Burgundy, a vast region broadly renowned for its prestigious wines, exhibits many thrilling characteristics. Perhaps the most fascinating of all is it’s incredible historical heritage.

Today, I would like to describe this feature of our wonderful region to you, which is easily discoverable by walking , cycling, horse riding or driving through.

It would be a shame to begin this depiction without referring to Cluny’s prestigious abbey ruled by Benedict monks that spread to Britain, Italy , and Spain.

Cluny II , a masterpiece of roman art at it’s pinnacle, was destroyed in the 19^th century; the size of the abbey was second only to St Peter of Rome.

2011, my second trip to Japan…after 2003

Flight to Japan with JAL, back with Air France. The 2 companies cooperate. The check-in lady gives me a window seat, upon my request but not without looking down at me. I only understand the reason for her attitude afterwards… as the passengers are all Japanese...A quiet flight.

Takashi has given me a map. Therefore I follow his instructions to the letter (from the airport to the hotel situated right in the heart of Tokyo). The traffic is fluid. Same impression as 8 years ago: calm, lightness in the air and in people, small tunes fill in the long silences, jingles…everything is where it should be, same with people: the Zen energy flows everywhere: this makes me light headed.

SPRING ! Already ?... Spring it is, and coming in advance , too!

The time has come to put on light clothes to get back to the vineyard for“green work”: épamprage – also known as disbudding in some regions – mouchage ( a specific task carried out in the Mâconnais area…when the vine has bled, it becomes necessary to take bits off), tying-up, staple work and finally topping and trimming.

In my village located in Southern Mâconnais, we are also going to put on our best vine clothes for a “charity” day.

Indeed, we are members of an association of women winegrowers called : “Femmes § Vins de Bourgogne” and we advocate special values such as sharing, giving one another a hand (together with our male colleagues and with other women winegrowers), transmitting traditions and helping one another.

2011, year of the extremes ?

Every year, I get carried away as the soon as the vineyard wakes up... All those twisted vines, one might thought asleep forever during the harsh winter, are coming back to life as soon as temperatures rise again.

Spring is no doubt my favorite season. The air is filled with earth smells combined with the scents of flowers and plants. The sun is back, days get longer, and nature is on the march.

At 5am, I wake up at the sound of the birds chirping, celebrating the births of the young ones. I feel so blessed as thousands of people have to wake up to the sound of traffic and klaxons.

2011 Vintage. Quick off the mark !

The 2011 winter months were mild and dry and then, in March, spring set in with summer -like temperatures and consequently an explosion in vegetation growth.

In a matter of days, buds started to appear early April, three weeks in advance in comparison with the 1994-2010 average.

As from end March, conditions were hot and dry for three months resulting in profuse flowering over a short period commencing in the third week of May, two weeks in advance of a normal year.

The weather changed radically as from 14 July to autumnal conditions, cold and wet.

In the second half of July, the first grape clusters began to appear but were slow to mature; on the whole, the sanitary condition was good.

Even though everything gained by the exceptional spring conditions was lost, the grape harvest started end August, to finish mid September with the return of the good weather, dry, sunny and very mild.

The ideal, sunny conditions for the grape harvest made it possible to organise the best picking time for each plot according to the state of maturity of the grapes.

Nadine Gublin