A Wine Tour of France By Frederick S. Wildman, Jr.

I recently read the 1972 edition of Frederick S. Wildman, Jr.'s A Wine Tour of France. In one of the first chapters in the book, Wildman provides an overview of the 21 day itinerary beginning in Paris and going clockwise through the wine regions of France. Each region begins with a map of the area and Wildman provides you with information about the best vineyards, hotels to stay at, and places to eat. Since the information is now 40+ years old, I wonder how many of these places still exist?

No matter, the most enjoyable part of the book is the history that is peppered throughout the narrative, which provided me with a better appreciation of the many famous wine regions. For example, on his trip to Burgundy, he stopped off in Gevery-Chambertin (pg. 83). Although the vineyards were probably planted during Roman times, the first mention of vines in Chambertin can be traced to 630 A.D., when the Burgundian Duke Amalgaire bequeath a vineyard to the Abbey of Bèze, which later became Clos de Bèze. There is a legend that surfaces around the 12th century of a peasant named Bertin who had a field adjacent to the Benedictines' Clos de Bèze. Taking a cue from his Benedictine neighbors, Bertin decided to plant his field to grapevines. The wine that he made from these grapes was "marvelous" and the "field of Bertin" or champ de bertin is what we now know as Chambertin. Chambertin was reputedly Napoleon's favorite wine. Stories like this is why I found the book to be such a wonderful read.