Your ultimate guide to the Burgundy wine region by boat
The Burgundy wine region is hallowed ground for wine lovers and the perfect destination for unforgettable wine tastings combined with leisurely canal cruising. Known as one of the most revered wine-producing areas in the world, Burgundy’s countryside is crinkled with more than 30,000 hectares of grapevines and crowned with hundreds of fine wine-making châteaux. With Le Boat’s Burgundy Franche-Comté route, you can experience the best of both worlds – relaxed wine tours in Burgundy and the freedom of a boating holiday in France, putting you within cork-popping distance of wine bars, wine museums, vineyards, wineries, and more.
Wines of the Burgundy Wine Region
Of the five main wine producing areas of Burgundy, four can be found to the south of Dijon, close to Le Boat’s Burgundy Franche Comte routes…
- The vineyards of Côte de Nuits, furthest north, excel at pinot noirs, with red fruit, earth, game, and mushroom notes.
- The Côte de Beaune takes credit for some of the globe’s best chardonnays, complex with citrus, white flowers, and sometimes hints of bread and butter.
- A little further south, in Côte Chalonnaise, both red and white wines are made with aplomb.
- At the tip of the region’s tendril, Mâconnais is known for its fruit-forward chardonnays and gamays.
Along the Le Boat cruising route, stop at…
- Chagny for… southern Côte de Beaune and the Chalonnaise towns of Bouzeron and Rully.
- Chalon-sur-Saône for… Côte Chalonnaise’s Mercurey and Givry.
- Tournus for… the northern Mâconnais.
- Macon for… the wider Mâconnais and the revered Pouilly Fuisse area.
Best Burgundy wine tasting tours & vineyards
Please note that most vineyards are open throughout the tourist season, but it is best to call ahead to book or check opening hours.
Chateau Phillippe le Hardi, Santenay
Tucked up in the vineyards of Santenay, where you can dock your boat, Chateau Phillippe le Hardi is named after one of the Dukes of Burgundy, Philip the Bold. The history of the chateau building, with its toit Bourguignon (polychrome tiled) roof, can be traced back to the 9th century. Visitors can take tours that delve into this history and end with a tasting of up to five wines (pre-booking essential!). Tastings without the tour are also available at the vineyard’s opening hours and don’t require booking ahead.
- Address: 1 rue du château, 21590 Santenay.
- Website: philippelehardi.fr
- Email: contact@philippelehardi.com
Photo credit: Serge Chapuis
Patriarche Cellars, Beaune
Patriarche is the largest wine cellar in Burgundy and it’s open every day for tours and tastings. These cool subterranean spaces pool out over five kilometres and contain more than two million ageing bottles of wine. Tasting stations, at which you can sample six different wines, are located at intervals along the self-guided tour route.
- Address: 5-7 Rue du Collège/r Paul Chanson, 21200 Beaune
- Website: patriarche.com
Photo credit: Anne-Emmanuelle Thion
Chateau Meursault
Wine tastings take place on the vineyard-view terrace of an 18th century Italianate castle at Chateau Meursault. Tours, meanwhile, are led by a sommelier and take you into the chateau’s cellars before a guided tasting of seven wines.
- Address: Rue Charles Giraud, 21190 Meursault, France
- Website: chateau-meursault.com
- Email: tourisme@chateau-meursault.com
Top tip:
Dine in the vines!
Maison Chanzy
The seating at Maison Chanzy, in the limestone village of Bouzeron (a 15-minute bike ride from Chagny), spills out onto a sun-flooded terrace and lawns that look out over the Montrachet hills. The menu is French with a European twist – imagine dishes like chicken supreme with muhammara, and veal wellington.
- Address: 6, rue de la Fontaine F-71150 Bouzeron
- Website: chanzy.com
- Email: reception@chanzy.com
Wine bars to visit during your Burgundy wine tour
Le Caveau de Saulx, Dijon
Set underground, within a 16th-century stone wine cellar, Le Caveau de Saulx serves its wines alongside a menu of charcuterie boards and classic Burgundian dishes like snails and oeufs meurette (read more about these in our Food lovers’ guide to Burgundy).
La Cave des Tonneliers, Chalon-sur-Saône
Located in the centre of Chalon-sur-Saône, La Cave des Tonneliers pairs its wine list with a menu of charcuterie platters and nibbles. Its wine shop, on rue Pasteur, also offers themed tastings once a month.
