The new and old worlds of wine share as many differences as similarities, which goes partway to explain why, in Burgundy at least, wine tourism as we know it is a relatively new phenomenon.
However, in a region where food and wine are so inextricably intertwined it comes as no surprise to discover that wine-inclined accommodations and dining are very much on the rise.
Hospitality in Burgundy enjoys a variety of styles, whether your tastes (and budget) lean towards dining in a Michelin one-star, tracking down less-celebrated cellars or exploring how glorious Epoisses cheese is made, this remarkable and historic region has it all.
Few have borrowed from the New World playbook as astutely as Olivier Leflaive. Aside from owning highly regarded Domaine Leflaive, with his brother Patrick, he operates a thriving restaurant and luxury boutique hotel, on the treed village square in venerable Puligny-Montrachet.
When I arrive for my tour I'm offered a choice of French or English: each brother escorts a group according to preference. After a short walk through the village and a brief history lesson we arrive at the winery where it doesn't take me long to realize that Olivier Leflaive is a born entertainer. Even for the most determined tourist, visits to fermentation tanks, barrel cellars and bottling lines can sometimes seem just a tad repetitious, but Olivier's explanations are liberally sprinkled with cheeky, sometimes wicked humour that rarely fails to elicit a chuckle from his audience.
It's easy to see why people come from all over to stay at the hotel. In fact, we share our lunch table with a visiting chateau owner from Bordeaux, who's dropped by to have a good look at just what the two do so well.
Part of their success is owed to offering realistic choices. Lunch can be accompanied by one of three tasting flights, each designed to appeal to a different level of interest, experience and budget. All are well paired with an excellent menu. The glasses arrive first to allow you to taste the wines alone before each of the three courses. Each level offers good value.
Our 10-taste, "Prestige" (45) spans a range that includes four Leflaive Premiers Crus, including the floral, intensely mineral Puligny-Montrachet Champ Gain 08 (92 points) and the extraordinary, complex, stone fruit, citrus and mineral streaked Corton Charlemagne 09 (94 points).
The rooms in the 17thcentury building are exquisitely furnished; perhaps not surprising considering the geniality of hosts who truly go above and beyond when it comes to welcoming their guests. Later, I watch a short film in which the renaissance Olivier (a former professional musician) narrates and plays classical guitar. It documents the harvest, and I discover that same genuine hospitality is extended to the pickers and harvest teams who are well fed and feted in their arduous work.
You can find a selection of Domaine Leflaive at B.C. Liquor Stores, and if you are Burgundy bound be sure to book a meal or even a stay at Maison Olivier Leflaive: (olivier-leflaive. com) Belly's Budget Best Anko Los Cardones Torrontes 2012 This white from Argentina's high-altitude northern Salta region (which is almost on the Bolivian border as the label depicts) sports floral and orange aromas with subtle spice, stonefruit, minerality and good acidity on the palate (BCLS $16.99, 90 points).
