New Burgundy web series takes a relaxed approach to wine tasting

ast July, the apartment located above the Le Charlemagne restaurant in Pernand-Vergelesses, Burgundy, looked like something from a Hollywood film set. The Burgundy Wine Bureau (BIVB) chose this comfortable, modern setting to film the first season of ‘Astuces Dégust’s’ with Bourgogne Live Prod. The new web series features six episodes lasting three minutes each. Starting October 2, the series will run for six weeks every Wednesday at 5pm on the Burgundy Wines Facebook page and Instagram account. It is hosted by sommelier and educator Maxime Dubois and addresses wine tasting in a fun, relaxed way, making the world of wine accessible to all using dynamic staging and editing techniques.

The aim is to bring together both newbies and inquisitive wine enthusiasts and answer six essential questions: What glass should you choose? How should you open and serve wine? How should you look at wine? How do you smell wine properly? How do you taste wine? And how do you store an open bottle?

Dubois addresses his audience informally. In the first episode, he explains for example that “the thinner the rim, the more you feel like you’re touching the wine” and “it’s a great sensation, but perhaps not for the person doing the washing-up”. The trainee wine taster also learns that the part of the stem where the wine sits is called the ‘bowl’ or ‘calyx’ and where the glass changes shape is called the ‘shoulder’.

“You should serve wine up to the shoulder so that you leave it some oxygen and volume for it to fully express its aromas”, explains the sommelier, who has already signed up for a second season in 2025.