About the Bouilland Symposia
The Bouilland Symposia are the most in depth wine courses on Burgundy available. The producers we include make some of the most collectible wines; the experts who conduct the courses are among the most knowledgeable in the world.
Our symposia have been running for over 20 years since we responded to requests for an in situ Burgundy wine course from various quarters, including members of the trade, amateurs, the curious, aspiring winegrowers and those ready to discover Burgundy from the inside out.
Bouilland is the Burgundy village where we have lived since 1972 and our farmhouse is the venue for many of the programmed events. While each four- or five-day symposium is unique, the program is organized around a tried and tested approach including domaine visits, lunches in restaurants where the locals eat, tutored tastings and daily transport from the hotel and to events.
When an evening winemaker dinner is scheduled, it takes place around our farmhouse table. This provides a level of intimacy which ensures that participants feel comfortable asking any and all questions of the guest vigneron. Such an atmosphere, we suspect, is not available in a restaurant setting.
British wine writer and MW Clive Coates was our first guide. Currently, our experts include Inside Burgundy author Jasper Morris MW of Berry Bothers and Rudd, Allen Meadows, aka Burghound (who does master classes on single villages), and occasionally Senior Christie’s Advisor Anthony Hanson MW, author of the first contemporary book on Burgundy. A recent addition in our lineup of symposia is hosted by Ola Bergman who writes Bergman’s Bourgogne. Some of our tailored symposia are conducted by Peter Wasserman or Paul Wasserman and we are planning on introducing a sommelier series in the near future.
We also offer tailored symposia which can range from introductory level to very focused subjects.
If you have accompanying family members or guests, we can furnish a list of alternative ideas from cookery courses to historic tours, hikes or even hot air balloon rides because we understand that not everybody has the tolerance level necessary to imbibe the immersion program in its totality.
Peter Wasserman
Becky Wasserman