La Chablisienne is a cooperative winery that was founded back in 1923. What makes it unique is its determination to pass on a love of fine wine to a younger audience.

Olivier, who is a trailblazer when it comes to wine tourism in France, is always organising new hospitality packages to pass on his passion for Burgundy and its wines.

And it’s no coincidence that Olivier was one of the winners of the 2019 Wine Tourism Awards (Special Jury Prize) in the "Pioneering Wine Tourism" category.

Olivier is a man of conviction, a winemaker who firmly believes that wine is, above all, about sharing. For over 30 years, he has been inviting visitors to his estate to enjoy a human and viticulture adventure based on a variety of wine tourism activities: vineyard and winery tours, a restaurant with guided tastings and a four-star hotel.

But Olivier is also a man of ideas and invention, and this winemaker doesn’t intend to stop there! He has other projects in the pipeline that are sure to please one and all!

As an adventurous explorer, a traditional visit to a wine cellar isn't really your cup of tea. So how about discovering Bourgogne in the open air? And by bike?

Bourgogne Evasion has designed a 1-day cycling tour through the area’s finest vineyards. With the aid of an expert guide the entire day, your morning begins with a ride to the estate of Château Chassagne-Montrachet. After stretching your legs, you’ll be putting your palate through the ropes with a welcome tasting of four wines typical of the region. As well as passing through the vines, the route takes you through the typical villages of Volnay, Meursault, Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet, where you will enjoy a Bourgogne-style lunch. The afternoon will focus on the Pommard appellation, where you will get to meet a winemaker followed, of course, by a tasting. Perfect for a couples’ break or holiday with friends.

Tips nearby: 

La Cabane: Chassagne-Montrachet. Unconventional restaurant in Michelle Bachelet park and a collaboration between the commune and the Michelin-starred restaurant Ed.Em. Quiet and warm atmosphere. Daily specials, wine by the glass and a menu from Ed.Em restaurant. Open 10:30 am to 8 pm. Excellent surprise.

Le Domaine de la Combotte: Nantoux, 8 km from Beaune. Five charming guest rooms among the vines. Walk-in or adjoining bathroom. Breakfast served in a beautiful communal room on a farmhouse table. Comfortable and cosy atmosphere. Fireplace, library, relaxation room and outdoor swimming pool. Perfect place to stay while in the region.

We’re taking you on a real educational treat in Beaune, a tailor-made programme for a gourmet connoisseur such as yourself: the Tour of the 5 Senses by Maison Bouchard Aîné et Fils.

So it's off to the heart of Beaune, and more precisely the Hôtel du Conseiller du Roy and the prestigious cellars of your host for the day. Hearing, smell, touch, sight and taste: all your senses will be called upon during this original workshop. The aim? To add words to sensations and understand the special characteristics of Bourgogne’s terroir. This fun and interactive lesson naturally ends with a commented tasting of the house's wines. While you’re there, make the most of your trip by visiting the maturing cellars owned by a family that has maintained a tradition of winemaking excellence since 1750. The tour costs €13.50.

Tips nearby:

Agastache : Volnay, 10 min from Beaune. One of the finest restaurants in the region. Intimate and modern atmosphere. Gourmet cuisine and homemade, bread included. Seasonal produce, fresh herbs, organic local vegetables. Short menu and daily specials: Averyron-style shoulder of veal, line-caught hake...

Château de Cîteaux la Cueillette : Meursault, 10 km from Beaune. **** hotel with 19 spacious and luxurious rooms. Contemporary decoration in a 19th century château. Gastronomic restaurant with a view of the vines. The largest spa in Bourgogne, specialising in fruitithérapie. Option to hire bikes and organise a hot-air balloon ride.

A teacher with a difference. This is how you would describe Cristina Otel, director and teacher for 8 years at Burgundy Wine School in Beaune.

Originally from Romania, she fell in love with the wines of Bourgogne when she arrived in France at the age of 17. With a long list of wine diplomas under her belt, she set off to work in renowned vineyards in France and Australia, before switching to teaching. Cristina’s style is far from formal. The lessons are relaxed and focus on techniques, covering the wine terroir of Bourgogne, with an emphasis on the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits. Given your level of knowledge, we recommend you try out the private lessons (for 1 to 2 people). Each session begins with an instructive lesson then moves out into the terroir to study the different characteristics of the terroir in situ. And the theory is, of course, interspersed with tastings. One piece of advice: you can always call in advance to ask them to prepare a short and personalised training session.

Tips nearby:

L'Écrit'vin: In the centre of Beaune. High-quality bistro style restaurant. Parisian atmosphere with a literary-cafe feel. Homemade food using high-quality produce. Classics of French cuisine: homemade quenelles of pike, beef bourgignon, veal head... Excellent wine list.

L'Ermitage de Corton: Chorey-les-Beaune, 3km from Beaune. Charming **** hotel with 13 rooms and suites. Intimate and authentic atmosphere. Period parquet floors, stone, ceilings and antique furniture. Panoramic terrace overlooking the vines. Outdoor swimming pool. Hotel awarded Vignobles et Découvertes status.

The imagination of the creators behind the Hameau du Vin in Romanèche-Torins certainly knows no limits. This wine park has been awarded “Aventures Mômes” (Kids Adventures) status and is 20 minutes south of Mâcon.

It is an excellent alternative to the classic cellar visits, which are often a bit boring for little ones in search of some action. Although it focuses on wine from Bourgogne, it has been designed to appeal to everyone. Think mini-Futuroscope with a Beaujolais touch. With a wide variety of activities on offer, from mini-golf to 3D and 4D cinema, a giant interactive model, automated theatre, mini-train, and sensory garden, the day will just fly by. And parents can enjoy a visit to the winemaking centre, cellar, Belle Époque-style tasting room and take a journey through 2,000 years of vine and wine history. PS: Set aside some space in tour luggage because the Hameau’s shop has an extensive selection of Beaujolais and Mâconnais crus.

