Sipping Wine in Burgundy

Day 1

  • 8:00am: Travel south to Burgundy and check into an AirBnb in the main city, Beaune. Our favorite accommodation of the trip was this AirBnb, Le Cara Appartements de Charme, in the heart of the city, with Angelique. It was a modern, grand studio equipped with a kitchenette, beautiful modern bathroom, and large, queen size bed with plenty of space. Located in central Beaune, you ascend what feels like a clock tower, and it is located at 18 Rue Marie Favart in Beaune. For 136 EUR, you feel like royalty in this room and it has convenient street parking nearby.

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  • 12:00pm: After checking in, head straight to lunch at the fabulous Restaurant at LeMontrachet in Montrachet-Puligny. This was one of the most extravagant dining experiences you can get for 30 EUR p/p and was one of our favorite meals in France. You’ll be greeted with an aperitif, multiple courses of appetizers, a phenomenal main dish for lunch, followed of course by a cafe outside on their terrace. The restaurant itself deserves a Michelin star, but it’s nice that it doesn’t given how good of a deal it is! Everything from the cheese cart, to the silverware, to the service was outstanding.

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  • 1:00pm: Spend this afternoon tasting white wine in the Côte de Beaune region. You’ll want to spend your time cruising along Route des Grand Crus, a narrow strip that stretches out on a north-south axis. The route itself is marked with burgundy-colored signs showing a white grape cluster, extending from Dijon to Santenay via Nuits-Saint-Georges and Beaune.

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Quick Tip: It will be difficult to make tasting reservations during lunchtime, which spans between 11:30am – 1:30pm. This is the “lunch-break” in France, which means you’ll have to probably have lunch das well. Shops and tasting rooms will re-open shortly thereafter until about 5:30pm.

  •  3:00pm: Be sure to check out Château de La Rochepot, a 13th-century castle with Burgundian-style glazed tiles, which was later converted into a château. The chateau lies southwest of Beaune and is open to visitors for both wine tasting and tours starting in April.

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  • 4:00pm: Visit Château de Meursault, situated in the heart of Burgundy, in Côte de Beaune on the prestigious appellation of Meursault, which is a global reference for the great white wines. You’ll drive up to an incredible castle, and their vineyard extends on nearly 60 hectares from Puligny-Montrachet to Aloxe-Corton, home to fifteen Premier Crus and two Grands Crus. Organize a cave and tasting tour in advance at the Chateau. A €21 dégustation includes a 30-minute tour of the 12-16th century caves and a tasting of 6-7 wines.

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  • 5:00pm: Begin happy hour at Caveau de Puligny-Montrachet. This fantastic wine bar, located in Puligny-Montrachet, was founded in 1998 and works with 250 producers in the region. Because wines in this area are so expensive, they select the best values every year. Grab a glass of Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru here or a wine tasting flight and enjoy it outside on their terrace, sitting in one of the most famous wine regions in the world. After, don’t forget to pay a visit to the actual vineyards producing this amazing wine, and admire the famous Montrachet stone columns.

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  • 7:00pm: For a fantastic dinner in Beanue, head to 21 Boulevard. Upon entering, you will descend underground and sit at a table inside a 15th century cellar, with intimate seating and beautiful décor. You’ll feel at home upon being greeted by your host Gregoire, where he will take your coat and point you to a wooden poster of daily specials. Turn your attention to the multi-course menu options and take your waiters suggestion for an excellent wine pairing. The menu is seasonal, and rotates often.

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Day 2 

  • 9:00am: Make sure to spend at least an hour at the one “must-see” sight in town, the Hospice de Beaune, a medieval hospital. It is a glorious representation of Burgundian architecture and you can do a quite interesting 45 minute self-guided walking tour for a few Euros, which takes you through the history of the hospital, from various exhibits including a room of medicinal herbs, and where they currently sell wine.

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  • 11:00am: Head north along Route de Grand Crus and start your day with a tour of Chateau Savigny Les Beaunes. Upon arrival, you’ll find a magnificent collection of Arbath racing cars, motorcycles and nearly 100 fighter planes in this Chateau’s backyard. It’s truly an impressive sight. You can do a self-guided tour of the Chateau as well, which houses another collection of airplanes in the castle!

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  • 1:00pm: Have lunch at The Millesime. A wonderful multi-course tasting menu under 40 EUR per person can be had here. Have an aperitif, recommending of course Cremant de Burgundy, and enjoy the over-the-top service. From there, head to Vosne-Romanée, which produces the world’s most expensive wine. Here you have the Grands Crus Romanée-Conti, La Romanée, La Tâche, Richebourg, Romanée-Saint-Vivant, and La Grande Rue.

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  • 1:30pm: Stop by the Chateau du Clos de Vougeot, another impressive renaissance-style castle built by 12th-century monks with wine cellars, original wine presses & a vat house. You can do a wine tour and tasting here as well if you’d like, but the chateau itself is stunning enough to warrant a visit.

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  • 2:00pm: Plan to set aside some time for wine tasting in Gevrey-Chambertin. Stop by Philippe Leclerc, for an informative, fantastic wine tasting in a cellar tour. For 10 EUR, you can try some of the most famous reds in the world. There are 26 Premier Cru vineyards in Gevrey-Chambertin, several of which produce an amazing amount of wine and are famous in their own right. In addition, the village has 9 Grands Crus, which trumps Vosne-Romanée’s 6 and is by far the most Grands Crus of any village in Burgundy.

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  • 7:00pm: Dinner / Wine bar at Le Bout Du Monde. This was perhaps our favorite wine bar in Beanue, with a chic, yet homey atmosphere with leather couches to lounge in and a tremendous charceuterie plate. They have reasonably priced wines listed on their board which rotate, but enjoy an aperitif, wine and even dinner here.
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