Beaune on the 4th of July

So what do expat Americans do in France when Independence Day rolls around? Same thing they'd do at home: fire up the grill and invite the neighbors over for a feast. Alex Gambal, formerly of Washington, D.C., arrived in Burgundy 13 years ago and set up shop as a négociant and winemaker. His business partner (and resident culinarian) John Hayes shuttles back & forth; he's also finance director of the Nantucket Wine Festival.

Lively mix of residents and visitors, and the perfect occasion to bring out wines with little commercial viability, such as magnums of 1997 Beaujolais from the village of Fleurie. Exactly the sort of bottle appreciated by locals, who know the potential of their wines and despair at the superficial reviews of wine writers on deadline assigned to pass judgment only on the latest vintage.

Alex knows. In his cellar, he reminds you: this isn't chardonnay, it's white Burgundy. Not pinot noir but red Burgundy. Specifically, this bottle is made with grapes grown in 2001 in the premier cru vineyard called Les Amoureuses in the village of Chambolle-Musigny. If you can't understand the difference, you don't deserve to be here.

Alex Gambal, 14 Bd Jules Ferry, Beaune +333 8022 7581