France, Part 3-First Taste of Wine

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Note: All the events described in this entry occurred back in September 2006. Please refer to this blog for more updated entries and trips.

Apart from my personal woes in my study abroad program and my residential issues, I was adjusting well to life in Dijon. I was learning the city and finding my way around. I was just starting to try the local cuisine, however I did not try any wine yet! I knew that I was in a very famous wine region, one of the most famous, however I did not know where to start in trying it. I was young at the time, only 20 years old, and I didn't drink alcohol underage back home in the states. I was interested in trying wine, but it was not at the top of my list. However, during the first weekend of September, I attended the annual Food and Wine Festival, which is held for three days. Every year, local domaines (that's what vineyards are called in the region), come by to sell their wines and offer free wine tastings. folk dancing troups from all over the country come to perform, and a multi-course dinner is offered I think starting at 35 euros. I was only able to go that Saturday and Sunday because I had classes all on Friday, the day it started. It was on Saturday that lots of wine tasting was going on, and this is when I had my first sip of wine ever in my life! I just went to the first stall I saw, which was where a gentleman from a local domain was offering tastings for Rose Burgongne. I made myself drink all of it, but I did find the taste to be sour like vinigar and strong. I wanted to spit it out, I disliked the taste that much, however I told myself to give this a chance. I figured that I wasn't used to wine yet-I would give myself four more chances-if after four chances wine still tasted gross to me, than I wouldn't drink wine anymore after that. I was given a free glass that I could keep and carry with me from stall to stall. I was ready to go to a different stall, however I began talking to this lovely couple from Australia who were touring the wine regions of France to sample wine and attend festivals like this one. They were telling me about their travels and their lives in the UK as employees for the BBC. I then told them my story and asked them more about their impression of this region and we also talked about wine. They told me about their upcoming trip to the city of Bordoux, capital of the famous Bordoux region, in order to try the wine there at the festival upcomeing there, in which they would depart for tomorrow.

I then went to another stall, where I tried chardonney bourgogone. The taste of this wine was less strong than the rose, but still tasted bitter and tangy in my mouth. The lady at the stall at first thought that it was because I wasn't used to burgundian wines when I replied to her question behind my thoughts of the wine, and I explained to her that I was not used to drinking wine at all. However, I was happy enough with the chardonney to the point where I thought "hmmm, the second glass of chardonney was better-maybe roses are too strong for me. Maybe I need to stick with whites and I might like reds." I realized that I had done something special Thus began my ever continuing obsession and love affair with wine.

After all my wine tasting, I ended my day at the festival by watching some folk dancing at the stage that was put up in one of the small squares adjacent to Rue du la Liberte (the main boulevard in Dijon). The dancers were amateur and professional troops from all over the country, dressed in their regional costumes. An announcer in between each performance said where they were from, and what era and traditions were related to the dances that they did. An hour later, the parade related to the festival started on the Rue de la Liberte. There were a lot of people on both sides of the street, gathered to watch this spectacle. It was a collection of all the dancers in traditional clothing promenading the street and dancing. Each troop held banners which said in French their artistic and geographical affiliation. Traditional folk music filled the air and the parade progressed down this very long, major street. I went home after it was done (it only lasted 30 minutes), satisfied that I was able to witness such a unique festival in my young life. I would go to this festival again for sure.

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