Dijon, France

Dijon is the capital of the Bourgogne region. It is the world’s source of Burgundy wines, amazing cheeses unique to the area, and Dijon mustard.  

We attended a class in an attempt to learn more about the wine and cheese of this area and how to pair the two. It seems such a mystery! We tasted four high-quality wines, two white and two red, along with four soft cheeses. Each wine was paired with a cheese from the community where the wine was produced. First, the wine was tasted alone, doing the sniff, breathing in the aroma, swirling the glass to see the legs, then taking a sip. Then we took a bite of the buttery cheese chosen to accompany that wine. Starting with a very light white wine, in the following tastings, each wine and cheese pair had more body than the last. In every case, though, a subtle change in the flavor of each wine took place when enjoyed with the cheese.

For beginners, in pairing wine and cheese, it’s a matter of what tastes good to you, but when in doubt, it is safe to choose a cheese and wine made in the same community or region.

France regulates its wines and cheeses, meaning only wine from grapes grown and fermented in Bourgogne can bear the name Burgundy or Bourgogne, and the same for cheese.  Mustard makers didn’t get the message.  Nowadays, anyone, anywhere, can make a mustard with wine or wine vinegar and call it a Dijon mustard.  

Because many Burgundy cheeses are made with unpasteurized milk or have not been aged over 60 days, most cannot be imported to the US. That is ok; they are better enjoyed “en France” with a nice glass of French wine and a piece of baguette.

Dijon is a very pretty city. Most of the historic area is designated for pedestrian traffic only. Cafes and restaurants with outside seating on its winding streets are plentiful. South of the town begins a long stretch of slopes where the vineyards lie this way and that, taking advantage of maximum sun and ideal soil drainage.  The vineyards make a picturesque view.

In our few days here, we have found all the main points of the city, the Notre Dame, the Cathedral, the Arc de Triomphe, the Botanical Gardens – just a few blocks from our apartment, and so much more.  It is very much like the city of Paris, but on a significantly smaller scale.  

On a rainy day, we drove to see the Chateau de Chateauneuf, a fairy tale castle, about 40 minutes away. Its grandeur and hilltop pastoral setting are a sight right out of a child’s imagination. This medieval castle that dominates the green valley had its start in 1456. Although it has been expanded and renovated by its royal occupants, it stands today as it always has, having never encountered a devastating fire or war. The surrounding tiny old town is a charming, romantic delight.

On another day, we used one of our go-to apps for making a walking tour of Dijon. With phone in hand, GPSmyCity navigated us step by step through the city’s historical area. It provided a written explanation about each spot.   While having a live guide is always a better experience, the GPSmyCity app will do in a tight.

Near the end of our walk, we arrived at a plaza outside the Museum of Art. We sat down on a bench to rest a bit.  Mind you, schools everywhere have initiated field trips this month.  We see strings of kids everywhere, accompanied by teachers who appear to be a little frazzled and on their last good leg.  I kept thinking the teachers were thinking, we must get these kids outside. I suspect they might have forgotten that out of the classroom, their job might be like herding cats or uncooperative goats. Surprisingly, though, we found most of the classes fairly tame and very well-mannered.    

So, as we sat there on that bench outside the Museum of Art, a long string of 7th graders began to file out of the museum, shouting and running toward us.  Like animals, the hair on the back of our necks rose; I’m sure our eyes became wide as we sat there a bit stunned.  Some of those hooligans sat down right beside me.  The cute red-haired boy asked me (I guess), “May I sit here?”  I replied in my sorry excuse for French, “Of course, my pleasure.”  We then began the craziest but sweetest conversations. Soon, I had a crowd of maybe 10 kids standing around me, circling me like ducks looking for a bite of bread, laughing and trying to communicate with me. They asked if we were from the Netherlands, but liked it when we said no, we were from the United States.  They said they liked my purse.  They told me they were beginning to learn to speak anglaise but got a kick out of saying English (as we say the word).

It was the most fun I’ve had in a long time. I’ve never been a woman in love with squirmy babies or tots or even first graders, but you put me with a bunch of 12 – 14 year-olds and I’m in my element.  
As their teachers began to have them line up for a count in preparation to be on their way, the kids all turned and waved goodbye to me.  We called to each other, bye, salut, au revoir, enchante, waved, and blew kisses.  
Sometimes life unexpectedly delivers something very special, something that lands right into our arms if we only just let it happen.