Plan a trip
A route through the vines
Pick a country and a style, and we'll sketch a few days through it — real sub-regions in a sensible order, with what to expect at each stop and when to go, drawn from everything already on the site.
Where to
Style preference
Your route
A 5-stop route through France
The character of this trip
A country best read one village at a time
France rewards the traveller who slows down. Its great regions are small enough to cross in an afternoon, yet the wine changes from one hillside, one village, one bank of a river to the next — so the trips that pay back are patient ones: fewer stops, longer lunches, and the habit of asking what makes this appellation taste like itself. Come for the names on the labels; stay for the small differences between neighbours.
Route length
Stops
5
Total driving
~372 km
Behind the wheel
6h 46min
Worth setting aside
5–7 days
Notable producers
- Domaine Zind-Humbrecht — Turckheim; biodynamic, rich wines from Grand Cru sites.
- Trimbach — Ribeauvillé; dry, taut Riesling, including Clos Sainte Hune.
- Maison Hugel — Riquewihr; one of the oldest family firms in Alsace.
Best time to visit
Come for harvest, in mid-autumn (October), when the cellars are busiest — or earlier, in early summer (June), for a quieter, greener look at the vines.
~241 km · 4h 23min to the next stop
From Alsace, the route turns toward Jura. The climate here: cool continental.
What to expect
Notable producers
- Jean Macle — Château-Chalon; the reference for Vin Jaune.
- Stéphane Tissot — Arbois; a leading estate with many single-vineyard wines.
- Jacques Puffeney — Arbois; a much-admired grower of Savagnin and Trousseau.
Best time to visit
Come for harvest, in late autumn (November), when the cellars are busiest — or earlier, in early summer (June), for a quieter, greener look at the vines.
~90 km · 1h 38min to the next stop
Jura is Savagnin country; Gevrey-Chambertin is Pinot Noir. The drive between them is a change of grape, and the glass changes with it.
What to expect
Notable producers
- Domaine Armand Rousseau — The leading producer of Chambertin and Clos de Bèze.
- Domaine Fourrier — Known for elegant, detailed wines from old vines.
- Domaine Trapet — A biodynamic family estate with several Grand Crus.
Best time to visit
Come for harvest, in early autumn (September), when the cellars are busiest — or earlier, in spring (April–May), for a quieter, greener look at the vines.
~10 km · 11 min to the next stop
Gevrey-Chambertin and Vosne-Romanée share a climate — cool continental — so what sets them apart is subtler: the soil, the aspect, and the estates that work them.
What to expect
Notable producers
- Domaine de la Romanée-Conti — Owner of Romanée-Conti and La Tâche as monopoles.
- Domaine Leroy — Biodynamic wines from the village's Grand and Premier Crus.
- Domaine Méo-Camuzet — Owns vineyards once farmed by Henri Jayer.
Best time to visit
Come for harvest, in early autumn (September), when the cellars are busiest — or earlier, in spring (April–May), for a quieter, greener look at the vines.
~31 km · 34 min to the next stop
From Vosne-Romanée, the route crosses toward Meursault: softer, perfumed reds and the great white Burgundies
What to expect
Notable producers
- Domaine Coche-Dury — The most sought-after Meursault producer.
- Domaine des Comtes Lafon — Long-aged Meursault Premiers Crus, and Montrachet.
- Domaine Jean-Marc Roulot — Precise, mineral Meursault.
Best time to visit
Come for harvest, in early autumn (September), when the cellars are busiest — or earlier, in spring (April–May), for a quieter, greener look at the vines.