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
~506 km
Behind the wheel
9h 12min
Worth setting aside
5–7 days
What to expect
Notable producers
- Krug — Reims; Grande Cuvée is a multi-vintage blend fermented in small oak barrels.
- Bollinger — Aÿ; Pinot Noir-led, barrel-fermented wines.
- Louis Roederer — Reims; family-owned, maker of Cristal.
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.
~178 km · 3h 14min to the next stop
Champagne and Chablis 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 François Raveneau — The most sought-after Chablis producer; long-lived Premier and Grand Crus.
- Domaine Vincent Dauvissat — A benchmark for rich, mineral Chablis.
- Domaine William Fèvre — The largest owner of Grand Cru vineyards.
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.
~117 km · 2h 7min to the next stop
Chablis is Chardonnay country; Sancerre is Sauvignon Blanc. The drive between them is a change of grape, and the glass changes with it.
What to expect
Notable producers
- Domaine Vacheron — Biodynamic Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir.
- Alphonse Mellot — A long-established family estate with several cuvées.
- Domaine Henri Bourgeois — A large family estate at Chavignol, with several single-plot wines.
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.
~13 km · 15 min to the next stop
Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé 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
- Didier Dagueneau — Cult wines, from Silex to the single-vineyard cuvées.
- Château de Tracy — An old château estate on the river.
- Ladoucette — A large estate based at Château du Nozet.
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.
~198 km · 3h 36min to the next stop
Moving from a Sauvignon Blanc-led stop to a Pinot Noir-led one, the route changes grape as well as place: Pouilly-Fumé, then Gevrey-Chambertin.
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.