Best Wine Tour in Burgundy, France with Authentica

When I think of France all I think about is WINE WINE and more WINE! Especially being as big of a wine-o as I am (seriously ask my friends) all I could think about is WINE and the fact that I’ll probably never want to leave. I had a few days to kill between when I left Zurich and when I had to fly out of Paris so it’s no surprise that I sought out the best wine tour in Burgundy.

I’ve always been a big fan of the bold Bordeaux wines but Burgundy wine was new territory for me. Since Bordeaux was a bit out of the way for me to go for a couple of days I decided to experience a wine and food tour in the capital of the Burgundy area; Dijon (yep, like the mustard).

Intro to the best wine tour in Burgundy, Francce

I decided to go with the Passion tour from Authentica Burgundy Wine Tours because it was a full day wine and food tour at a reasonable price (mostly wine with a slight snack). The tour started off with a breakfast stop with a breathtaking view over the Corton Grand Cru hillside in the Côte de Beaune. Here we enjoyed croissants, took photos of the beautiful area and started to learn about the different classifications of wine from the area. Burgundy is known for their Pinot Noir (red) and Chardonnay (white).

Once we were done with the first stop we continued to our first wine tasting (this is where the fun began). Our first wine tasting took place at the Château de Marsannay, here we got a wealth of information about the different wines this Château produces. We learned about the different classifications of Burgundy wines, different soils that are used to create the grapes, got a tour of the Château, learned about the entire cycle of wine from planting, harvesting, to bottling and aging. We finally ended this stop with the wine tasting. Trying one Chardonnay and 5 different Pinot Noirs from different years and classifications. It’s safe to say I really grew an appreciation for light wines here.

Historical city of Beaune

After the first in-depth wine tasting, we drove to the beautiful city of Beaune. During our car ride, we got a bit of an overview of the history of this town, as well as how it fits into the Burgundy wine area. We received a map with some lunch recommendations and things to do, and had an hour and a half to explore on our own.

I took this as an advantage to get to know the town. I started by walking around the beautiful historical town taking photos. Seeing the different shops, admiring the architecture, and the beautiful churches, I really enjoy starting off seeing a new place this way.

Followed by yet another wine tasting from the Moillard shop (that was included for Authentica guests). This wine tasting felt more personal (probably because I was the only one there), but I was able to speak to the shop owner and ask all the questions I had. I really enjoyed the one-on-one time I was able to get.

I seem to have worked up an appetite after all that wine and walking around, so it’s time for lunch! Wanting to get the full French experience I wanted some snails, (I had Burgundy snails the night before and they are the best!). I came across this tiny wine and snail shop that suckered me in with a sign that said “6 snails and a glass of wine for 10€”. I’m in! Espace Découvertes is a cute shop where the owner works the shop. I really wish that I spoke some French and she better English because I would have loved to chat with her about her shop. But, I was very happy with my lunch choice, the snails were delicious and the wine very tasty.

One last stop

I knew I would enjoy this tour when they advertised having to taste 9-12 Burgundy wines. We well exceeded that amount. Our final stop was at the Le Caveau Bejot vins & terroirs, a beautiful modern tasting room where we had an extensive tasting of 5 Chardonnays, 2 Pinot Noirs, and a sparkling wine. This was a sit down tasting and it was the first time we were able to fully chat (I’m sure the few glasses of wine had something to do with it), amongst ourselves, get to know one another, and compare all of the wines we have tasted. It was a great experience.

Overview

Overall I give this tour a 10/10, the generous amounts of wine, the delicious croissant, the beautiful views, and the extensive amount of knowledge we learned about Burgundy wine was incredible. I really learned to appreciate a Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on this tour. I don’t ever drink white wine and I prefer the bold deep red wines, however, this tour really allowed me to expand my taste buds, learn about and appreciate a new kind of wine. They still won’t be my first choices when choosing a wine, but I at least know what Pinot Noirs I like and how to choose one to my liking (hint, I like the most expensive ones, go figure!).

Xoxo Ania Travels 💜