A day by 2CV along the Route des Grands Crus

10 am: departure from your hotel

Your guide meets you at your hotel reception, with the 2CV parked outside. From Beaune, the town that gave its name to the Côte de Beaune, you head out into the vineyards. They stretch across gentle hills to the north and south of the town. Most of the wine made here is red, but the best-known names are white wines made from Chardonnay, such as Meursault, Montrachet and Corton-Charlemagne.

First stop: aroma workshop

On average, a wine contains around three hundred aromatic compounds, yet even a trained nose picks up only a handful. We remember smells by linking them to memories, and that is something you can practise. In a playful workshop among the vines, you learn to recognise the typical aromas of the Burgundy grape varieties. You then continue along the Route des Grands Crus.

Second stop: the landscape and the soil

Your guide explains how the landscape was formed. A warm, shallow sea once covered the region. When the Alps formed, the subsoil was pushed north-west and folded into the slopes where vines have been grown for some 2,000 years. Limestone, clay and marl soils, together with small differences in climate, shape the taste of each plot. That is why wines from two neighbouring vineyards can taste so different.

Midday: lunch in Puligny-Montrachet

You have lunch at Le Bistro d'Olivier, the restaurant of the Olivier Leflaive wine house, in the heart of Puligny-Montrachet. It is both a restaurant and a tasting table: the sommeliers suggest wines from the house to go with each dish. The cooking draws on Burgundian traditions, and the dishes are designed to go with the wines of Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet.

Afternoon: Château de la Crée in Santenay

You continue to Santenay, in the south of the Côte de Beaune, for a private visit to Château de la Crée. The estate has vineyards in Santenay, Maranges, Chassagne-Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault, Volnay and Pommard, among others, which are part of the Climats of Burgundy, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It produces red wines from Pinot Noir and white wines from Chardonnay, following the principles of sustainable viticulture. A tour of the 15th-century vaulted cellars is followed by a tasting.

5.30 pm: back in Beaune

Your guide drives you back to your hotel along the small vineyard roads.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to drive the 2CV myself?

No, on this tour your guide drives. If you would still like to take the wheel, this can be arranged on request. The guide then accompanies you in a separate 2CV. You can also rent a 2CV without a guide and explore the region at your own pace. You then receive a roadbook with routes through the Côte de Beaune and the Côte de Nuits, with addresses of wine estates, restaurants and good spots for a picnic among the vines. A picnic basket can also be ordered on request. In every case, the driver must stay sober.

What driving licence do I need if I drive myself?

You need a valid French or international driving licence. Drivers under 27 must have held their licence for at least three years.

Where does the tour start and end?

The tour starts and ends at your hotel in Beaune. Your guide picks you up at 10 am and brings you back around 5.30 pm.

Are lunch and the tasting included?

Yes. Lunch at Le Bistro d'Olivier and the tour and tasting at Château de la Crée are part of the day.

How many people fit in a 2CV?

A 2CV seats a maximum of four people.

Is there a shorter version?

Yes. On the half-day tour, you spend the morning driving through the vineyards of the Côte de Beaune, with an introduction to the soil and an aroma workshop with two wines. You are back in Beaune around midday.