured mustard
You can visit the Fallot mustard museum at 31 Faubourg Bretonnière in Beaune for a presentation Mon – Sat at 10.00 and 11.30 from mid March to mid November and in June, July and August at 15.30 and 17.00, price 10 euros per person. More on mustard Look out for... Remember too there are factory visits at the Fromagerie Gaugry (reservation essential), and a variety of wine tasting opportunities in Beaune. See also Specialist Shops for more Burgundian treats such as pain d'epices and gougéres. Look out for pain d'epices Toussaint which has been recommended to us this week. the French Week If you are keen to keep abreast of French affairs, news and culture there's a new weekly newspaper in English, The French Week which launched last Friday July 30. Edited by Miranda Neames who previously published the very well-thought-of French News, the new weekly will feature politics, administration, arts and lifestyle across France. On sale 1 euro each Friday from newsagents and on subscription. july 30
Up a mountain, on the beach, you never need to be without a good book to read ever again. As the e-book revolution gathers pace, Amazon have announced the second generation of the Kindle wireless reading device. It has been the bestselling product on Amazon.com for two years running, and is also the most-wished-for and most-gifted item on the site. More...
The Boisset Empire Wine in Tetra Paks, screwcaps to replace corks, blending Nuits St. George wine with Californian Pinot Noir, surely these can’t be the ideas of the Burgundian wine producer? Well that’s just what they are - Jean-Charles Boisset, son of the founder of the Boisset empire in Burgundy continues to come up with innovative ideas to stir the wine industry out of its traditional slumbers. Beverley Blanning, MW talks to Jean-Charles and finds an energised man using all his marketing skills and enthusiasm to move the industry forward. More… Know your wines
july 23
Château de la Resle may be a few kilometres from Auxerre but it stands alone in the countryside overlooking the valley of Montigny la Resle in a world of its own. The exterior looks much like any other grand building, standing in parkland with an orangerie and stables. But take a look inside. The decoration is contemporary and bold, using slate black or rich damson on the walls to highlight the bright modern art and sculptures. This year the owners of the château have opened their doors as a luxury chambres d’hôte, hoping guests will get pleasure from the exciting décor and from the glorious surroundings. More... in conversation with Emmanuel Hebrard
Hébrard is one of the inspiring young chefs working in the region. He is always on the lookout for better raw materials to ply his craft. His aim, he says, is for guests to come to the Abbaye for the food first and foremost rather than the sumptuous surroundings which are the main attraction at present. As the word spreads, they will come for the food experience for sure. More… 4000 needed for the grape harvest in September
Toucy Market
The Famous Five Five villages in Burgundy have the title ‘the most beautiful villages in France’ – there are only 154 villages across the whole country with this prestigious label. Châteauneuf–en-Auxois, Flavigny-sur-Ozerain (21), Noyers-sur-Serein, Vézelay (89) and Semur-en-Brionnais (71) are the picture postcard locations. Now Salives in the Côte d’Or with its ramparts, lavoir and 11thC church has put itself forward as a candidate. We will know whether the village has achieved the goal in October. Salvador Dali had a different perspective on life and art. This brilliant classical artist developed a totally original style to shock, amuse and stimulate ideas. In Tournus, from August 4 to September 12 visit the Salvador Dali exhibition ‘50 Years of Surrealism’ in the Réfectoire des Moines. Two hundred original works will be on view and guaranteed there will be surprises.
july 15Murder in the Morvan
The crime scene focuses on a small village community in the Morvan region, and in particular on the expat community there. This melange of people, with time on their hands, know little about each other but meet up frequently socially. Sutcliffe has lived in one such locality and with his knowledge and sharp, sometimes cynical observation of people, he sets the scene. Anyone who has lived abroad will recognise the traits. The lead character, Tom Fox is called in by Commissaire Renaud to assist in the investigation of a brutal murder, leading to all sorts of revelations. The story touches on the Resistance movement, so dominant in this area of France, and while it may not be difficult to predict the murderer, like all good stories, the twist at the end is successfully executed.A good holiday read.
