Sept. 25-27 3 day Wine Lover's Cycling Tour

COTE D'OR WINE LOVER'S CIRCUIT

Duration 3 days Distance 126.4km Difficulty:  easy Start/Finish Dijon Summary:  The undemanding terrain, tippling of Burgundy's best and dining in world-class restaurants are hallmarks of some wonderfully self-indulgent cycling!

This ride basically follows the Route Tour­istique des Grands Crus de Bourgogne. Running from Dijon to Nuits-St-Georges, the Tourist Road of the Fine Burgundy Wines visits vineyards and villages known and revered by wine buffs around the world. Just be alert to any crise de foie (liver crisis) provoked by eating and drinking too much of the best. The ride also includes stops at the im­pressive Château du Clos de Vougeot and the historic Abbaye de Citeaux, so be sure to take some time to enjoy both the scenery and the sights.

HISTORY

Worked by Cistercian monks throughout the 12th and 13th centuries, barrels of wine from the region were popular gifts for important religious figures. In the 15th century, the Dukes of Burgundy even took to styling themselves as the 'lords of the best wines in Christendom'.

The 19th century brought tough times to Burgundy - phylloxera lice almost destroyed the French wine industry by attacking the roots of the vines. Today's carefully aligned rows are the result of extensive replanting programs using phylloxera-resistant rootstock imported from the USA, to which the Burgundy vines were grafted.

ENVIRONMENT
Described by the 19th-century French writer Stendhal as 'a little dry and ugly mountain', the nature of the Cote d'Or is perhaps more accurately reflected in its literal English translation, 'the golden hillside'. This refers to both the colour of the vines and the value of the wines they produce. The 8000 hectares of vineyards are planted in predominantly limestone marl only on the sheltered east­ern slopes, which are oriented for maximum sunlight throughout the year. This exposure makes the grapes very sweet, giving the wine a higher than average alcohol content. These well-illuminated grapes are turned into some of the world's finest and most expensive Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines.

COTE D'OR WINE LOVER'S CIRCUIT - DAY 1 - Sept. 25^th

Day 1: Dijon to Nuits-St-Georges  43km
 
An easy day’s pedaling, with the route winding all day through the gorgeous golden vineyards of the Cote d’Or

From Dijon, we head south to Marsan­nay-la-Cate, the official start of the Route Touristique des Grands Crus de Bourgogne and featuring some of the most picturesque cycling in Burgundy. There are plenty of places to eat and drink along the route, and each village has an information board listing its wineries, caves (cellars) and restaurants.

The route is well signposted to Vougeot, where the worthwhile side trip to the Châ­teau du Clos de Vougeot hard to miss. Dating from the 14th century, the chateau has an amazing cellar stacked with bottles from the beginning of the century and awaiting tasting by the famous Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin.

From Vougeot we turn east, passing through the tiny village of Gilly-les-Citeaux. A detour into the heart of town, where the me­dieval, moated Château de Gully makes an impressive photo opportunity. After Gilly, the route winds through pockets of forest to reach the Abbaye de Citeaux set in a vast oak wood. A Cister­cian monastic order has met here since the 12th century.


From the Abbaye, return to the Cote d'Or at Nuits-St-Georges where we stay the night in a castle.
The Princess Birds night  in a 15th century (definitely haunted) castle - Chateau De La Berchere
 Boncourt Le Bois, Nuits-Saint-Georges
La Berchere provides elegant accommodation within a 15th century castle, in the heart of the Burgundy district. It has an outdoor pool and a private air field. Each of the guest rooms is decorated with antique furnishings. Rooms include a private bathroom, free Wi-Fi access and have views of the surrounding countryside. Chateau De La Berchere serves a daily buffet breakfast. Guests can relax in the hotel bar with a drink by the fireplace or on the terrace overlooking the garden. The Chateau is 3.5 km from Nuits-Saint-Georges.

Day 2: Nuits-St-Georges to Beaune Sept. 26^th   22km

This is a short day, the memory of which will last a long time. You have plenty of time for quaffing, along the route and in beautiful Beaune, so use the day well. The ride travels through the heart of the Cote de Beaune and several premier cru vineyards, where you can sam­ple pinot noir perfection.

From Nuits-St-Georges, head through Chaux and into the sea of green. The road winds through the vineyards and the villages of Villers-la Faye and Magny­les-Villers. A short grunt of a climb leads to the premier cru vineyards and town of Pernand-Vergelesses. Weave down through the vineyards to Beaune.

Another historic (possibly haunted) printing house - Les Chambre de l’Imprimerie

12 Rue Colbert, Beaune

Les Chambres de l'Imprimerie offers bed and breakfast accommodation set in a printery and just a 5-minute walk from the historic centre of Beaune. A daily cooked breakfast featuring homemade jams is provided every morning. It features spacious rooms with a private entrance and a seating area. Free Wi-Fi access, a flat-screen TV and an iPad are provided

Day 3: Beaune to Dijon Sept. 27^th  61.4km

Weave through pretty wine producing vil­lages, climb rolling hills and then descend to the banks of the Canal du Bourgogne for a car-free entry to the city of Dijon. From Beaune, head northwest through the gorgeous grape-growing village of Savigny-les-Beaune. Beyond it, you climb through the vineyards along the banks of the Rhoin as it narrows into a shady gorge. Immediately after Bouilland  a steep 3km ascent leads to a plateau from which an equally steep descent returns to the plain near the sleepy town of Antheuil. Here, at long last, you jump on the beau­tiful, tulip-lined, shady bikepath along the Canal de Bourgogne. It's almost 40km of trouble-free flow all the way to Dijon. Just before the village of La Bussiere­sur Ouche is the Abbaye de la Bussiere. Founded in the 12th century by the monks of the famous Abbaye de Ci­teaux, it's now a luxury hotel. The grounds are beautiful, but picnics are a no-no.

Tonight we stay in a small (likely haunted) hotel in old town Dijon - Hotel Montchapet

 26 Rue Jacques Cellerier, Dijon
Only 43 rooms. Each guest room at the Montchapet Hotel has a modern décor. The hotel is less than a 10-minute walk from the Dijon Cathedral and close to all of the sites of Dijon.

Sept. 28^th -  Antin Trinite  Paris - see Sept. 24th