Residents from the town of Dijon, France arrived in NYC in early March, ready to celebrate a special art exhibit, “The Mourners: Medieval Tomb Sculptures from the Court of Burgundy”, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, bringing many rare works of art from Dijon with them. This event was the catapult for a week’s long set of events all focused on some aspect of the Dijon culture. The key in the crown was the exhibit’s launch on March 2, 2010. However, members of the wine trade had a wonderful opportunity to get in on the action at a Must’taste wine event held at the French Consulate on Fifth Avenue.

At the tasting, I was asked by a colleague as to whether or not I knew if the building had previously been a private residential home and would I have liked to live there? I told her that while I didn’t know that to be the case with any certainly, given its location on upper Fifth Avenue, I would not be surprised if it had previously been someone’s home. And yes, presuming that if I could afford to have the house, I would be equally wealthy enough to take care of it – cleaning staff , etc. – then yes, I would be thrilled to live there. I looked up at the gilded work around the doors and windows and greatly admired the interesting angular ceiling shape. Yes, I thought, it would be an amazing place to live and an especially great place to entertain.

Shifting my attention back onto wine, I had the opportunity to taste a variety of Burgundian wines, grouped by producer. Well-known producer Domaine Faiveley showed two whites and three reds, while Domaine Humbert had two wines and Domaine Gallois presented three very different red wines, providing a glimpse of terroir and vintage among their selections. In general, the wines showed quite nicely, but a few were better than others and a few clearly needed more time to come into their own.

Diana, of Fraiche PR and Communications, the firm which had put together the event, graciously invited me to a party later that evening, a culmination of the week’s festivities with art, food, music and, of course, more wine. The French Consul Embassy, just a few blocks north, was equally lovely a setting, with lots of details to notice and take in. A painting from the exhibit hung on one wall and a group of French musicians played some great music, while chefs from Dijon prepared local delicacies for the guests to enjoy.

Despite having two+ hours in which to find a “date” I had come up empty and made the decision to attend the event alone. It was a slightly awkward event to attend solo, given that I already have difficulty talking to strangers (I guess I must have learned that lesson a bit too well from my mother) along with the fact that many of the guests were native French speakers and my French is essentially non-existent. However, I made due and enjoyed re-tasting the Domaine Gallois Gevery-Chambertin 2007.

Among other food, I tasted a small panini, which was smooth and earthy. After I had had about two or three (or maybe more, I lost count) of these delicious snacks, I inquired about what type of mushroom had been used to make the panini. The response from the chef indicated that I hadn’t a clue about cuisine – it wasn’t mushroom at all –I had been eating escargots the whole time! While I do like escargots, I now didn’t trust my palate since it couldn’t distinguish mushrooms from snails and thus switched to dessert. But, no sooner had I eaten a chocolate/berry item than a waiter brought foie gras around on a silver tray. I couldn’t resist reaching for one, but must admit that foie gras placed in one’s mouth directly after eating chocolate was less than appetizing. The lobster bisque that followed was more palatable coming after the foie gras. At this point, I switched to the white Burgundy being served (can’t remember which producer or vintage) to cut through the rich, fatty foods and re-tried the Maille mustards.

Lovingly named for this beautiful place, the first Dijon mustard on offer was a blend with Chablis wine – it had good acidity and some sharp spice. The second mustard was produced with cinnamon and chocolate, which threw me for a loop. Mustard and chocolate were not in my vocabulary together, but after tasting this mustard, I was impressed. The chocolate came through, but the sweetness didn’t, similar to a Mexican mole sauce. I was asked by a fellow guest for a wine pairing suggestion for the mustards and thought the chocolate-infused mustard had enough richness for a bold, red wine – perhaps the Village-level red Burgundy I had drunk earlier or maybe even a fuller-bodied wine such as a Bordeaux? Either way, the mustard would make a nice marinade for chicken, duck or lamb.

I was now quite sated from the food and wine, so I headed out onto Fifth Avenue and made my way home. I had been transported to France, if only for a few hours, but it had been a wonderful journey.