The Route des Grands Crus (Wine Route) passes through the most prestigious part of Burgundy’s vineyards, between Dijon and Beaune then on to Santenay. Discover 38 picturesque wine villages of the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune, wineries, and beautiful countryside over a length of 60 km.  It’s a narrow strip that stretches out on a north-south axis, whose width does not exceed 2 km and altitude, 300 to 400 metres. The route is marked with brown-background signs showing a white grape cluster, from Dijon to Santenay via Nuits-Saint-Georges and Beaune. The first part of the route follows an axis parallel to the former N74 road, newly renamed the D974. This prestigious Côte de Nuits contains a string of the greatest red wines in the world, including 24 of Burgundy’s 33 grands crus (Romanée-Conti, Clos de Vougeot, Chambertin…). After Corgoloin, it’s the Côte de Beaune region as far as the slopes of Maranges. The blessed land of Chardonnay producing the greatest dry white wines in the world, with Corton Charlemagne, the wines of Meursault, Montrachet…

Throughout these gentle hills, the vineyards run in tight rows between each town, just a few miles from each other.
From Gevrey-Chambertin to Nuits Saint Georges or Aloxe-Corton to Santenay, they display a typical vineyard architecture of beautiful limestone houses with tiled roofs. Often organised between courtyards and gardens, these winegrowers’ houses almost all have old cellars, the centrepiece of the house that the owner will allow wine lovers to discover.
Traditional villages, often opulent with occasional wine merchants’ houses built in the 18th or 19th century. Gathered around their Gothic church, sometimes Romanesque, with their fountains and wash houses, these villages are places emblematic of life in the Burgundy vineyards.

Each village has its own vineyard and appellations, red (pinot noir) and/or white (Chardonnay), and along the route, a landscape that’s harmonious and full of charm. Gentle curves, vineyards organised into parcels, some of them surrounded by dry stone walls, a river or hedge. These are the “Clos” (enclosed plots), whose entrance is sometimes adorned with impressive gates or porches bearing the owner’s name. Some plots have also retained their small limestone structures, called “Cabotes”, which used to serve as tool stores, somewhere the winemaker could rest and stop for a bite to eat.

Imagine….Your flight just landed at Lyon airport.. your chauffeur and your tour guide are right there waiting for you with a warming welcome. We hit the road for Dijon where you will be staying.  About a few minutes after you stepped out of the airplane  you are comfortably seated in a luxury comfortable car and enjoying the city vibes through the car window.