Burgundy
BURGUNDY, FRANCE | SEPTEMBER 2025
When we started Culinary Pursuits, we wondered if anyone would come. It felt like a lot to ask people to trust us with their entire European vacation, sight-unseen. As always, the generosity and willingness of our amazing guests surprised us, and year after year folks sign up to let us take them on the trip of a lifetime. When we sit down to plan those pursuits, we simply think about our ideal vacation, and go from there.
This year, we decided to try something new, yet again, and dedicate the final night of Culinary Pursuit to a Supper experience — our first outside of North America. We started the afternoon in the vineyards of Burgundy drinking Champagne from Billecart-Salmon before sitting down to a wonderful meal from Chef Maciej Runkowski that perfectly bridged summer and fall. Each course was paired with exclusive selections from Maison Joseph Drouhin, a celebration of the area’s storied terroir. For a beautiful punctuation, we ended the meal with a very special pour of single-vineyard cognac from Sazerac de Forge (and a few French cigars shared by some of the guests!), which everyone sipped slowly as they sat together around the table long after dark, the perfect evening weather beckoning us to stay just a little while longer, and to forget about the inevitable trip home the next day.
WELCOME
Everyone was welcomed with a pour of Champagne to sip while walking through the vineyards outside of Maison Chanzy. There’s nothing better than a magnum of Champagne served right in the vineyard in France!
A MENU BY MACIEJ RYNKOWSKI
Chef Maciej Runkowski and his team not only pitched in to help us set the table, they then cooked a tremendous meal showing off the best of Burgundian terroir. The table was continuously filled with treasures of that fleeting moment when summer turns to fall and produce is at its sweetest. The brightness of the season was balanced by a warming stew served as the temperatures began to cool, rich Burgundian cheeses, and perfectly poached pears, a not-too-sweet ending to the entire delicious experience.
MENU
SUR LA TABLÉ
Pissaladiére hummus, babaganoush
Wine: Billecart-Salmon Le Sous-Bois
ENTRÉE
Trout fennel, cucumber, dill oil, trout eggs
Wine: Maison Joseph Drouhin Saint Romain
SALADES & PLAT
Grilled Squash whipped goats cheese, candied walnuts
Mixed Greens Caesar dressing, Comté
Grilled Cote De Bouef red wine, cafe de Paris butter
Slow Cooked Beef Stew beef cheek, morel mushroom, bacon
Roasted Potatoes duck fat, truffle
Wine: Maison Joseph Drouhin 1er Cru Beaune Les Cras
FROMAGE
Brilliat-Savarin pain d’épices, plum chutney
DESSERT
Poached Pear chestnut ganache, caramel, hazelnut crumb
Sazerac de Forge Grande Champagne 2000 Cognac
WINE PAIRINGS
Family-owned Maison Joseph Drouhin provided thoughtful pairings for each dish served. After visiting their Beaune vineyards earlier in the week, we were even more excited to taste through a bit of the best of their portfolio with Supper.
NIGHTCAP
We finished off the wonderful evening with Sazerac de Forge Grande Champagne 2000 Cognac. This single-vineyard cognac offers a unique, ephemeral, expression of the harvest. It’s like a time capsule in the glass, the perfect pairing for this ephemeral moment shared around the table.
SECRET LOCATION: MAISON CHANZY
We gathered at the edge of some of Burgundy’s most storied vineyards, on the patio outside stone cellars dating back to the 16th century. It was perfectly charming, with a gravitas fitting the serious personality of this region and its exclusive wines.