La Cave du Centre, Chagny
This cave-à-manger (a wine shop that serves food) is plumb in the centre of Chagny. Wines are sourced from vignerons close to the owner’s heart and there’s a daily changing menu that’s written up with liquid chalk on an antique mirror.
La Cave de la Cité
Discover 3000 wines in this 600m2 dedicated space in the heart of the Cité de la Gastronomie. Over 250 of the wines can be sampled by the glass in one of the three themed spaces. On the main floor, Burgundy wines are given the starring role. The Cave des Grands Crus, accessible on request, is an underground vaulted space that offers a unique chance to choose from 40 of the finest wines and sample them for yourself. Whether you’re already a seasoned expert or a wine novice, it’s an experience not to be missed! If champagne and wines from further afield are more your thing, head up to the mezzanine, perhaps after stopping for some regional produce on the half-landing.
Le 228, Tournus
Opened in summer 2025, this wood and stone wine bar includes a cool cave-style sipping area. Wines are served by the bottle and glass, and there’s a charcuterie board menu to accompany the tipples.
Photo credit: NormanFrick
Wine museums in the Burgundy region
Hameau Duboeuf
Described as a wine theme park, Hameau Dubœuf (or House of Dubœuf) dedicates 30,000 square metres to the history, science, and experience of wine. More than 3,000 wine-related exhibits, 16 immersive rooms, a 3D cinema, 150-tank wine-making centre, and 5,000 square metres of gardens await visitors here, alongside an a la carte restaurant and salon-style wine tasting room. Trains run directly to the park from Mâcon-Loché station.
La Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie et du Vin, Dijon
This 6.5-hectare attraction is dedicated to the ‘Gastronomic Meal of the French’, a Unesco-recognised part of French culture that involves celebrating important moments in life over food and wine with friends and family. As well as more than 1,750 square metres of exhibition space dedicated to the art of ‘bien manger’ and ‘bien boire’ (eating and drinking well) there’s a food court, bistro, bakery, and the Cave de la Cite bar where you can try 250 different wines by the glass.
L’Imaginarium
Just three stops along the trainline from Dijon, the L’Imaginarium attraction in the Côte de Nuit’s Nuit de Saint George combines a 40-minute sound and light show about Burgundy’s vineyards with a wine tasting experience – take your pick from three or five wines, Burgundy made wines or those from beyond, and village-level wines or Premier Crus.
Maison des Climats, Beaune
Free to visit, the Maison des Climats shines a light on the Unesco recognised ‘Climats, terroirs of Burgundy’ – a concept that acknowledges the unique geography and viticulture practices that make this part of France unique. Digital displays, augmented reality experiences, soundscapes, and a nine-metre-long wooden model of Burgundy’s vineyards are all part of the visitor experience here. Direct trains connect Beaune to Chagny, where you can moor your boat in just 10 minutes.
Cassissium
Pair this place with a visit to the L’Imaginarium to make a day of it in Nuit de Saint George. This museum is dedicated to Burgundy’s unsung second berry – the blackcurrant. Visits here offer an insight into where and how the fruit is grown and how it gets turned into the liqueur that’s an essential ingredient in the Kir cocktails that are drunk as aperitifs across France.
Unique wine tours in Burgundy Franche-Comté
By vintage vehicle
How about purring through the vineyards in a retro Citroën 2CV, seeing over the hedgerows from the elevated seats of a vintage Land Rover Defender as it rolls past the vines, or wheeling by the chateaux in an iconic 1970s VW camper van? Vintage vehicle vineyard tours can be booked from Dijon, Beaune, and Macon. Typically costing between £150 to £200 per person, itineraries take you to viewpoints, lesser-known wineries, and to picnic spots where you can tuck into regional produce as butterflies flutter by.
Check out www.myfrenchtour.com and beaujolaisinsiders.com for more details.
By balloon
Imagine seeing the sunrise over the vineyards from the air, watching as the shadow of your own hot air balloon momentarily shades the grapes.
Departing from Mercurey (a 10-minute taxi ride from Port of Chagny) and Chalon sur Saône, Montgolfière Rully offers balloon rides over the winelands of Burgundy. Prices start at 200 euros.
Ready to explore Burgundy Franche-Comté?
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