2024
BURGHOUND VINEYARD/EDUCATION TOUR – JULY 2024 – SOLD OUT
This is an inaugural event! In the past, we have exclusively been retained by companies and/or individuals for speaking engagements. This is the first program we are organizing ourselves! Hosted by Allen and Erica Meadows this 4-day program will focus on learning from the “roots up” in both the vineyard and masterclass-style settings. Being in the vineyards gives burg lovers a greater appreciation for and understanding of what makes the wines what they are – and about the terroirs that are expressed in each glass of burgundy. Due to our statement of principles (where we don’t ask domaines for favors), we will not be visiting domaines to taste – this trip is focused on in-depth education and time in the vineyards. Limited to 13 participants.
8 July – Our full morning session with Allen (indoors) includes an overview of Burgundy, an intro to its history, a discussion of the vineyards of Vosne-Romanée and a Q&A session followed by lunch. This is a great time for us to learn the goals of each participant since this is such an intimate-sized group. Then we will board our private shuttle to visit and walk along the vineyards of Vosne for a full-afternoon educational program.
9 July – After a morning discussion on the region and wines of Chambolle-Musigny, we board our shuttle to visit and walk along the vineyards of Chambolle, followed by lunch. We will then move into a private room for an afternoon masterclass. Since we are focused on red wine vineyards on this tour, we will cover the white wines of Chassagne-Montrachet to round out the program. We will taste through eight white wines as Allen guides us on an indepth dive.
10 July – This morning’s discussion will focus on the region and wines of Gevrey-Chambertin, before boarding our shuttle to visit and walk along their vineyards After lunch, we will visit an historic domaine (not for tasting), to learn more about the history of the old cellars and the basic processes of winemaking/élevage.
11 July – The day is your own to explore Beaune, etc. and that night we will close out the program with a celebratory dinner at the prestigious 1243 Club in Beaune. Dinner will be Paulée-style where all participants share bottles from their/our own cellars.
To get on the notification list for 2025 Vineyard tours, please write mrsburghound@burghound.com
BURGHOUND IN ASIA – APRIL 2024
Hong Kong, Shanghai and Bangkok with The Fine Wine Experience. Be sure to contact The Fine Wine Experience to get tickets or put on a wait list for these events!
IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE: When we come to Asia, while we appreciate the generous private invitations that come our way, we are flying in just for these events and returning promptly to the U.S. So we really hope to see you at one of the events as that is the only time we can catch up with subscribers and wine enthusiasts. THESE EVENTS SELL OUT QUICKLY, so be sure to contact events@finewineexperience.com with any questions. Please note that Burghound is not involved in ticket sales or reservations, for any events.
SHANGHAI:
12 April RARE WINE DINNER: 1995 Grand Crus – 29-Years On
Hosted by Allen Meadows – It’s time to check in on some of the very top wines produced that year – including the Roumier Bonnes-Mares. We will take a look at 13 top wines, get a sense for how ready each one is, while also gaining that wider perspective on the style of the 1995 vintage that will come through as we taste each one with Allen Meadow’s expert guidance. Allen will reveal the elements in the 1995 growing season that give these wines their vintage personality, provide context for what estates were doing at that time and take us through each vineyard that’s represented.
13 April MASTERCLASS: Appreciating the Often Overlooked Premier Crus of Nuits-St. Georges
Hosted by Allen Meadows – Nuits-St.-Georges is one of the most important but perhaps least well understood villages in the Côte de Nuits. Tasted blind it is sometimes mistaken for Gevrey-Chambertin given its typical fullness of fruit, tannin and mouthfeel. But it also suffers in reputation (increasingly unfairly) for being a bit rustic in style. It hasn’t helped too that the village has no grand crus like its northerly neighbors (though there has been a move to change that for Les St. Georges) from which the village can bask in reflected glory. Yet to taste through 12 examples of different 1er crus from the very best domaines, as we shall do today, guided by expert Allen Meadows, is to discover wines as qualitatively deserving of their status as any (and yet often at a lower price than those from Chambolle, or Vosne for example). Part of the issue to understanding Nuits-St.-Georges is actually its diversity. The town is large enough to divide the vineyards south (as we drive up the D974) and north. Indeed “Nuits-St.-Georges” actually begins with vineyards belonging to the village of Premeaux, including J.-F. Mugnier’s ‘Clos de la Maréchale’. Pushing against the border of Vosne-Romanée at ‘Aux Boudots’ at the northern limit we are a world away, and to taste blind you would be more likely to guess Vosne than Gevrey (if you didn’t get it right of course!). Today’s 12 premier crus carefully span the full breadth of the appellation north to south, and a broad spectrum of terroirs along the way. All of this will be expertly unpacked by Allen and by the finish we will understand the complexity of Nuit-St.-George’s best wines, as well as understanding why Burgundy connoisseurs have already long since gravitated here.
