Great-uncle Gurtner's wine journey to Burgundy

I still remember the first time I held a bottle of Burgundy in my hand and asked my great-uncle: "Granduncle, is this a good drop?" My great-uncle smiled mischievously and knelt down beside me. He put his hand on the beautiful label. It shows a four-part shield in the centre, with vines growing on the left and right, and a crown above it all. He answered in a deep, calm voice: "My dear, in Burgundy live the so-called terroirists. They are proud of their terroir, where the old, venerable vines thrive. They tend them with patience, love and passion. The terroir of this bottle belongs to the house of Champy. It is famous for its work in the vineyard, with the vines, up to the careful harvest, and then for the vinification and ageing processes, which it carries out with the utmost care. All this care is necessary so that we here at Gurtner can enjoy this fine wine full of Climats.

Terroir instead of Cru

The label doesn't say 'I'm the best wine', it just says where it comes from. Neither the commune of origin nor the cru are mentioned. You are and will remain proud 'terroirists'. But let me tell you a three-hundred-year-old story. Gurtner's great-uncle took a deep breath and sat down more comfortably. He loved to tell stories. And so he began again, in his deep, slightly rumbling voice: "The CHAMPY house has existed since 1720, making it the oldest house in Burgundy. It is located in the heart of the historic city of Beaune...

... Now you know how it was made and what you can expect when you visit this exceptional winery. With these words he ended his story and smiled at me, a twinkle in his eyes that reflected the joy that the memory of the trip to Burgundy had brought him.

Maison Champy visits the Gurten

This moment came years later. The moment of the visit of the Maison Champy to our restaurant Gurtners, in 2024, before the Christmas season. The world was quiet, the air smelled of the first snow. We warmly welcomed the Maison Champy delegation and exchanged a few words in a relaxed atmosphere. The final details for the guests' arrival were quickly settled. The final touches were made, the ice buckets were filled with ice and the wine glasses were double-checked. Then it was time to open the first bottle of Maison Champy with the Maison Champy.

A pleasant and successful evening of food and drink. After the last drop had been drunk, peace returned to Gurtner's restaurant. The Maison Champy delegation moved on. Before they left, they had stocked up Gurtner's great-uncle's wine cellar. The new bottles are now stored with the fine wines in our cellar. They are just waiting to be uncorked and enjoyed at Gurtner's restaurant over the coming festive season, whether in bottle or glass.

Enjoying is a good keyword: during dinner it started to snow. The first snow of the year. As I walked out of the restaurant into the night, I saw this snowy landscape on the Gurten. The silence that enveloped the mountain. This wonderfully white, glistening blanket of snow. The snow crunching under your feet, the falling snowflakes dancing around your nose. At that moment I thought again of the moment with Great Uncle Gurtner in his wine cellar and his story about Burgundy. At the end of the story, he took a bottle from the shelf. On the label was the four-part shield with the vines and the crown above. I looked at the bottle in awe. When you grow up,' Great Uncle Gurtner said, 'and you have something really important to celebrate, a fine meal cooked, and you are sitting at the table with your loved ones, then, yes, then uncork this wine and take a pleasant trip to Burgundy. I knew how much that bottle meant to him and I threw my arms around him. I haven't thought about that bottle in a long time. It is still well sealed in the cellar. Lovingly covered.

It is with these words that I bid you farewell.

Your Restaurant Gurtner's Sommelière

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