Saturday – Day 1 – Arrival
You will be greeted at one of three regional train stations. From there, we’ll make our way to your 3-star boutique, family owned hotel accommodations. After you’ve unpacked and had a chance to unwind a bit, we’ll all meet for dinner in their dining room, and enjoy the first of many amazing meals together. This unassuming inn and hotel will earn your respect and appreciation for both the quality of service, friendliness of staff, and the quality of the French cuisine.
Sunday – Day 2 – Tonnerre & Chablis
After breakfast, we’ll start our day by taking a quick drive into the town of Tonnerre. We’ll make our first stop to stretch our legs with a visit to the Fosse Dionne that was established by the Romans and first referenced in 639 AD. From there, we’ll proceed to Chablis and take a walk through the Chablis market.
This is perhaps one of the best markets in Burgundy, and even better that it’s open on Sundays! Here, we’ll work together to buy ingredients for our evening dinner. We’ll also do some wine tasting while in-town and enjoy lunch at one of the local restaurants.
Post lunch, you’ll have some time to walk around and visit the local shops before we return you to your hotel for a chance to relax before dinner.
That evening, you’ll be joining us in our village at chez Phillips-Berry for an amazing repas prepared especially for you by moi!
Monday – Day 3 – Champagne
Most people who like Champagne are likely to only recognize the cities of Reims & Epernay. However, the Champagne region is vast and from the north to the south, covers a little over 100 miles.
During our day in the Champagne region, we’ll be visiting the “lesser known” village of Les Riceys where Champagne produced here is just as good if not better than the well known names found two hours north. Their price tags will also not disappoint because these sparkling wines are more affordable and reasonably priced for everyday enjoyment.
Tuesday – Day 4 – Saint Bris & Irancy
What few people don’t realize when visiting Northern Burgundy is that there is one village dedicated to growing and making Sauvignon Blanc. Our first stop will be Saint Bris where we’ll enjoy a cave tour and sample Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Gris. Following our visit, we’ll make our way over the hill into the village of Irancy.
The wines from here are predominantly made from Pinot Noir and can be blended with a small amount of the César grape, generally not more than 10%, allowing for a unique expression compared to the Pinot Noirs further south.
Because of its proximity to Saint Bris, most producers here make both wines, giving us a chance to enjoy both white and red wines during this day.
Wednesday – Day 5 – Châteaux Day
What’s unique about the Burgundy region is that there are a number of amazing Châteaux that were built during the 16th century that are still standing and available to visit.
We’ll start our day at Château de Tanlay one of the finest examples of Renaissance architecture in Burgundy. Residence of the family of Admiral de Coligny during the wars of religion, it was completed by Michel Particelli d’Hemery, and became, at the end of the 17th century, the property of the Marquis de Tanlay.
Our next stop will be at Château d’Ancy-le-Franc. Completed in 1550, this is a fine example of the Renaissance of “art of living” with it’s simplicity in design with for main buildings forming a perfect square. At the conclusion of this visit, we’ll enjoy a wine tasting featuring the wines of the Tonnerrois and Auxerrois.
Thursday – Day 6 – Departure Day
Post breakfast, you’ll be taken to the train station for departure to your next destination.
Or add-on for the 7 night itinerary!
Thursday – Day 6 – Beaune
Our day will start out with a road trip south to the city of Beaune, where we’ll begin our visit in this walled city at the world famous Hôtel-Dieu, which in French means Hospital. If you haven’t heard of this amazing landmark, perhaps you recognize the annual wine auction it holds to raise money for its charitable purpose, Hospices de Beaune. Back when there wasn’t a nationalized healthcare system in 1443, some very wealthy folks got together and built a hospital for the poor and indigent. As you will discover, they spared no expense in the materials that they used to build this amazing hospital.
Following lunch, we’ll visit one of my favorite wineries, Chanson. Built into one of the garrisons, this winery is extremely unique and their wines represent world class Burgundy!
And just when you thought we were done for the day, we’ll end our visit with a tour and tasting at La Moutarderie Fallot.
Most people think that they need to visit Dijon to go to a mustard factory. Oh contraire, dijon is actually the name of the style of the mustard that was invented in Beaune.
Friday – Day 7 – Abbaye de Fontenay & Noyers-sur-Serein
Our first stop for the day will be to visit the Abbaye de Fontenay. Founded in 1118, the Abbey is a unique witness to 1000 years of history. We can either walk the grounds together and I will share the history of what I’ve learned about this place, or you can use this time to explore the grounds and buildings on your own.
Following our visit to the Abbaye, we’ll stop at the picturesque village of Noyers-sur-Serein where we’ll have lunch. After which, we’ll have some flexibility in our schedule that we can finalize in person during the beginning of our week together. From wine tasting to some notable villages that we can visit, we have a few wonderful choices to consider during your last full day with me.
Saturday – Day 8 – Departure Day
Post breakfast, you’ll be taken to the train station for departure to your next destination.
Potential itinerary deviations…
If you have a particular interest in other cities and destinations within these two regions, or an activity interest that I haven’t mentioned in the itinerary, just let me know. Here is some inspiration of other places to see that’s within 2 hours of where you’ll be staying.