13 April PAULEE-STYLE GALA DINNER:
The finale event for The Fine Wine Experience Burghound Symposium in mainland China this year is the Shanghai Gala Dinner. This dinner is where we really let our hair down, celebrating in the traditional Burgundy “paulée” style, all of us attending sharing bottles, magnums, jeroboams (!), from our cellars for old friends at our table, and new friends to be made around the room. The dinner exemplifies the generosity, friendship, and natural sense to share the passion for these wines with others, so join The Fine Wine Experience team, Erica & Allen Meadows and Burgundy vigneron Jean-Luc Pépin (Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé) for this very special night.
BANGKOK (the first time Allen and Erica have been to Bangkok!):
15 April MASTERCLASS LUNCH: Premier Cru Vineyards with Grand Cru Potential
Hosted by Allen Meadows – Are there 1er crus that could be upgraded to grand cru? It’s a question Burgundy enthusiasts enjoy exploring, and today we shall do so, led by Allen Meadows, glasses in front of us. At first glance, the hierarchy of Burgundy vineyards seems static – sacrosanct even. It’s true that it doesn’t change much – most of the hierarchy was translated into AOC law in the mid-1930s and remains unchanged. But there have been upgrades from 1er Cru to Grand Cru over the years – Clos des Lambrays in 1981 and La Grande Rue in 1992, spring to mind. And then there were villages that – for a range of reasons – got no grand crus at all back in the ‘30s – Meursault, Volnay, Pommard, and Nuits-St-Georges. Certainly our selection of contenders (some already in process for upgrade) rank amongst the finest vineyards in Burgundy, so they are anyway worth our attention. But would you upgrade some, all, any, to grand cru status? Would Allen? Come find out.
16 April RARE WINE DINNER: An In-depth Look at Richebourg and Romanée-St. Vivant
Hosted by Allen Meadows – Join us for this in depth look at two of the leading Vosne-Romanée Grands Crus – Richebourg and Romanée-St-Vivant. A wine from either one would make the pinnacle of any dinner, but the chance to compare the two aide by side will give us the chance to understanding each one more deeply, as we are guided in person by leading Burgundy expert Allen Meadows. Asked years ago to describe and contrast the character of these two vineyards, Aubert de Villaine responded that Romanée-St-Vivant was about delicacy, femininity, seduction and perfume, while Richebourg was about great power, explosiveness (in youth) and intensity. As we compare the two, is that what we will discover, or is the picture more complicated? To answer this question, and to go deep into the terroirs with Allen Meadows, we have selected a range of the leading producers of these two fabled grand crus vineyards, and spanning vintage from 2016 back to 1994, to allow us to see how they age in the cellar.
HONG KONG:
19 April RARE WINE DINNER: 2004 and 1999 Burgundy Grand Crus, 20 and 25 Years On
Hosted by Allen Meadows – 2024 marks a view on the 2004 and 1999 vintages on their 20th and 25th birthdays respectively. Tasted together, they offer the chance to understand contrasting vintages, and with sufficient cellar-maturity to really see that. That contrast – one ripe year, one cool one, one easy vintage, one challenging one – illuminates both the skill and style of the producer, as well as the response of terroir to the cycle of a year’s weather conditions. In every case here we have chosen a top class vineyard and producer, with a breadth of villages represented, and all at grand cru level. Just as importantly though, each wine offers this direct comparison ‘vintage pair’ of 2004 and 1999, deepening our understanding of these two years. All of this will be expertly led by Allen Meadows, aka the Burghound.
20 April MASTERCLASS: Burgundy in a Warming Climate
Hosted by Allen Meadows – With global warming leaving a clear imprint on a string of recent vintages, it is worth taking a wider look at the range of Burgundy terroirs open to Burgundy enthusiasts when considering selections. From Chablis to the north, to cooler-positioned villages like St-Aubin, Blagny, and Maranges, upslope choices like Vosne-Romanée Les Hauts Beaumonts, and indeed, the growth in interest and quality coming from the Hautes Côtes, today we will be guided by lead expert in the field Allen Meadows, as we explore and discuss the options, including the growing potential role for Burgundy’s “other” white grape – Aligoté. How is Burgundy responding to global warming, and what can we as enthusiasts look out for?
20 April PAULEE-STYLE GALA DINNER
This finale event for The Fine Wine Experience Burghound Symposium always culminates in the memorable (and delicious) Gala Dinner. This is the time to “let loose” and celebrate with new and old friends, reveling in a traditional Burgundy “Paulée-style” dinner, with all participants sharing bottles, magnums and jeroboams from their own cellars. In addition to Allen and Erica Meadows, all Burgundy vignerons and vigneronnes from the program will be part of this special night. It’s a night you don’t want to miss!
