When I was in France late last year, I decided to stop off in Burgundy (or Bourgogne) on my way to Paris – which turned out to be a fabulous idea as the area happens to be very famous for its wines. Can anyone give me a hallelujah? During my travels I’ve become a huge enthusiast for a cheeky glass (or bottle) of red, so this was right up my alley.
Between Paris and Lyon, Burgundy offers a vast array of towns for you to stay – allowing you to experience different regions of wine and soak up more than just the alcohol by providing lovely views and quaint towns. It’s covered in canals and is also within close distance of Dijon (the capital of Burgundy).
I stayed in Beaune (in Côte d’Or), which was full of glorious vineyards and rich history. It’s a lovely part of France and definitely a go-to kind of place for any fellow winos out there!
During my stay I did a half-day bike tour through the vineyards with a wine tasting included. It was a glorious late summers day, the sun was out and I was incredibly excited to get on the bike and explore the area in a different way. Although I was soon regretting the idea as I was struggling to cycle up a small incline and was losing my breath all too quickly. You know that feeling where you’re cycling so hard and so fast but you don’t feel like you’re actually going anywhere? That was me. The tour wasn’t even supposed to be challenging! It was so bad the poor tour guide had to come back and save me – which was a little embarrassing to say the least. Honestly, the wine tasting couldn’t have come sooner!
My tour guide for the day, Guillaume, was a young fellow with very good English who happily translated his knowledge for me, being one of the only four English speaking people on the tour. I learned a copious amount of information about the different regions of wine, how it’s made and the history of the areas. It was great to get some insight into the production and taste a few samples as well! We sampled some Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (my favourite kind of red) from a two-person vineyard – a mother and her son were the only two people involved in the making of their wine. They did everything from picking the grapes to corking the bottles. It was very impressive and quite a personal experience!
I really believe participating in a bike tour (especially one that incorporates wine) is always a good way to break up your trip and experience the culture and sights of a place in a different (and somewhat exhausting) way. It’s definitely a whole lot of fun, and something you’ll most certainly remember when you’re looking back on that trip. Plus, there are options for them all over the world. For example, your own backyard! Australia is one of the best places in the world for wine; we should take advantage of it! Places like South Africa, Spain and even California would be great, too. There are always ways to make a trip more interesting, and a little tasty!
Written by Katherine Reynolds
www.katthewanderer.com / facebook/katthewanderer / @katthewanderer