Burgundy Wine Tour: Vineyard Visits & Wine Tasting
A morning is enough. Time to climb into the hills of the Mâconnais, go down into two cellars, understand why a Pouilly is nothing like a Mâcon-Villages, and be back in Lyon before lunch.
- Duration
- Half day — 4 h
- Stops
- 2 wine estates
- Tasting
- 4 wines minimum
- Departure
- Lyon or Mâcon
- Price
- See the calendar
A four-hour wine tour in the Mâconnais
Only a morning, or an afternoon? That is enough. Southern Burgundy is less than an hour from Lyon, and its density makes it a vineyard that opens up quickly: a few kilometres of hillsides are enough to go from a village cellar to a family estate, and to grasp what sets a Pouilly apart from a Mâcon-Villages.
This half-day is made for those who would rather see a few things properly than many things in a rush.
Vineyard visit and wine tasting at two estates
On the programme: a carefully selected estate and a traditional cellar, for a minimum of four wines tasted and explained. At each stop, it is not just bottles that are opened: it is ways of working, choices, family stories.
The highlight of the visit: Philippe, a former winemaker turned druid, his house full of character and his private cellar.
What your Insider adds between two tastings
Depending on your wishes and the light of the day, the route may pass a chapel lost at the end of a lane or a producers' farm. And if the weather allows, we stop in the vines: a few good wines, local products, an open view over the hillsides.
What your Insider can also arrange
The stops below are examples, not a set programme. They are here to give you ideas: the day's agenda is then decided together with your Insider.
An award-winning estate, in red as well as white
A rarity in a vineyard dominated by chardonnay: this award-winning estate makes both colours, which lets you compare two ways of working the same terroir within a single cellar.
A winemaker whose enthusiasm is contagious
Some encounters have less to do with the wine than with the person pouring it. This is one of them: a winemaker who talks about his craft and about life with the same appetite, and whom you leave in a better mood than you arrived.
A forest inhabited by fairies
The route crosses a wood that local lore says has residents. We cannot guarantee a fairy sighting during the tour — it is about the only thing we do not guarantee.
A wine-producing castle in Fuissé, since the nineteenth century
The village of Fuissé gave its name to the most highly regarded appellation in the Mâconnais. There you step into a castle that makes its own wine and has belonged to the same family since the nineteenth century — the owner welcomes you in person.
None of this is automatic, and this list is far from complete. Every outing is put together for the people living it: yours will be one of a kind, and it will never have been run in exactly this way before. Your Insider will contact you before departure to pick, among these experiences and many others, the ones that best match what you are after.
A private tour, the Insiders way
A local Insider who knows the region and its best addresses by heart, a private vehicle, and nobody at the wheel but him.
Book this tour
Half day — 4 h. Pick your date: the calendar shows availability and the price for your group size.
A question before booking? Email us at thomas@insidersexperience.com or call +33 6 98 78 29 28.
Practical information
Included
- Tour with a local Insider, in a private vehicle
- Return train tickets Lyon ⇄ Mâcon
- Tastings at 2 wine estates, 4 wines minimum
- Tasting of wines, cheeses and charcuterie in the vines (weather permitting)
- Wi-Fi on board
Not included
- Driving: your Insider takes the wheel, you can taste
- Lunch
- Travel from any city other than Lyon
- Your wine purchases on site
Meeting point
Private transfer or train from Lyon, train tickets sent in advance if you choose that option. Direct departure from Mâcon possible (Mâcon-Loché station, 1 h 40 from Paris by TGV, ticket not included).
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure. After that, the booking is charged in full.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference with the Southern Burgundy full day?
The half-day covers two estates in four hours, without lunch. The full day goes up to at least four stops and adds the meal, an isolated chapel and a cheese farm set in a former Cluniac priory.
Is lunch included?
No, the half-day format does not include a meal. Your Insider can however recommend good addresses to carry on.
How many wines do we taste?
Four at least, spread over the two stops, plus the open-air tasting in the vines when the weather allows.
Can we start from Mâcon rather than Lyon?
Yes. Mâcon-Loché is 1 h 40 from Paris by TGV. Only the Lyon ⇄ Mâcon tickets are included in the price.
What do the vineyard visit and wine tasting include?
Two wine estates of the Mâconnais, one of them a traditional cellar, and at least four wines tasted and explained. At each stop, the winemaker or your Insider tells you what is in the glass: the grape, the plot, the vintage. When the weather allows, an open-air tasting in the vines is added, with cheeses and charcuterie.