Turning the corner on a rainy night in Beaune, France, we were stopped in our tracks by what we saw. The town’s main cathedral, Notre Dame (always a good guess for the name of any French church), was lit up with an animated light show featuring blossoming flowers, flying birds, flowing water, and more. We soon discovered that most major monuments in town featured similar special effects after dark. I wonder how many visitors have sworn off drinking after assuming these displays were just wine-fueled hallucinations?

Do these people look like they know anything about wine?

Earlier that day, we’d had a different kind of quasi-religious experience at Maison Olivier Leflaive, a winery and restaurant in nearby Puligny-Montrachet (if it helps, feel free to imitate Pepé LePew or Inspector Clouseau while you read the previous sentence). We tasted 6 great wines—5 whites and 1 red. In Burgundy, where wine is categorized and sold based on the location of the vineyard rather than the variety of fruit, virtually all grapes are Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. But minute variations in soil, sunshine, temperature, and countless other factors can result in wildly different flavors and textures, even in wines from vineyards right next to one another.

Of course, the skill and technique of the winemaker also has a huge impact (as our wine steward was quick to tell us), and so does pairing wine with food versus guzzling it all by itself. The folks at Maison Leflaive are clearly skilled winemakers, and they provided a wonderful five-course meal to accompany their generous pours. We left feeling full of both food and joie de vivre. A huge “thank you” to my friend and former co-worker Lidia, who recommended this great place to me!