A Skulk of Foxes The charm of Meursault
july 9Contemporary art finds its place in history
Opening this weekend in the château in Châteauneuf en Auxois, FRAC presents the exhibition ‘Le Palais des Ombres’ and includes photography, sculpture, videos and objects mixed discreetly among the historical exhibits. In the shadows of this ancient fortress contemporary art is on show by Jonas Dahlberg, Patrick Corillon, Dominique Ghesquière, Claudio Parmiggiani, Jacques Perreaut, Gitte Schäfer, Anton Stankowski and James Welling. The exhibition runs to Sept 12. July 2Eccentric Pipe Dream Becomes Established Enterprise
june 24Beaune a tale of the unexpected The courtyard, water and gardens festival opens up many parts of the town that a visitor might not normally find. In the Square of Lions for example, nine landscape gardening schools from all over France have set up displays to show their original ideas for unusual gardens. From Montreuil one theme is ‘Green Kaleidoscope’, another, ‘The Tenacity of Vegetation in the Chaos’. In the Parc de la Bouzaize, seven water gardens have been constructed, and opposite the park, there are rare and extraordinary plants, chosen for their colour, shape or unexpected perfume. Some have medicinal benefits, another, l’Impomea has hallucinogenic properties. How long will it be before some green fingered person comes to take a cutting or two? After restoration, the Beffroi has been opened for the first time in many years. This 14thC bell tower of the Abbaye de Maizières will house an exhibition of clock movements and bells, along with other curiosities. There are further exhibitions on display at the Musée des Beaux Arts and the Musée du Vin. So call into the Tourist Office in Beaune for the festival route. Some exhibits are free of charge, others require an entrance fee. There are guided tours on Friday and Saturday afternoons, and lots to explore. The festival runs until September 19. june 9BURGUNDY YESTERDAY, TODAY It is a building constructor’s nightmare when archaeological remains are found just as the digging of the new foundations begins, thereby disrupting the building schedule completely. Marilyn Floyde tells how the remains of a Roman villa was unearthed in St. Moré.
When a strip of land in the middle of the village close to the fording point on the river was due to be built on, the commune of St. Moré had to seek advice from INRAP the national body for archaeological heritage. A few days were given over to investigation and diagnosis in order to ascertain the potential importance of the site. It was found to be very important – which meant that a full-scale dig had to begin. They have discovered the foundations of a Roman villa complete with a couple of pillars and some attached iron works and forges. You could still see the smelting pit and burn marks. The dig revealed the last bit of the Via Agrippa before the river Cure. Built on top were other later dwellings and rooms – thought to be part of an inn. Because the site is so near the river fording point it is likely that hostelry accommodation was available – together with blacksmith’s forges – so that travellers could rest before continuing their journey, and perhaps have the wheels of their ox-carts repaired while they wait. I like to imagine St. Moré in Roman times as having a vibrant and rather jolly night-life. (Quite like today really with the live music and congenial surroundings of the Café Camp du Cora). I imagine that the soldiers passed through the village frequently on their tours of vigilance, and that they took pleasure in the local wine, women and song. The dig is finished now – the archaeologists having got from it what they needed to increase our knowledge about those times. It’ll be filled in and built on, at some point in the future. But for the moment it’s still there behind a protective fence, for anyone to go and see. It’s a little bit sad that those forges will soon be hidden again. There was something about being able to see the evidence of flames and hard work from such a long time ago, which was more evocative than the all the rubble of foundation walls. © M. Floyde Read more of Marilyn's discoveries... Worth Going Out of your way for A definite highlight of this summer in Normandy is the Impressionist Festival celebrating those much loved artists including Monet, Pissarro and Gauguin. But it's not just the old masters, there are the newcomers in art, music, poetry, theatre, videos, cinema and symposiums. The website is good, particularly the press pdf detailing all the places and events