Wine country, toasting Jecca, May 18

Today we started with a trip to the wonderful, colorful Beaune Market where we bought local cheese and sausage, thinking about Jecca on her birthday.  She shares a love of summer sausage with Mark.  Then, we drive south of Beaune, looking at the vineyards.  Unlike in Bordeaux with its grand, large estates, most vineyards here are small.  They are really farmers in an old fashioned way.  At one of the tourist bureaus, we were advised to go to a small village fete where the winemakers were having a tasting all over the village.  So, we drove to St Romain, definitely off the beaten track.  We tasted at two little winemakers, but found the wines a bit sharp.  We also found that we feel quite guilty tasting and not buying, so we quit after two visits.
 
We then drove to Pommard and bought a bottle of the Pommard we tastes last night with the British couple.  Aleth Girondin, the winemaker. It is not available elsewhere which is cool. The storekeeper recommended a restaurant in Volnay, Le Cellier Volnayzien.  (She is a friend of Anna, the restauranteur). So, we went there.  It was a beautiful old wine cave and a wonderful meal.  Mark thought his might be the best of this whole trip.  He had "Le jambon persille" (?), coq au vin with oven roasted potatoes and chocolate creme.  All wonderful.  I had escargo and chicken breast in creme and a delicious apple tart.  Yum! I think we were the only patrons not drinking wine.  The morning tastes were enough, plus, we would fall asleep!  But, we did toast to Jecca with water and food.

After a short respite, we explored the vineyards of Aloxe Corton and Savigny les Beaunes. We saw where the Comte de Senard lives.  We served at his wine tasting at last year's wine festival. It was a bit rainy and we didn't taste or buy anything.  We stopped briefly at a little park where we picnicked before, but the rain intensified, so we came "home" to eat food we bought in the market this morning and to begin organizing our luggage as we drop off the car to or row.