Burgundy's must-have
The Route des Vins crosses the most prestigious part of the Burgundy vineyards. 37 picturesque wine villages in the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune, between Dijon and Beaune and as far as Santenay, over a length of 60 km.
The Route des Vins crosses the most prestigious part of the Burgundy vineyards. 37 picturesque wine villages in the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune, between Dijon and Beaune and as far as Santenay, over a length of 60 km.
It’s a narrow strip running north-south, no more than 2 km wide and 300 to 400 meters high. The route is signposted with brown panels bearing a white cluster, from Dijon to Santenay, via Nuits-Saint-Georges and Beaune.
You’ll come across other types of signs, those of the Burgundy wine appellations, which are currently being replaced. We look forward to seeing your photos on Instagram #beaunetourisme #routedesgrandscrus
The first part of the route runs parallel to the former N74, now renamed the D974. The prestigious Côte de Nuits is home to some of the world’s finest red wines, including 24 of Burgundy’s 33 grands crus (Romanée-Conti, Clos de Vougeot, Chambertin, etc.).
Take a break at Château du Clos de Vougeot, birthplace of the Chevaliers du Tastevin.
After Corgoloin, it’s the Côte de Beaune region up to the Maranges hillside. A land blessed with Chardonnay, producing some of the world’s finest dry white wines, including Corton Charlemagne, Crus de Meursault and Montrachet….
Each village has its own vineyard and red (pinot noir) and/or white (chardonnay) appellations, and along the way, a harmonious landscape full of charm. Gentle curves, vineyards organized into plots, some surrounded by dry stone walls, a river or a hedge. These are the “Clos”, whose entrances are sometimes adorned with majestic gates or porches bearing the owner’s name. Some plots have also preserved small limestone structures, known as “Cabotes”, where tools were once stored and winegrowers could rest and eat.
All along these gentle hills, vineyards run in tight rows between each village, only a few kilometers apart. From Gevrey-Chambertin to Nuits Saint Georges, or from Aloxe-Corton to Santenay, they feature typical vineyard architecture, with handsome limestone houses and tiled roofs. Often set between courtyards and gardens, almost all of these winegrowers’ residences have ancient cellars, a highlight of the house that the owner will introduce wine lovers to. Traditional villages, often opulent, with the occasional mansion belonging to a wine merchant who settled on the hillside in the 18th or 19th century. Gathered around their Gothic and often Romanesque churches, fountains and washhouses, these villages are the emblematic living quarters of the Burgundy vineyards.
And let’s not forget that Burgundy’s winegrowers have a sense of celebration and hospitality. To the rhythm of the 4 seasons of vines and wine, they pay homage to Bacchus (God of Wine) and Saint-Vincent (Patron Saint of Winegrowers), and invite their friends and customers…and all wine lovers, to these authentic, convivial celebrations.
“Doing the Route des Grands Crus also means visiting sites both prestigious and humble, well-known and off the beaten track. In Chenôve, the presses of the Dukes of Burgundy (14th century) are a reminder that the Valois Dukes were “the Lords of the best wines in Christendom”. In Vougeot, the Château bears eternal witness to the painstaking work of the Cistercian monks whose abbey lies on the nearby plain. En route, a few bell towers or châteaux with their glazed tile roofs will announce the splendour of the roofs of the Hôtel-Dieu – Hospices de Beaune Museum. Along the Côte de Beaune, the châteaux of Corton André, Pommard, Meursault and Chassagne Montrachet illustrate the notion of the “Clos”.
The Route des Grands Crus de Bourgogne takes you on a journey through time. A plunge into the heart of the Climats de Bourgogne, encountering landscapes shaped generation after generation. The watercolors of Burgundy’s wine appellations are revealed to you on this emblematic tour. Julie from Maison Olivier Leflaive takes you from Puligny-Montrachet to Château du Clos de Vougeot, via the Cité des Climats et vins de Bourgogne.
Discover the Burgundy wine route by bike along the Voie des Vignes itinerary from Beaune to Santenay, via Pommard, Meursault and Chassagne-Montrachet. The Voie des Vignes then continues from Santenay to Nolay.