Hey guys!
I just spent the last week in Champagne and Burgundy for some wine fairs, producer visits, and sightseeing. Itâs been a whirlwind of a time so let me share some of the highlights. Enjoy!
A Weekend in Reims for Printemps de Champagne đž
From tastings, to visits, to afterparties, Reims was quite the experience
Over the weekend, I made my first visit to the Champagne region of France, specifically to Reims, the unofficial capital of the region, for the Printemps de Champagne Festival.
Pictured: Reims Cathedral
The origin of the current festival format is quite funny. What had originally started out as a celebration of the first Vin Clair (the still, initial fermentation of the Champagne wines) has since evolved into a full-blown Champagne exposition, complete with producers pouring their whole lineups and several afterparties to pair along.
Pictured: Fair Posters
The weekend is a little different from typical fairs, in that there is no single "flagship" tasting that everyone gravitates towards, like La Dive in the Loire Valley or Le Nez Dans le Vert in Jura. Instead, there are dozens of smaller, more focused tastings centered on a particular grape variety or a specific subregion of Champagne. I found this pretty refreshing compared to the other fairs that can sometimes be overwhelming. These tastings were spread across the entire weekend, Saturday to Sunday, and I had the opportunity to try a ton of both familiar and new producers.
Pictured: Domaine CarrĂŠ Freres
Then came the main afterparty on Sunday, something I had been briefed on before traveling to this fair in Reims, but nothing I had any real idea of what I was getting myself into. Once the tastings concluded, essentially the entire town converged on the local watering hole and burger spot, a place called Sacre Burger.
The scene when we walked up looked like something out of a Project X movie: the street was completely packed with winemakers, importers, somms, and enthusiasts, opening some ridiculous Champagnes from the bottle list that was shockingly low priced.
Pictured: Sacre Burger List
As one could imagine, the night stretched into the late hours with several bottles opened between hundred of people. Truly a weekend for the books, and itâs one you should definitely consider putting on your radar.
Where to Eat, Drink and Shop in Beaune đŤđˇ
A quick rundown of the spots worth going to in the French town
The beginning of my week was spent in Burgundy, with Beaune as my home base. As the spiritual center of the region, it's a great town to be in, filled with restaurants, wine bars, and shops to pop into between producer visits, most of which have extremely impressive selections at surprisingly fair prices. Here are a few recommendations:
Breakfast & Lunch: Crème, Comptoir, CafÊ, Cuisine
Pictured: Creme Breakfast + Wine
The perfect way to start a day in Beaune. Equally suited for a morning coffee and breakfast as it is for a leisurely lunch with a bottle of wine, both of which I've done. The menu rotates constantly, but the quality stays consistent.
Dinner: Ma Cuisine Beaune
Pictured: Pigeon at Ma Cuisine
One of the best meals I've had this year, without question. Ma Cuisine is a storied restaurant that originally opened in 1996, recently refreshed and reopened by chef Mathieu Escoffier. The wine list is spectacular, and the food matches it; everything is very well-seasoned and precisely cooked. We had a roasted pigeon dish here the other night that I canât stop thinking about.
Wine Shopping: Prestige Cellars
Pictured: Prestige Cellar. Image by Prestige Cellar
There are two locations in Beaune, a smaller one in the center of town and a larger one just outside. Both carry an impressive selection that goes well beyond Burgundy, spanning Jura, the Loire, and the RhĂ´ne Valley. Not always the most affordable option, but if you're looking for something specific, odds are it's there.
Producer Highlight â
One of our favorite parts of wine is the discovery: weâre constantly being put on to new regions, producers, and cuvĂŠes from our friends. Weâll never be able to try EVERY wine, but we want to take a moment to mention some producers that excite us!
Louis Billard đˇ
Location: Burgundy, France đ
Pictured: Burgundy Map. Image by Wine Folly
Louis Billard grew up in La Rochepot in the Hautes CĂ´tes de Beaune, where his family has made wine for five generations. Rather than simply step into the family domaine, he set out to learn as much as possible. His early years took him to Domaine de la RomanĂŠe-Conti and Georges Roumier, before his curiosity pulled him further, to Newton Johnson Estate in South Africa and By Farr in Australia. By the time he returned home, he had built a serious winemaking foundation.
Pictured: Louis Billard
He launched his own, self-titled project in 2022, working a range of appellations in Burgundy from Saint-Aubin to Vosne-RomanĂŠe. The whites ferment in barrel on the lees, balancing texture with freshness. The reds see between 50 and 100% whole bunch, allowing for some lift and complexity across the range. The result is a cohesive, precise line up with a clear point of view from top to bottom.
Pictured: Louis Billard Saint-Aubin
This past week I visited Louis at his home for dinner with his family. We first began in the cellar, tasting through most of the 2025 wines in barrel. Even though they won't be bottled for nearly another year, yet were already showing an extreme amount of promise.
Pictured: Louis Billard
We then headed upstairs to Louisâs family home, where the Billardâs prepared an entire meal, while Louis opened up basically every wine in his lineup.
Pictured: Louis Billard Lineup
All of the whites were textured and elegant and the reds were spicy and fresh with an incredible amount of finesse. The highlight of these was definitely the Bâtard-Montrachet.
Pictured: Louis with Bâtard-Montrachet Mag
To close the evening, he pulled two final bottles side by side: a 2019 DRC ĂchĂŠzeaux and his own 2023 ĂchĂŠzeaux. To taste where he comes from and where he is going, in the same room as the man and his family, truly unforgettable.
Pictured: DRC and Billard ĂchĂŠzeaux
Huge thanks to Louis and his family for hosting, and to his importer, Tom, for letting me tag along.
Wine Club Updates đˇ đŚ
April shipments should be rolling out this week! Excited to get your feedback, really thrilled on the wines in the club this month. If you have any questions or run into any issues, feel free to reach out to [email protected]!
Not a member yet? You can sign up here:
Thatâs it for today! Heading to Germany for the remainder of week for some wine fairs, producer visits, and more. Stay tuned!
Thank so much for reading, and as always, drink responsibly! đĽ