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For wine lovers, Burgundy is Mecca. It is one of the world's most prestigious wine regions. While traveling to Burgundy is preferred, from April to June, Maude Restaurant brought Burgundy to us as Burgundy was the wine region that inspired the second region featured this year. Burgundy is in the eastern region of France. It is only 75 miles long and runs form Dijon in the north to Macon in the south. Burgundy is divided into five main wine regions: Chablis and Auxerrois, Cote de Nuits, Cote de Beaune, Cote Chalonnaise, and Maconnais. The Maude team traveled to Burgundy earlier this year to explore the region. This is a region known for its wines but also for its gastronomy with specialties such as dijon mustard, coq au vin, beef bourguignon, Burgundy snails, cassis and epoisses de Bourgogne cheese. From their travels, they created a delicious 10-course meal that was beautifully executed and it embodied the tradition and elegance of Burgundy.
This story originally appeared in the Napa Valley Register. To me, the best way to get to know a county and its culture is through its food and wine. Local ingredients and dishes, the indigenous grape varieties and winemaking processes, they all tell so much about a culture, its history and present-day. So, on my first trip to Portugal, specifically to the city of Porto, I dove right in. Located in Northern Portugal, along the Douro river, Porto is the second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon. From the cobblestone streets to the tiled houses to the food and wine, it is no wonder that Porto was classified as a Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 1996 and recently awarded The Best European Destination by the Best European Destinations Agency. Porto is flanked by the Atlantic Ocean on the west and the vineyards in the Douro to the east. The cuisine of Porto uses its natural resources, which include fresh seafood and meats. And there are the sweet desserts, many of which are made with what was described to me as just “sugar, sugar, sugar and eggs, eggs, eggs.”
Wine dinners take place in many restaurants. They are events that bring people together for a meal and introduce people to new wines or present sought-after wines. In many instances, attendees are supporters of the restaurant yet unfamiliar with the winery. And a key element of the dinner is that the winemaker, winery owner or a key representative from the winery will attend to be on hand to share the story of the winery and discuss the wines. This person, along with the wines, becomes the focal point of the night. But another significant element is the menu that is created to pair with the wines. Since they opened three and a half years ago, Crossings Restaurant in South Pasadena has been hosting four to six wine dinners a year. Owner Patrick Kirchen, who has been cultivating relationships with wineries since working as General Manager at Arroyo Steakhouse and Nick and Stefs, looks to share these relationships with the community. One of these relationships is with The Terraces, a winery based in Napa Valley and I was invited to attend the recent wine dinner they did at Crossings.
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