Wine, Gastronomy and Heritage in Burgundy Tour. 5 days 4 nights

“Wine, Gastronomy and Heritage in Burgundy” Tour

5 days – 4 nights

Wine is by far the most well known ambassador of Burgundy, but there is more than one Burgundy;

each vineyard, each wine maker brings a different touch to the wine and during this tour we offer

you the chance to discover for yourself

not just the richness of the viticulture but also the cultural

wealth of Burgundy.

So, don’t wait any longer! Come to Burgundy!

Please note that this tour can be modified to suit your requirements.

Day 1

10.30am – Arrive in Macon

Wine tasting of Maconnais wines

In the Maconnais vineyards, the vines have a different appearance; this is not a line of ramparts like

in the Côte d’Or or the Côte Chalonnaise, here the landscape is a contrast between vines and valleys;

and if for white wines the

Chardonnay

remains at the top, revealing with the more gentle climate

nuances unknown further north, the

Pinot Noir

largely cedes its place to the

Gamay

for the red wines.

12.00pm – Lunch

1.30pm – Leave for Cluny

2.30pm – Guided tour of Cluny Abbey

Founded in 910, the Benedictine Abbey of Cluny was governed by a series of remarkable abbots and

became the home of the most important monastic order in the western world, with 10,000 monks

spread all over Europe. The abbey church, which was once the largest in Christendom, is stunning

with its out of the ordinary proportions. The tallest vaults in the Romanesque world culminate at

more than 30 metres under the Holy Water bell tower, which remains today an indication of its huge

size.

©Philippe Berthé, CMN, Paris

4pm – Leave for Chalon sur Saône

5pm – Taste the wines of the Côte Chalonnaise in the heart of the town. Introduction to the Côte

Chalonnaise vineyards followed by wine tasting accompanied by “gougères”.

The Maison des Vins was created in 1982 bringing together a handful of winemakers, cooperatives

and wine merchants whose objective was to create a shop window for the Côte Chalonnaise. The

Maison des Vins’ goal is to showcase the Grand Cru Burgundies of the Côte Chalonnaise. In just a

few years the Maison des Vins has become an integral part of the Chalonnaise tourism and cultural

landscape. There are two selections per year governing the life of this house; the Spring/Summer

selection (from Easter to harvest festival) and an Autumn/Winter selection (from harvest festival to

Easter). A jury assembled for the occasion made up of winemakers, professionals from the business

and enlightened amateurs, who get together and “blind taste” the wines, finally selecting the 122

best wines.

6.30pm – Arrive at your hotel in Chalon sur Saône and settle in.

Dinner in the hotel and the rest of the evening at liberty.

Day 2

9am – Leave the hotel

9.30 – Arrive in Tournus

10am – Guided tour of the Abbey Saint Philibert

Built to house the relics of Philibert their founding saint, by monks from

Noirmoutier who were fleeing the Norman invasion, the Tournus abbey is one of

the most prestigious sanctuaries of Romanesque primary art. Remarkably well

preserved, with its pink and ochre stonework it dominates the town of Tournus on

the right bank of the Saône.

11.15am - Wine tasting

Vines, traditionally cultivated in Burgundy, are an important economic element to the Tournus

people. The “terroir”, the exposure of the vines, the climate as well as the work of the wine makers

brings out the best from the Chardonnay grape variety.

The wine tasting will take place in a new discovery centre in Tournus dedicated to the vines and

wines of Burgundy.

From the geology to the art of wine tasting, taking in the grape varieties, the aromas and the lifecycle

of the vine, all the secrets of Burgundy wine will be revealed!

1pm – Lunch in a restaurant

3pm – Leave for Cormatin

4pm – Guided tour of the Chateau.

Built at the beginning of the 17

century, the Chateau de Cormatin maintains some rare original

details, like its staircase and the decoration in some of its

rooms. The principal dwelling and one wing at right angles

surrounding the main courtyard are the only parts that

remain. The estate consists of a 12 hectare park with flower

beds, a large box maze and traditional kitchen garden. A

planned garden has existed since 1620 which is when the

current chateau was built.

6pm – Leave for Chalon

Day 3

9am – Guided tour of Chalon sur Saône old town

Chalon came into being as the main port to the Eduens people during the Gaulish

period and saw its glory days at the beginning of the Middle Ages as the Merovingian

capital of Burgundy, and then as the site of famous international fairs.

Chalon sur Saône also owes its fame to Joseph Nicephore Niepce, who was born

here in 1765. In 1824 he is credited with inventing photography just a few

kilometres from here.

Today it is a city of Art and History, where the Old Town has half-timbered houses

built between the 15

and 17

centuries, the restored facade of St Vincent’s cathedral and the

classical mansions of the 17

and 18

centuries.

10.30am – Leave for Rully on the Côte Chalonnaise

Admire this unique landscape interspersed with the hills of the Côte Chalonnaise; this area, measuring

25 kilometres long by 7 kilometres wide, is located in the department of Saône et Loire. The vineyards

originally planted by the monks of Cluny have been here for over a thousand years and stretch along

the south east facing hillsides.

