Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Delightful and wine-smart
Stephanie Jones
came from her native Britain to Bur-
gundy to learn its wines—which she has, getting her degree in oenology and working in
Burgundian wine cellars for years. Today she leads informative, enjoyable tours of the
vineyards while also running a B&B (price per person: €95/half-day, €180/day, 2-person
minimum, mention this guide for preferable rate, tel. 03 80 61 29 61, mobile 06 10 18 04
Robert Pygott,
British by birth but Burgundian by choice, offers relaxed and in-
teresting tours of Burgundy (€210-240 for all-day tour, tel. 06 38 53 15 27,
Minibus and Walking Tours of Vineyards
Safari Wine Tours
offerstwo-hourvantoursofthevillagesandvineyardsaroundBeaune
that get you into the countryside and smaller wineries (though you won't do much tast-
ing—generally one tasting per tour). There are four itineraries (€42-58, tour #2 is best for
beginners; tours depart from TI generally at 12:00, 14:30, and 17:00; tel. 03 80 24 79 12,
www.burgundy-tourism-safaritours.com
,
or call TI to reserve).
Wine Me Up
runs2.5-hourtoursoftheCôtedeNuitswineriesandtheCôtedeBeau-
ne(€55foreithertour,includesawine-plus-cheesetastingorwinepluscrémant,tel.0380
24 40 96,
www.winemeup.travel
)
.
Vinéa
Tours
is more formal and upscale, with three different itineraries that last two
to three hours each (€54, mobile 06 73 38 37 19,
www.vineatours.com
).
Bike Tours of Vineyards
Likeable Florian Garcenot at
Bourgogne Evasion
offers half- and full-day bike tours that
follow routes very similar to those I describe later (see “Sights in the Beaune Region,” on
up to the castle of La Rochepot and then you'll sail downhill back to Beaune, stopping
for lunch and at a few wineries (€29/half-day, €120/full day—includes lunch,
www.bourgogne-velo.fr
,
info@bourgogne-evasion.fr
, tel. 06 64 68 83 57).
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Hôtel Dieu
This medieval charity hospital is now a museum. The Hundred Years' War and the plague
(a.k.a. the Black Death) devastated Beaune, leaving three-quarters of its population des-
titute. Nicholas Rolin, chancellor of Burgundy (enriched, in part, by his power to collect
taxes), had to do something for “his people” (or, more likely, was getting old and wanted
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