{"id":1597,"date":"2025-05-30T10:41:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-30T08:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hoteldefrancebeaune.com\/?p=1597"},"modified":"2026-08-31T12:28:29","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T10:28:29","slug":"burgundy-wine-route-from-beaune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hoteldefrancebeaune.com\/en\/burgundy-wine-route-from-beaune\/","title":{"rendered":"The Route des Grands Crus from Beaune: Itineraries and Advice"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Route des Grands Crus runs from Dijon down to Santenay, some sixty kilometres, and Beaune sits exactly halfway. That is a rare advantage: you can head north or south and still be back for dinner. Here is how to approach it, depending on the time you have.<\/p>\n\n

Understanding the C\u00f4te before you set off<\/h2>\n\n

The C\u00f4te-d’Or is a long spine of east-south-east facing slopes, and it splits in two. North of Beaune lies the C\u00f4te de Nuits<\/strong>, pinot noir country \u2014 Gevrey-Chambertin, Vosne-Roman\u00e9e, Nuits-Saint-Georges. South lies the C\u00f4te de Beaune<\/strong>, where chardonnay produces its greatest whites \u2014 Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet \u2014 without giving up the reds of Pommard and Volnay.<\/p>\n\n

What makes this place unique are the climats<\/strong>: individual plots, sometimes tiny, whose boundaries in places date back to the Middle Ages, each producing a different wine. They have been UNESCO World Heritage since 2015. A dry stone wall can separate two wines that share neither name, nor price, nor taste.<\/p>\n\n

Half a day: the southern loop<\/h2>\n\n

The prettiest if you only do one. Leave Beaune through Pommard, continue to Volnay \u2014 stop at the church, the view over the plain is superb \u2014 then Meursault and its square, Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet, before dropping down to Santenay. Around 25 kilometres, two hours without stopping, half a day with one tasting and a coffee.<\/p>\n\n

A full day: heading north<\/h2>\n\n

Take the road towards Savigny-l\u00e8s-Beaune, then Aloxe-Corton and its wooded hilltop \u2014 Corton, one of the few red grands crus of the C\u00f4te de Beaune. Carry on to Nuits-Saint-Georges and Vosne-Roman\u00e9e, where a plain stone cross in the middle of the vines marks the Roman\u00e9e-Conti, then the Ch\u00e2teau du Clos de Vougeot and Gevrey-Chambertin. You reach Dijon by early evening.<\/p>\n\n

Without a car: by bike<\/h2>\n\n

The voie des vignes leaves Beaune and reaches Santenay on an almost flat path, away from traffic. It is the most enjoyable way to cross the climats, and the most sensible if you intend to taste. Our two detailed routes are here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n

Five rules for tasting well<\/h2>\n\n