Avalon Wine Tours
Burgundy Connoisseur's Itinerary

Saturday, Day 1;
Hostellerie des Clos, Chablis

Rendezvous at your hotel in Paris after lunch and drive to Chablis, arriving mid-afternoon to check into the Hostellerie des Clos. You will have a chance to stroll around the village from your hotel before we visit Rene Dauvissat for our first tasting of Chablis. We may also fit in a visit to our great friend Bernard Legland at Domaine des Maronniers for an in-depth discussion of Chablis and a wonderful tasting. Returning to the hotel, we enjoy a gourmet dinner at it's renowned Michélin-starred restaurant.

Today's the day to discover Chablis. Being the weekend of the Fête des Fleurs (the festival of the flowering of the vines) instead of visiting wineries all day we take advantage of the Chablisiens' wine festival, which is in full swing in the village itself. You are free to wander around and taste, eat, sight-see or shop, in the friendly casual atmosphere of this rather sleepy village. We will also impose on Bernard Legland to give us a guided tour of the vineyards themselves, and no doubt will end up back at either his cellars or one of his friend's, despite ourselves! This evening is the gala dinner of the Chablisiens' Confrèrie, the brotherhood of winemakers. We are invited to join in a true Burgundian extravaganza of food, wine and singing, with the fun-loving and sometimes irreverent winemakers and their friends. Of the various Confrèrie dinners and lunches that we attend, this one is definitely the most relaxed and carefree! We eventually pry ourselves from the festivities around 2 AM and straggle back to our hotel.

A slow start after last night, packing up and checking out of the Hostellerie. No-one else is doing much in Chablis either, so we head out to the Cote d'Or, stopping for lunch at a local country restaurant en route. By the time we reach Gevrey-Chambertin it's mid-afternoon, so we check into the Hotel des Grands Crus, situated amongst the vineyards in the heart of this quiet village. There is time for one visit to see Claude Dugat late in the afternoon, for a wonderful introduction to red Burgundy. Dinner is at the Michélin-starred Les Millésimes restaurant, a short walk from our hotel. This is one our two favorite restaurants in the whole of Burgundy, owned by our friends the charming Sangoy family.

Two morning visits just around the corner from our hotel in Gevrey Chambertin with Alain Burguet and Pierre Damoy, then we drive through the vineyards on the way to lunch at the Castel Très Girard in Morey-St. Denis. Afternoon visits in Morey-St. Denis and Chambolle-Musigny at Domaine Dujac and Bernard Amiot. We return to the Hotel des Grands Crus to freshen up, before driving 15 minutes to Dijon for the evening. Free in Dijon for dinner on your own, with our assistance of course as needed. Option to return to the hotel in Gevrey instead of Dijon (there are four restaurants to choose from in the village, within walking distance of the hotel). Overnight at the Grands Crus.

Check out of the Grands Crus early, then we drive through the vineyards of the Côte des Nuits to Vosne-Romanée, with visits to Jean Gros and Méo-Camuzet. After a country lunch in Nuits St. Georges at one of the locals' secret spots, we continue to Chateau Grancey in Aloxe Corton to rendezvous with Sebastien Crépieux from Louis Latour. After this fascinating tour through the historic cellars dug into the hillside of the Corton vineyard we drive to Beaune to check in to the Hotel de la Poste. Here you have a little free time to look around town before we go for one more visit to the cellars of Albert Bichot, one of Burgundy's largest négociants, to sample such delights as the wonderful Clos Frantin. A candlelight dinner is served after the visit in the 16th century cellars of Bichot, under the streets of Beaune. Our host is Colin Ware, Bichot's winemaker, who is a wealth of information on both oenology and local Burgundian history.

Drive south from the walled city into the Côte de Beaune, for a visit to Domaine Jacques Prieur. We return to Beaune in time for lunch at the Michélin-starred Jardin des Remparts. Free time after lunch to shop and sight-see in Beaune. Optional visit in the late afternoon to Louis Jadot's huge facility just outside the town, where the brand-new fermentation room was completed just in time for the 1997 harvest. You are free for dinner in Beaune, so if you wish you can rest your body a little after the excesses of the past few days. Overnight at the Poste.

Visits this morning in Chassagne and Puligny Montrachet. First we stop for an early visit to Etienne Sauzet, then meet with Jean-Marc Morey. Jean-Marc will join us for lunch at the Michélin-starred Montrachet Restaurant. This afternoon we continue with visits in Puligny at Louis Carillon, then in Meursault with Patrick Javillier. Return to Beaune to freshen up before heading out to our final dinner at the three-starred restaurant of Jacques Lameloise in Chagny. This is our "other" favorite restaurant in Burgundy, and is a truly exceptional dining experience - even by Michélin's high standards. A memorable way to end your trip in Burgundy!

Time to pack our bags and depart the sacred turf of Burgundy to return to Paris and fly home or continue to your next adventure. Possibly a little time for shopping before you leave, depending on your itinerary.

Rates include transfers, transportation by luxury coach, bilingual guides and wine expert, and meals as indicated. This Itinerary is subject to change due to chateau schedules, and the requests of our guests. In general, however the visits will be as outlined here.