@ElizabethB: I'm also impressed that you took the time to report on your experiences. This will help me, since I am also attempting this dish. But, the one lesson I don't think is possible for me to really learn is the K.I.S.S. principle: my Bourguignon is going to be really tricky because of the way I'm preparing it (you'll see what I mean when I post it...with photos, which I've already taken for the early prep work). But, the principle is certainly worth keeping in mind when it comes to seasoning and so on. I will certainly heed your warning for that, but the (probably) overly fancy prep work is already underway.