Pernand-Vergelesses
A steep village of winding lanes, with one of the finest views on the Côte de Beaune.
- Wine village
- 11 min from Beaune
- Red and white wines
- 3 grands crus
€290for a half-day wine tour from Beaune, up to 4 guests
At a glance
- Appellations
- Pernand-Vergelesses
- Grapes
- Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
- Premiers crus
- 8
- Name since
- 1922
Getting there
Private driver from Beaune: 11 min by road (7 km), €65 one way for the whole car.
Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →
About Pernand-Vergelesses
Pernand-Vergelesses lies behind the hill of Corton, where two small valleys meet. Its steep streets climb towards an oratory with a wide view over the village and its vines. The village makes red and white wines in almost equal measure, and shares three grand crus with its neighbours.
The wines
Pernand-Vergelesses has eight premier cru climats. Most vines face east or south, between 250 and 300 metres. Clay-limestone soils with flinty stones lie at the foot, stony limestone at mid-slope suits Pinot Noir, and brown or yellowish marls higher up are planted with Chardonnay. Reds are dark ruby, with strawberry, raspberry and violet, then undergrowth and spice. Whites show hawthorn and acacia, turning to honey and spice with age.
History
Pernand has a long wine history. Charlemagne owned vines on the hill of Corton, and the climat En Charlemagne, in Pernand, still carries his name. The church of Saint-Germain dates from the late 12th century; its spire, covered in glazed tiles, was finished in 1859. In 1922 the village added the name of its well-known Vergelesses vineyard and became Pernand-Vergelesses.
In 1925 the theatre director Jacques Copeau, founder of the Vieux-Colombier theatre in Paris, settled in Pernand with his company. His troupe, nicknamed les Copiaus, trained actors in a village setting and became one of the first efforts to take serious drama out of Paris. Copeau, who lived from 1879 to 1949, spent many years here. His former house is a listed historic monument and carries the national Maisons des Illustres label.
All the grands crusCorton · Corton-Charlemagne · Charlemagne
Well-known premiers crusÎle des Vergelesses · Sous Frétille · Les Fichots · En Caradeux · Clos Berthet · Creux de la Net
What to see
Oratoire Notre-Dame de Bonne-Espérance
A small oratory built in 1854 on the heights above the village, between woods and vines. Blessed in 1855, it shelters a Virgin and Child and overlooks Pernand and its vineyards.
Église Saint-Germain
A late 12th-century church at the heart of the village. Its spire, covered in Burgundian glazed tiles, was completed in 1859 to match the roofs around it.
Walk up the hill of Corton
A popular walking route climbs from Pernand past the Virgin of Sous Frétille to the top of the hill of Corton, with views over Pernand and Aloxe-Corton.
The cabottes trail
A signposted trail leads to the dry-stone huts where winegrowers once sheltered. Pernand has both round huts with stone vaults and square ones roofed with flat stones.
Tips for your visit
Allow an hour, more if you walk up to the oratory. The lanes are steep, so wear good shoes. Pernand pairs well with Aloxe-Corton and Savigny-lès-Beaune on a half-day loop north of Beaune.
Around here
What to combine with Pernand-Vergelesses on the same day, nearest first.
Questions
Pernand-Vergelesses is about 11 min from Beaune by road (7 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €65 for the whole car, up to 4 guests.
Did you know? Houses that once lodged members of Jacques Copeau's theatre troupe are marked with a ceramic medallion showing two doves. Look out for them as you walk through the village.
Sources
Pernand-Vergelesses with a private driver
Half-day wine tour from Beaune: €290 for the car, up to 4 guests