The world of travel to all of our outstanding destinations
Tour France: Wine Tasting in Burgundy with Bliss Travels...A Video!
Tour France: Wine Tasting in Burgundy with Bliss Travels.
See our video.
Our lunch with rabbit terrine, salmon and whitefish terrine, pate, asparagus mousse, beet salad, carrot rapee, cornichons, Burgundy cheeses, gougeres, tarts....and more. This lunch was served with Charmes Chambertin 2009, Clos Vougeot 2009 (Grand Cru), Puligny Montrachet Premier Cru, Meursault Les Charmes...and the list goes on! 
See what we have in store for the Holidays. A rare food and wine experience in Paris. Contact us now!
5 Reasons Why Burgundy Once Again Surpasses Bordeaux!
Well, it's official. Burgundy, the Gold Coast wines of legendary quality, are once again the preferred wines of wine lovers and experts alike.
Need further proof of Burgundy's prominence in the world? Just look at the below results of the recent auctions, as reported by the Wine Spectator:
Move Over Bordeaux: Burgundy Steals the Show at Asia Auctions
Recent sales lead top auctioneers to wonder if Bordeaux may be toppled as the premier blue-chip collectiblePeter D. Meltzer
Posted: November 29, 2011What’s top on the buyers' wish lists? ....all of which have achieved record prices in recent sales. Vintages in demand include 1985, 1990, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2002 and 2005.As a category, the 102 Burgundy listings tracked by the Wine Spectator Auction Index rose 16.42 percent from the third quarter of 2010 to the third quarter of 2011....
There are many reasons behind Burgundy’s escalating popularity. Limited supply contributes to Burgundy’s appeal. “The quantities of great Burgundies on offer are so small that we never get much to sell,” noted Sotheby’s wine CEO Jamie Ritchie. “By value, in 2010, only 17 percent of the wines we auctioned were from Burgundy. The realization that these wines are extremely scarce has created a new-found appetite.”
This is what we've been saying for years! That's why we go to Burgundy. On our most recent trip, we focused on 1999, 2005 and 2009 wines. Yep, that's right! And they were amazing! The 2007's and 2008's needed time and breathing space.
7 "Musts" for the Ultimate Wine Tasting in Burgundy
Want to have the "ultimate" experience in Burgundy, tasting wines and visiting vineyards? Who doesn't! Here are some tried and true tips for ensuring your trip is over the top fabulous!
1. Location, Location, Location! Experience the "terroir". Find someone to take you around and "introduce you" to the various parcels of land. You know that fabulous Chardonnay you love? The one from "Les Charmes" (perhaps). Well, visit that plot. See where it's grown. It's all about real estate. 
2. Think Small! Some of the best vineyards, and best wine production in Burgundy is from small parcels of land. Just cause it's tiny and just cause you haven't heard of it means nothing. Good things often come from small packages!3. Timing is everything! Yep, that's right. The year's very important. And not just because it might be a "good" or a "bad" year. It's more complicated than that. A wine from one year might be fabulous and open immediately. A wine from another year might be fabulous (and open) 10 years later. Knowing the year of your wine and when to open that wine, is very important.4. Talk to the winemaker. You must find a wine maker to take you through his or her cellars and discuss their philosophy and methods. Nothing (and I mean nothing) beats that! If you don't have any personal connections (and let's face it, most of us don't) then find someone who does. Do you have a friend in the business? Can you join someone who's already doing this? Whatever it takes, as the saying goes, "just do it"!
5. It's all about You! Trust yourself. Often people are bamboozled by the expert or the name. You're the one drinking the wine. So, you are the one who has to like it. Do a blind tasting so that you're not overly influenced by extraneous factors. You'll be surprised by how much you know and how consistent your taste really is.
6. Learn to Read a Label. It's more than art. Each word has a reason, and helps you identify the wine. It includes things like vineyard, ranking, year, winemaker etc. Can you imagine how you might choose a wine if there was no label? Well, that's what you're doing when you don't know how to read the label! Information is power!
7. Relax. Everyone is just too intense about wine. It's meant to be enjoyed. So, enjoy yourselfWant to learn more about our photos or a trip to Burgundy visit www.blisstravels.com. Or contact wendy@blisstravels.com.
7 Easy Steps to a Bliss-ful Vacation in France!
1. Pack Light! It's hard to be adventurous when you're bogged down. Plus, everything's smaller in France (elevators, car trunks, closets...). And, the walks are longer. You can't catch a train on the fly if you're lugging around everything you own!
2.Think local! Sure, you should read some guide books or talk to a travel pro about what to see, but don't miss out on the "real" sites by keeping your head in the book. Look up! Get off the main arteries and find local haunts and authentic experiences.3. Talk it up! Find someone who has actually (and recently) been to France. Ask them where they went and what they liked and why!4. Eat authentically! Before picking a restaurant, walk the area. Don't go before 8pm (the start of the French dinner hour). Look and listen. Read menus. Avoid menus with long lists of dishes and translations into many languages. Those places are for tourists. Look for small menus, specialty places and market fresh blackboard specials. Then listen to the patrons (if there aren't any patrons, keep walking). Are many of the diners speaking French or are they tourists? The best food and the best deals are found in places that specialize in market fresh meals designed for locals.
5. Drink local wines! Don't order a bottle just because you recognize the name. Once upon a time, food was local, as was wine. They matched perfectly because of this. Order what's local to match your market fresh meal. That might mean ordering a carafe of local wine or a bottle from a nearby vineyard.6. Travel "off the beaten track"! Find towns and villages that aren't on the major tour routes. Spend some time wandering through their streets, sipping a drink at the local cafe, or watching the locals play "boules". Really soak in the experience of being in France.
7.Slow Down! Some Americans arrive wanting to go, go, go! They want to grab a quick sandwich at lunch so they can visit more sites, or they want to start each day at 7am so they can pack it all in. But life in France has a different rhythm. Many businesses don't open until 9-10am (especially in the countryside), and most businesses close for a couple hours during lunch. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy your time in France. Linger over your meals. Take an aimless stroll after lunch. And try to mimic the rhythm of a real French day. After all, you traveled many thousands of miles to be there!For a great selection of French travel off the beaten track trips, visit www.blisstravels.com or send me an email at wendy@blisstravels.com.