We are on the Napoleon, a barge owned by Afloat in France, an Orient-Express Company. We boarded just outside of Macon after taking the TGV train from Paris. There are only eight of us on the trip, with a crew of six (nice ratio). For the next six nights, we will be traveling thru Burgundy on the River Saone, visiting several Grand Cru vineyards and tasting all 33 of the Grand Crus. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for anyone who appreciates wine.
Tonight we met and had dinner with Jean-Pierre Cropsal, the Public Relations Officer for Domaine Joseph Drouhin, based in Beaune, the heart of Burgundy wine country. He is our host, guest lecturer, and wine guide extraordinaire. He has worked at Domaine Joseph Drouhin for over 30 years. Caren says he looks like Agatha Christie's character Hercule Poirot.The chef on our boat is Conn, a Irishman with an incredible talent for creating amazing meals in a confined galley. Our tour guide is Jonathan, a young French-Canadian. Vanessa and Sarah are our hostesses. Patrice is the captain and John is the mate.
See our wine blog for a complete list of today's wines and the menu for dinner.
Dinner this evening was topped off by a small surprise that Jean-Pierre brought from his own cellar.If this is what Day 1 offered, we can't imagine what the rest of the week will bring.
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