Grape Escapes to Burgundy 2006
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Burgundy
Norman abbeys, châteaux with their glazed rooftops, ducal towns and charming villages make Burgundy a historic region with a glorious heritage. It is a land of rolling hills, waterways and of course, vineyards.
Renowned for centuries, not just for its wine, but for the quality of its cuisine, Burgundy has much to delight the visitor and the image of the vines crammed onto every square foot of land around the villages on the Côte de Nuit will stay with you for years to come. |
Beaune is the undisputed capital of Burgundy wines and the red and gold colours of the wines are reflected in the flamboyant roof tops stretching across the town. The former mansion of the Dukes of Burgundy is now home to the Burgundy Wine Museum, which traces the history of vine and wine from antiquity to the present day.
The countryside of Burgundy offers extensive opportunities to get out in the fresh air. Whether you choose to walk, cycle or ride a horse, the views from the hill tops will reward the adventurous.
The Wines
Home to the world’s finest Pinot Noir and the finest Chardonnay, the wines of Burgundy can be incomparable. The Côte de Nuits is home to the majority of Burgundy’s red Grand Crus and the wines here can be majestic, intense and firm.
Around Beaune and extending to the south, the Côte de Beaune is where most of Burgundy’s white Grand Crus can be found.
The villages here yield some of the world’s longest lived, most complex and stylish white wines. Further south, the Côte Chalonnaise contains several of the larger appellations where many of the wines offer excellent value for money. |
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The Hotels
This year, we are offering a choice of 3 hotels; La Closerie, Le Montrachet and La Chouette
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This is a good-quality & comfortable hotel where guests can enjoy quiet and comfortable surroundings while being very close to the centre of Beaune. It is a low rise modern building, with bedrooms overlooking the gardens. The pool side bar is a perfect place to unwind at the end of a hard days touring. |
The hotel was originally built as a coaching inn in 1824 and the stables can still be seen. The hotel offers 31 spacious guestrooms decorated with antique furniture, giving a homely feel. The restaurant serves excellent regional food and has an extensive and exquisite selection of wines. |
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The smallest and most intimate hotel in our program for 2006, La Chouette is ideally situated in the centre of the grand cru village of Puligny Montrachet and you are guaranteed a friendly welcome by Suzanne and Thierry. This is an ideal hotel for small groups or friends travelling together. |
Grape Events
With every Grape Escapes holiday comes the opportunity to indulge in a choice of social events and enjoy some great wine and food. What makes Grape Escapes tours different is the flexibility that is offered to allow you to choose when to arrive and which of the tours and meals you wish to include.
The programme of events during each tour allows you the opportunity to make the most of your holiday and you can choose as few or as many of these as you wish. The events range from escorted vineyard and château visits to gourmet dinners.
However, unlike other companies, you will not be herded around in a group of 30 or 40 as we feel that this does not give us access to the best properties and that our guests do not get the quality of tour they deserve – we limit the number of guests on each trip to 24 and a typical group size is between 12 and 18 people.
The Grape Events on the Burgundy 2006 tours will be as follows:
Burgundy Bites (Thursday evening)
You will be collected from your hotel and taken to a top local restaurant. The dinner will start with an aperitif. You will then enjoy a top quality 4 course meal, accompanied by 2 different wines. The meal will conclude in relaxed fashion with coffeeand petit fours. When you have finished, you will be transported back to your hotel.
The cost of this is £55 per person.
Delights of Dijon (Friday)
You will start the day with a guided tour around the heart of this historic city and then finish the tour with a visit to the Maille boutique – home to the finest Dijon mustards for an introduction to mustard and a commented tasting of 5 different mustards.
You will then have some free time in Dijon to explore, followed by a 3 course lunch at a restaurant in Dijon. The day will conclude with a visit to a specialist Burgundy wine merchant located in the village of Savigny Les Beaune.
Our introduction to the wines of Burgundy will be at the hands of a husband and wife team with over 40 years experience between them. In their intimate cellars, they will introduce us to the peculiarities of the Burgundy wine trade and the role of the negotiant.
We will enjoy a tasting of 6 of their wines, carefully selected to provide a benchmark for good value Burgundy across a range of prices. The cost for this tour will be £69 per person.
