Patriarche Père et Fils (father and son) is both a grower and a négociante. The company owns the largest wine cellars in Burgundy, and allows tourists to walk some of its 5km of cellars or, in French, caves, that meander under the streets and houses of the small Burgundian city of Beaune.

Patriarche’s headquarters is a former convent whose nuns cellared, drank and sold excellent wines. We wandered their cool cellars tasting wines, and were given the opportunity to buy wine from our birth years and those of family and friends. Pat would have had to spend $3000 for a bottle commemorating her birth year and Nick and Lucy’s. Wine from Maurice’s birth year was so extraordinary that none remained for sale to the public. Never fear, we did not return empty-handed. Our purchases, from the extremely affordable category, are giving us pleasure each day.