all over Normandy from now until the end of September. June 2Flying high over VEzelay Flying by paramotor, a parachute with a motor strapped to your back, gives the ultimate freedom of the skies. Philippe Devanne and a group of friends from Paris demonstrate in their six minute video just how beautiful a sensation it is as they float over Vézelay, Asquins and the limestone cliffs around Mailly-le-Château. Viewed this way, there’s none of that drumming motor noise either to interrupt the enjoyment. A protected speciesWe all take a pride in our National Parks, as if we own a piece of nature’s splendour, which of course in a way as taxpayers we do. The French government is committed to developing more protected areas and there are two more parks in the pipeline, one of which is in Burgundy going into the Champagne region, Entre Champagne et Bourgogne. New up, we talk about the parks, National and Natural with a map for orientation. During the coming months make the most of these great natural resources. Destination: Dijonlaunched its new website this week with a much cleaner look and easier navigation. Offering a return ticket from London to Dijon or £89 return, it could be time to book that spring break. See Short Break in Dijon
Burgundy Today Cryptic Crossword SolutionsAcross 1. Nevers, 4. Tenant, 9. Noël, 10. Prodigious, 11. Bateau, 12&23 down Burgundy Today, 13. Kilometer, 15. Père, 16. Acts, 17. Reveillon, 21. Exported, 22. Petite, 24. A Rare Error, 25. Dope, 26. Events, 27. Troyes Down 1. Neo Nazi, 2. Valse, 3. Rupture, 5. Emigré, 6 .Adieu Nell, 7. Trundle, 8. Double headers, 14. Outsource, 16. Auxerre, 18. Emperor, 19. Octopus, 20. Street. 23. See 12 across
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City Cyclists
The ‘Randonnée des 2 Roches’, a walk or cycle ride in the Mâconnais will take place this year on 26 September, giving walkers and mountain bikers a chance to explore the 
Hot Spot in 21C Auxerre
For 800 years valuable limestone has been quarried in the hillsides of the Yonne in northern Burgundy and used to build the impressive châteaux and churches in the region and beyond. Some of the caves have been put to good use such as the wine caves at Bailly which now provide just the right conditions for a wine co-operative. But nearby in Cravant, the caves have had a more sinister history. Driving up the N6 towards Auxerre, you can see huge openings in the rock which have been blocked up and within lie 35 hectares of tunnels, six metres high. 
The little hamlet of Concoeur in the hills above Nuits St. Georges is preparing for its annual celebration of the blackcurrant. On September 4 and 5 from 10.00 to 19.00 you can join in the festivities, watch the pressing, taste gourmet delights and find out all there is to know about this little black pearl as it is called. 
‘With an exceptional exhibition of over 100 photographs in emblematic venues in Dijon, Beaune, Nuits-Saint-Georges, and Château du Clos de Vougeot, the association for the inclusion of Burgundy vineyard climates as a UNESCO world heritage site hopes to see thousands of visitors coming to view this ancient heritage in pictures’ says the BIVB. 
The cartoon character Astérix is based on Vercingétorix and the saga of the Gauls and Romans which supposedly took place at 
For most of us, the choice of whether to drink red, white or rosé wine with a meal is a matter of personal taste and the general outline of red with meat and white with fish works fine. When it comes to the 
Aficionados of Burgundy wine drool at the thought of Vosne Romanée so in homage, a glossy 347 page book about the legendary wine has just been written and published by Allen Meadows. About the author, Clive Coates says ‘Allen Meadows, known as the Burghound, has been producing a splendidly in-depth newsletter on the wines of Burgundy for ten years now. A retired banker in his 50s, he had many years of drinking the stuff before he dared start commenting’. Covering all aspects The Pearl of the Côte, the book, like the wine, doesn’t come cheap at $59 dollars a throw, but the people in the know are praising it highly. 
The canals and rivers of Burgundy have enjoyed tourist traffic over the last thirty years. Now with the emphasis on ecology, saving fuel, cutting pollution, accidents and noise, the Regional Council has been looking at the feasibility of transporting goods along the waterways, which of course is what they were built for in the first place. The region has 1000 km of waterways connecting the three major rivers, the Seine, the Loire and the Saône. 