11am –

Arrive at a Vineyard

– With a guide, discover the processes involved in making Cremant de

Bourgogne,

amongst traditionally used machines and tools.

Tour the vaulted cellars carved out of the rocks,

and have the mysteries surrounding the making and

maturing of wines explained.

Taste 6 wines:

Rully, Givry, Mercurey, Montagny, Bouzeron and

Cremant de Bourgogne.

12.30pm – Buffet lunch:

enjoy a light bite composed of

traditional regional produce, accompanied by the wines from the

tasting.

2pm – Leave for Vougeot in the Côte de Nuits

The landscape rises as you enter the Côte de Nuits; a band of around twenty kilometres known

affectionately as the “Champs Elysees” of Burgundy is revealed. This is the home of many Grand Crus

and Premier Crus.

3pm – Guided tour of the Chateau de Clos de Vougeot

During the 12

century Cistercian monks built a series of wine making and maturing cellars in the

middle of the vines. Over the course of several centuries the buildings were transformed into a

chateau.

Today this place is still imbued with traditions that are best shown during the “Chapters” of the

Brotherhood of the Chevaliers du Tastevin.

4.30pm – Wine tasting at an estate in Nuits St Georges

6pm – Leave for Chalon sur Saône

7pm – Return to your hotel

Day 4

8.30am – Leave for Dijon

10am – Guided tour of Dijon town

Mustard, spice bread, blackcurrant liqueur... our specialities are part of the heritage of our

Burgundian capital! During the course of this tour, they will also have an effect on your tastebuds…

12pm - Lunch in town

2pm - Leave for Beaune

3pm - Guided tour of the Hôtel-Dieu de Beaune

Today the Hôtel-Dieu covers a large area of the centre of Beaune with its museum, its three

courtyards, its outbuildings, its 15

century bastion and its hundreds of metres of cellars housing,

most notably, the Hospice’s own wine collection.

The four buildings that are open to the public, surrounding the main courtyard, represent the

configuration of the traditional Hotel-Dieu.

In the main “paupers’ ward”, which is decorated with unique multicoloured beams, there is a sense

of peacefulness that leaves nobody unmoved. The Sainte-Anne, Saint Nicolas, Saint Hugues and

Saint Louis wards are full of treasures: statues, furniture, pottery, paintings, tapestries... and the

kitchen has been restored in the exact image of that which was there over a century ago.

The polyptych of the Last Judgement, a major work painted by the Flemish artist Rogier Van der

Weyden, is beautifully displayed in a climate controlled room.

4.30pm - Leave for the Côte de Beaune

The Burgundy wine capital,

the Côte de Beaune is full of famous and evocative names: Aloxe-Corton,

Beaune, Pommard, Volnay, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet.

5pm - Wine tasting at a château :

Discover the enclosed vineyard, the cellars and taste the wines of

the estate.

6.30pm - Leave for Chalon-sur-Saône

Day 5

9am – Leave your hotel in Chalon sur Saône and head to Guédelon

12pm – Lunch in the Guédelon Tavern

A mediaeval menu is served here.

2pm – Guided tour of the site

The guide takes you on a tour around the site, showing the main

trades and skills and explains the role and function of this type of

fortress, bringing to life the day to day reality of the builders of

Guédelon.

You will see the work already completed and that currently under

construction.

This is a genuine journey through time.

4pm – Leave for St Bris Le Vineux

The world famous vineyards of Chablis and Grand Auxerrois are equidistant between Beaune and

Paris, and it is certain that vines arrived in Burgundy from the north during the Gallo-Roman period.

5pm – Visit to the Bailly Cellars and wine tasting

Famous for their Cremant de Bourgogne, the Bailly cellars are in a former underground quarry, the

stone from which was used in the construction of many of France’s great national monuments (Notre

Dame de Paris for example).

The wine cellars, whose galleries cover 4 hectares and are 50 metres below ground, are a magical

place to discover.

6.30pm – Leave for Auxerre

7pm – Arrive in Auxerre

Prices

:

Number of people

Based on 3*** hotel

Price per person

Supply of coach/group

30

€621.89

€2,863.50

Subject to modification and availability on confirmation.

Price includes:

•

Wine tasting in Macon

•

Lunches on days 1, 2, 4 and 5, drinks included

•

Guided tour of Cluny Abbey

•

Wine tasting in Chalon sur Saône

•

Guided tour of St Philibert’s Abbey

•

Wine tasting in Tournus

•

Entry fee and guided tour of the Chateau de Cormatin

•

Guided tour of Chalon sur Saône

•

Wine tasting and snacks at Rully

•

Guided tour of Clos de Vougeot Chateau

•

Wine tasting at Nuits St Georges

•

Dinner in a gourmet restaurant

•

Guided tour of Dijon town

•

Entry fee and guided tour of the Hotel Dieu in Beaune

•

Wine tasting on a Côte de Beaune estate

•

Entry fees and guided tour of the Chateau de Guedelon

•

Tour and wine tasting in a wine cellar

•

4 nights half board accommodation in a 3*** hotel in Chalon (excluding drinks)

•

Local taxes

Price does not include:

•

Personal expenditure