Burgundy's wine centre, in a striking building shaped like a vine tendril at the entrance to Beaune.
€290for a half-day wine tour starting here, up to 4 guests
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The Cité des Climats et vins de Bourgogne is the region's showcase for its wines. The Beaune site, the largest of three, opened in 2023 at the southern entrance to town. Its immersive visitor tour explains the vineyard, its history and its climats, and ends with a tasting.
The permanent tour is interactive, with multilingual audio guides, and suits beginners and enthusiasts alike. It covers the vine, the work in the cellar, the history of the vineyard and the idea of climats, and the ticket includes a tasting of wine or grape juice. You can add a tasting workshop or a course with the École des Vins de Bourgogne, based here, or eat at the Les Accords wine bar and restaurant.
The Cité is a network of three sites, in Chablis, Beaune and Mâcon, which all opened in 2023. The project brought together the Burgundy wine trade body, the BIVB, the region and the town of Beaune. The Beaune site houses the main interpretation centre for the Climats of the Burgundy vineyard, the mosaic of named vineyard plots listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2015.
The Beaune building was designed by the architect Emmanuelle Andreani. Its pale tendrils rise 21 metres, recalling the way a vine winds around its training wire, and it combines bio-based materials with local craftsmanship. A ramp leads to a panoramic terrace about 20 metres up, where orientation tables help you read the slopes and villages of the Côte. Inside are a shop, a discovery bar and the Les Accords restaurant.
Last entry to the visit is one hour before closing.
Checked on on the official site.
Allow at least an hour and a half for the tour, more with a workshop. The terrace, shop and discovery bar are free to enter, and there is free parking on site. The Cité stands near the Beaune motorway exit, so it is easy to combine with a drive along the Route des Grands Crus.
What to combine with Cité des Climats et vins de Bourgogne on the same day, nearest first.
For the visit, allow 1.5 to 2 hours.
Did you know? The Cité's panoramic terrace is open to all without a ticket: a ramp winds up the outside of the building to a viewpoint about 20 metres high, looking across to the vineyard slopes.
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Half-day wine tour from Beaune: €290 for the car, up to 4 guests
