The fine wines of Meursault

In November, I was privileged to attend the 91st Paulée de Meursault. There are three coveted invitations at that time of year in this part of Burgundy: the world-famous wine auction held in Beaune and the luncheons called la Paulée de Beaune and la Paulée de Meursault.

La Paulée de Meursault celebrates the fine wines grown in this small village. It is home to eighty wine-growing families and the area is known for its charm and terroir, that unique blend of soil and climate that has been producing exceptional white and red grapes for centuries.

I had heard from our family about this festive celebration ever since our daughter and son-in-law moved to France fifteen years ago to work in wine. A few times, we even babysat for their children when they attended the fête as employees of two prestigious wineries here, Domaine Roulot and Domaine De Montille. But I never imagined that I’d one day attend la Paulée myself.

My invitation came from Monsieur Philippe Ballot, who has been organizing the luncheon for decades. He had appreciated the stories I’d written about Meursault and Burgundy for The Spectator and other publications and was effusive in inviting me. I, of course, accepted — it might be my last chance as M. Ballot was retiring and at my age sitting for a six-hour feast would be a challenge. But, M. Ballot assured me, I would be with my family at the table of their friends François and Frédérique Buisson, who produce fine wines and are lovely and fun. I accepted.

Along with exceptional wines, the 800 attendees were served a sumptuous six-course meal by renowned chef Dominique Dansard and serenaded by Les Joyeux Bourguignons. The presence of British actor Dominic West and this year’s lauréat du prix de la Paulée, David Foenkinos, a Parisian writer known for his best-selling novels, all added to the unique ambiance. My one hesitation, besides sitting for a six-hour banquet, was the possibility that someone would ask my thoughts on the American elections. Would I feel it necessary to defend Donald Trump and his policies, as I have had to do too often since the election?

Would my French be adequate to explain why I voted for Trump? Would it be worthwhile to try to explain why he won and point out that even Europe is fed up with wokeism and that most French just want what the majority of Americans want — affordable food (and wine), safety for their children and other loved ones, and world peace?

I prepared myself — just in case — by remembering what I’d told a French anti-Trumper a few weeks before. That I was ecstatic that Fox News had gone international and that I hoped there were bilingual French who would tune in to hear what was really happening.

French news mostly adopts the opinions of left-wing publications in France, the UK and the US, and treats them as gospel. At least they’ve dropped “Orange Man” and silently applaud some of Trump’s proposed team.

Luckily, the feast was all about some of the finer things the French have to offer — wine, food and fashion. I would not get indigestion from having to defend America. The next day, it was reported that Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland had sent out pamphlets to their citizens about how to prepare themselves for nuclear war with Russia. Had La Paulée taken place a few days later, would the ambience of a century-old tradition have been as deliciously joyful?

This article was originally published in The Spectator’s March 2025 World edition.