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Merchants Meal (Friday evening)
You will be collected from your hotel and transported to a top Burgundian wine maker, where you will be given a guided tour before sitting down to dine. The dinner will comprise of 4 courses, each accompanied by two of their carefully chosen wines. During the meal, specialist staff will give you a commentary on the wines selected. The cost for this is £69 per person. |
Grand Cru all the way? (Saturday)
You will start the day with a visit to a wine maker in the small village of Aloxe-Corton, the only village in Burgundy to boast both red and white grand cru wines. You will see their vineyards and historic cellars, and end your visit to them with a 3 course lunch accompanied by 8 of their wines (including 5 grand crus and 2 premier crus).
After lunch, you will travel to the village of Vougeot. You will start at the Clos de Vougeot, a 12th – 16th century castle and the current home of the Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin (the brotherhood of Burgundy wine producers).
Following this visit, you will move on to a top grower in this village for a visit to their vineyards, plant room (where the grapes are fermented and pressed) and cellars before tasting 4 of their wines and discovering the importance of terroir. The cost for this day trip will be £99 per person.
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Beautiful Beaune (Sunday)
Visit to the Hotel Dieu (Hospice de Beaune). This building started life in 1443 as a hospital for the poor, founded by the local tax collector, Nicholas Rolin. Much of the former hospital is included in the tour while the building’s spectacular roof is one of the most photographed sites in Burgundy.
Through a number of gifts and legacies over the last 550 years, it is also one of the most important wine producers in Burgundy and the annual auction of the hospice wines plays an important role in determining the price of the new vintage of Burgundy wines at release.
The Hotel-Dieu in particular is spectacular. The former mansion of the Dukes of Burgundy is now home to the Burgundy Wine Museum which traces the history of vines and wine from antiquity to the present day, relates the traditional way of life of Burgundy’s wine-growers and presents the crafts and symbolism associated with wine.
You will then be free to choose your own lunch in Beaune before visiting a large Beaune negociant for a tour of their cellars including tasting at least 4 of their wines. The cost of this trip is £25 per person. |
Burgundy Banquet (Sunday evening)
For those who enjoy gastronomic delights, this trip is a must. The banquet is set in a stunning local restaurant, with a delightful and historic atmosphere.
You will start with aperitifs, followed by a 5 course gastronomic meal. Each course is matched with a different wine to compliment the flavours.
The cost for this banquet will be £85 per person. |
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Southern Style (Monday)
Arrive at Chateau Meursault for a tour and a tasting of 5 of their wines. You will then travel to Puligny Montrachet to a prestigious winemaker to enjoy a 3 course lunch with a wide range of his wines (including 1 grand cru and 8 premier crus).
After lunch, you will visit one of the top producers in a village on the Chalonnaise. The cost for this excursion will be £79 per person. |
Dates
These trips will run between the 15th and 20th June and the 14th and 19th September. As with all our trips, the emphasis is on making the ideal trip for you, so you can add or deduct nights as you wish. If you wish to extend your trip, we will provide you with details of the local area and additional places that are of interest to visit, along with restaurant recommendations.
Prices
The price below includes a Dover to Calais ferry crossing and 2 nights bed and breakfast in your chosen accommodation. These prices are per person and based on 2 people sharing a twin/ double room.
To calculate the price of your Grape Escape Tour, simply take the base price, add any extra nights and then add all of the tours and meals that you would like to include (detailed above). |
| Hotel / Room |
Base Price (£) |
Extra Nights (£) |
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| La Closerie – Standard room |
167 |
54 |
| La Closerie – Comfort Room |
177 |
59 |
| Le Montrachet |
178 |
59 |
| Le Montrachet – De luxe room |
232 |
86 |
| La Chouette |
170 |
55 |
Travel Options
The base price includes a return Dover to Calais ferry crossing. The driving time to Burgundy from Calais is approximately 5 hours. The other options are as follows:
- Eurotunnel crossing from Folkestone to Calais. The supplement for this will vary according to when the crossing is booked but will be in the region of £25 per person.
- Fly to Lyon and hire a car. Your journey from Lyon will be 1 ¾ hours to Beaune. You will need to book your own flight and can deduct £40 per person from the Grape Escapes holiday price.
- Fly to Paris and take the TGV to Dijon. You will need to book your own flight and can deduct £40 per person from the Grape Escapes holiday price. The TGV from Paris and transfers from Dijon can be arranged on request.
- Eurostar and TGV from London via Paris. £50 supplement per person.
Places on these trips are strictly limited. To reserve your place, please contact us on 08707 667 617 or
email: info@grapeescapes.net
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