My husband and I are planning a trip to France in mid to late February. We will be in France for 12 days. We would like to go to Burgundy for two to three nights to tour the area and visit wineries, etc.
Any suggestions of which city to stay in the region?
Any suggestions of where to go from there? What cities/wineries for day trips?
Thanks.
Ed's critique of Beaune vs. Dijon is fair, but for a short stay with day trips to see sights and taste wine I'd still prefer Beaune as a base.
If the idea is to stay put and explore one place, then Dijon is a better fit. Read some MFK Fisher to enhance the experience.
It's kind of a standard answer around here, but Beaune is a charming town that makes a great base in the heart of wine country.
I don't know what your experience will be like in the off season, but I am sure some vineyards will be open for tastings. (The vines themselves will just be gnarled brown stumpy things, though.) There are also several tasting opportunities in Beaune.
I really enjoyed a tasting lunch in Aloxe Corton, just north of Beaune. You get some traditional Burgundian fare and, depending on your budget, four good to six great wines.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the white wines around Chablis, though this is a bit of a drive from Beaune. (The wines knocked my socks off, actually, so I'd say try some whether you go there or not.)
There are also worthwhile things to see and do in Burgundy other than tasting wine, so you and yours might want to give some thought to that. Have a great trip!
I'll second Beaune. It is a beautiful town, has more sights than just the wine, though, of course there is plenty of that as well! The Hotel Dieu is a stunning example of Burgundian architecture.
Beaune is small. Dijon is large. You can wander Beaune in a couple of hours and spend another hour at the hospice. It seems like Beaune would be the place for the day trip. I'd stay in Dijon in a heartbeat since it has much more to see and do.
One of the great things about Beaune is that is smack in the middle of the vineyards. It has wine bars and the Marche du Vin for tasting. The surrounding towns are great to visit. It is handy to have a car, though.
We loved Beaune. I recommend the two driving tours in Rick's France guide. One of the highlights of our trip.
