Exploring France: Champagne, Chablis and the Côte de Beaune

Rent a car and make the easy drive from Paris to Reims. This takes approximately 1.5 hours from Charles de Gaulle airport. Alternatively, you can take the train and rent a car in Reims. Plan to arrive by mid-morning to allow yourself sufficient time to explore the area.

Reims is home to several much-lauded Champagne houses, including Mumm, Pommery, Ruinart, Taittinger and Veuve Cliquot. These houses, along with their historic chalk cellars and hillside vineyards, have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Be sure to tour at least one of them, but note that advanced reservations are strongly recommended.

My personal favorite for a tour is Ruinart. This is the oldest Champagne house and has been producing bubbly since 1729. The two-hour tour is extremely well-done and ends with a guided tasting of two signature cuvées. Another great option is Taittinger, which recently re-opened after a lengthy 18-month renovation. You can choose from three different cellar tours or opt for a food pairing experience.

Before you leave, be sure to visit the magnificent Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Reims. It was built in the 13th century, miraculously survived World War I and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site as well.

Drive about 30 minutes and retreat to the beautiful Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa in Champillon for the night. You can dine at the Michelin-starred Royal or enjoy a more casual dinner overlooking the vines from the Bellevue Terrace.

Start your day with breakfast and a relaxing treatment at the hotel spa. Once you check-out, explore the small vineyard towns of Champagne and try to visit at least one of the smaller producers in the area. Larmandier-Bernier and RH Coutier are two wonderful options if you can secure a visit.

Take your time and eventually make your way to Epernay. This is another UNESCO World Heritage Site and the home of prestigious producers such as Moët & Chandon, Pol Roger, Mercier and Perrier-Jouët.

Check-in at the charming Le 25 Bis hotel, which is perfectly located on the famous Avenue de Champagne. This beautiful tree-lined avenue is said to be the most expensive street in the world due to the millions of bottles of Champagne stored beneath it. Stroll past the magnificent houses towards town and enjoy a wonderful dinner at Why Not before calling it a night.

Enjoy breakfast with a glass of Leclerc Briant champagne before heading out to their house on the outskirts of town. As a former winemaker, this is a wonderful and very comprehensive tour. Visitors are allowed behind the scenes to view the press room, barrel room and champagne cellars before enjoying a tasting.

After your tour, meander through the streets of Epernay on your way back towards the Avenue de Champagne. There is a lovely park as well as a variety of shops and patisseries into which you can stop for a snack.

Enjoy one last tour at the famous Moët & Chandon, which has the distinction of being the largest Champagne house in the world. There are three options from which to choose, depending on what you would like to taste at the end. Afterwards, you can also splurge on a glass of Dom Perignon at the Moët & Chandon Bar if that’s on your bucket list.

Depart Epernay and drive about 2 hours to the lovely village of Chablis in northern Burgundy. Chablis is famous for its elegant and largely unoaked Chardonnays, and it is worth spending at least a few hours of your time here. Explore the local shops and visit a nearby winery such as Clotilde Davenne, which is located just outside of town and also has a second location in the village. If you happen to be here on a Sunday, there is a wonderful market that you can peruse as well.

Before you get back on the road, stop for lunch accompanied by a glass of Chablis at the very cool Wine Not restaurant and bottle shop. It’s top-notch and can get quite busy, so be sure to book ahead.

Drive another 1.5 hours or so to the Côte de Beaune region. I highly recommend staying in the quiet village of Meursault, but Beaune is another great option if you prefer staying in a livelier area. Some great options for dinner include Le Soufflout in Meursault and either Au Coq Bleu or Garum in Beaune. If you’re interested in a nightcap, try a glass of Marc de Borgogne and head to bed.

Spend your day in Meursault and its surrounding villages. Start in Centreville and make the local bakery your first stop. After you’ve enjoyed a croissant, visit the medieval castle that now serves as the town hall and then wander through the lovely village streets and into the vineyards for some beautiful and bucolic views. Make your way back into town and head towards the Château de Meursault for a tour or tasting on the terrace.

Once you’ve explored Meursault, you can walk or drive to a nearby village. I personally love Puligny-Montrachet and recommend stopping by Olivier Leflaive to enjoy a glass of world-class Chardonnay. If reds are more your thing, consider going to Pommard or Volnay instead to sample some classic Pinot Noir. There’s a great little pizza shop in the former if you’re looking for a casual, yet tasty snack for lunch.

End your day in Chagny with an unforgettable dinner at the exquisite, three-Michelin-starred Llameloise.

Stay in Beaune on your last day in Burgundy and take in all that this wonderful town has to offer. Start with a tour or tasting at the Edmond Fallout moutarderie and be sure to stock up on their many delicious flavors of mustard. I personally love the bright yuzu flavor, but the moutarde de Bourgogne is a classic.

Afterwards, be sure to see the famous Hotel-Dieu des Hospices Civils de Beaune. Stop in some of the wonderful local shops, such as the unparalleled Athenaeum bookstore or foodie-lovers dream Alain Hess cheese shop. There is also a local market on Wednesdays and Saturdays if you’re lucky enough to be here on those days.

If you’d like to learn a little more about wine before you go, pay a visit to the Cité des Climats et Vins de Bourgogne. This spiral-shaped site is dedicated to educating visitors about what makes this world-renowned wine region so unique. It offers a very well-done sensory and tasting area. You can stop by local giants Louis Jadot, Joseph Drouhin or Bouchard Pere et Fils for a tasting as well.

Say au revoir to the Côte de Beaune and return to Paris. Depending on what you have planned for the rest of your trip, you can either drive back or return your car to Beaune and take the train. If you are staying in Paris, consider dining at Verjus for a lovely and memorable meal.