Tips nearby:

Ma Table en Vigne: Solutré-Pouilly, 10 km from Mâcon. Unique outdoor restaurant concept at the foot of Roche de Solutré. Partnership between Camille Pacquet, winemaker in Solutré-Pouilly, and Gilles Bérard, head chef at Mâcon. Authenticity and warmth on both the plate and in the glass. Restaurant of quality, simplicity and pleasure. Reservations essential.

Les Maritonnes Parc & Vignoble: At Romanèche-Thorins near the Hameau du vin. At the foot of the vines, a 19th century farmhouse inn with modern and cosy atmosphere.

We’ve found more of a base camp for wine enthusiasts than a mere stopover here in the Mâconnais. Château de Besseuil in Clessé in the birthplace of Chardonnay, the Viré-Clessé AOC.

This 3-hectare estate, managed by the deft hand of Gauthier Thévenet, is an entirely organic operation. After visiting the estate and its facilities, you’ll get down to the serious business of tasting high-quality wines with the cellar master in the château’s wine store. This will include the jewels of the Mâconnais, including the estate’s blend, of course, but also from other prestigious vineyards in Bourgogne: Côtes de Nuits, Côtes de Beaune, Côte Chalonnaise… The high-quality theme continues in the **** rooms, located either in the main building or one of the outbuildings, and in the French-style grounds, swimming pool and fine-dining restaurant. From Château de Besseuil you are just a few minutes from a golf course and less than half an hour from Roche de Solutré and the abbeys of Tournus and Cluny. Enough to keep you going for a weekend...at least.

Tips nearby:

Restaurant at Château de Bresseuil: Seasonal dishes revisiting the Burgundy terroir. Accompanied with a glass of Bourgogne wine bien sur!

Hôtel at Château de Bresseuil: Beam ceilings or “plafonds à la française”, private gardens, functional fireplaces, exposed beams and frames…

“Val de Saône” freshwater pike-perch with Vin Jaune and morel mushrooms, roast pigeon with smoked Bresse butter, slices of fried char lakefish…

You’ve realised by now, dear gourmet connoisseur, that we’re sending you to one of those places you just love, a place of sensory overload, where you’ll need to loosen your belt to enjoy a fantastic carpe diem of fine dining and fine wines. Château d’Igé, in Igé itself, is the place. And if the restaurant has set the bar high, the rest of the establishment is certainly on the same wavelength. The **** hotel has been cleverly inserted into a 13th century château with 10 rooms and 7 suites of outstanding personality. Vaulted ceiling, four-poster bed, period fireplaces, rooms in the towers, dungeons, Bourgogne terracotta tiles, original beams. A host of details that demonstrate the owner’s passion for history and Burgundian heritage. And all within 4 hectares (9 acres) of grounds if you please. Halfway between Mâcon and Cluny, you'll be within crossbow range of the cream of Bourgogne’s vineyards including Azenay Georges Blanc (4 km), the Museum of Wine at Château de la Greffière (5 km), Mâcon golf course (12 km) and walking and cycling trails departing from the château. A safe bet.

Bons plans à proximité :

Restaurant at the Château d'Igé : Vaulted ceiling, four-poster bed, period fireplaces, rooms in the towers…Authenticity and elegance.

Hôtel**** Château d'Igé : Vaulted ceiling, canopy bed, period fireplaces, rooms in the towers... Authenticity and elegance.

We know that your love of wine is often a pretext to slake your thirst for culture. So Château Philippe le Hardi should peak your curiosity.

In addition to being one of the largest of Bourgogne’s wine estates -102 hectares of vines converting to organic farming - this remarkable château, with its varnished tiles, is a spectacular piece of heritage closely tied to the region’s history.

Château Philippe le Hardi won the "Exceptional Offer" award at the 2024 Wine Tourism Trophies in the "Architecture and landscape" category.

For your information, Philippe le Hardi, son of the King of France Jean le Bon, was in his time owner of the site. After a series of inheritances and buyouts, Château Philippe le Hardi consists of a patchwork of parcels in the Côte d'Or and the Côte Chalonnaise. The diversity of “climates” provides a variety of wines each year, from Mercurey to Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru, a Santenay 1er Cru, Pommard and Aloxe-Corton.

Visits to the property are organised daily, bookings highly recommended. The tour usually finishes in the magnificent 9th century vaulted cellars with a tasting of four estate wines. A real treat for culture seekers.

Tips nearby:

Le Cellier Volnaysien : Volnay, 5 min from Beaune. Restaurant in a typical Bourgogne-style house. Fresh and high-quality cuisine. Vaulted room, stone walls and fireplace. Regional specialities: jambon persillé (cubes of cooked ham in parsleyed aspic jelly moulds), snails, oeufs en meurette (eggs poached in a red wine sauce with pieces of bacon and small onions), chicken in wine... Excellent regional wine list.

Discover the wine cellars of the Mâcon easily and hassle free using the new Vitipass, available from the Mâcon Tourist Office.

In addition to visits to wineries, you’ll also be offered free bottles and, naturally, a warm welcome in the Mâconnais wine region.

The Pass includes:

• One silk-screen printed glass
• One wine tasting (valid for two people) in three partner wineries
• Three bottles containing the different wines of the Mâconnais region (one red, one white, one cru)
• One discovery offer (guided tour of the Mâcon or Tournus, restaurant discount, and more)

Over 15 producers are already partners of the Mâconnais Vitipass. Find them on the Vitipass website or by visiting the Mâcon or Tournus Tourist Office.