We all used to love aniseed balls but it seems that Tic Tacs and the like have rather overshadowed these little round balls. However, Anis de Flavigny is still going strong. These little tins from a bygone age full of aniseed balls will slip into your luggage and are crush-proof making an ideal gift for friends. They are produced in the medieval village of 
The factory is open to early risers from February to mid November from 9.00 to 11.00, closed in August. There is a little shop in the village, and the tins are available widely throughout Burgundy. 
Another gift idea from Burgundy is mustard. Fallot, the independent family owned business in Beaune has been in business since 1840. Their tarragon flavoured mustard is already a favourite. More recently they have launched mustard containing walnuts from Périgord. The chef's tip is to combine this in a salad dressing made with walnut oil and serve with lettuce, crumbled Roquefort cheese and sliced pears, sprinkled with chopped walnuts and served as a starter. This mustard is recommended with endive, chicken and rabbit too. 
holiday reading
Decanter Magazine has announced a new wine course under the title of Decanter Education. Each course will be led by Decanter columnists and wine experts and will take place in London at the contemporary Blue Fin Building looking over St Paul’s cathedral. Beverley Blanning MD kicks off with Mastering Burgundy on September 24, aimed at keen wine lovers with experience of tasting and the desire to increase their knowledge of this particular area. For more information or to book online visit 
Chateau Chic 
To enjoy a meal cooked by a Michelin starred chef and his team need not cost an arm and a leg. At the 
The grape harvest is one of the highlights of the Burgundy year, taking place in early to mid September. The grapes have to be harvested at just the right moment and the vignerons are on the lookout for additional helpers during this hectic period. You need to be fit, it is back breaking work, but usually fun. The troops are well fed and watered, plus they receive the minimum wage which last year amounted to 8,82 per hour. Altogether, 4000 places are available across Burgundy for eight to ten days working eight hours a day in all weathers. 
The narrow streets of Toucy, west of Auxerre positively bulge with stalls and people each Saturday morning. The market is mainly food, including live poultry, offering seasonal fruit and veg, sausage, cheese, meat and fish, bread and patisserie. A feast for the eyes as well as the tummy. There is a festival atmosphere and the cafes are crowded. See our 
It appears that we can’t get enough of them - murder mystery novels dominate the top of the fiction charts just as whodunits get peak time billing on the TV. We welcome a new addition to the booklists this month, writer Richard Sutcliffe, a resident in Burgundy, with his first detective story ‘A Skulk of Foxes’. 
by Richard Sutcliffe, available from Amazon. 
The 
FRAC is the regional contemporary art fund which encourages all forms of art and artists. The fund, which is government financed, buys works, holds conferences and seminars, sponsors exhibitions and produces books. This summer at La Briqueterie, the Ecomuséé in Creusot-Montceau, the exhibition entitled Structures du Temps features such works as Séverine Hubard’s ‘On a jamais été si proche’ (right), a future fantasy she has envisaged, provoking ‘a reflection on volume and space, at the crossroads between sculpture and architecture’. Other artists displaying their work include Bernard Bazile, Geert Goiris, Guillaume Leblon and Richard Long. Until Oct 31, Ciry-le-Noble
Guédelon
As well as the usual tourist attractions, the Town Hall of Beaune has come up with a copious summer programme for the next three months starting this weekend with the festival ‘Cours Eau Jardins’ taking the theme this year, ‘Beaune the unusual, objects of curiosity’.
For the last four months a team of archaeologists has been digging in St. Moré in the Yonne. For those who don’t know St. Moré, it’s certainly a very historical place already. Up in the hills behind the village is Camp Cora – the vestiges of a full-blown Roman military camp. The garrison policed the famous Via Agrippa – many of them Sarmation by nationality. They were a good example of how the Romans used the expertise of their conquered nations in their own army. The Sarmations are believed to have invented the stirrup – which did wonders for mounted archers – and to have given their name to ‘Sermizelles’ – a village also on the Via Agrippa – a little further up the Cure valley.
Burgundytoday’s