When to visit Burgundy
The best time to visit the Burgundy vineyards is May to June or September to October: highs of 21 to 25 °C in spring and 16 to 22 °C in autumn, the harvest (dates set each year, now often from late August) and golden vines after it. July to September is the peak and December to March the quietest, and the Hospices de Beaune auction fills the third weekend of November. The Côte is busiest from May to mid-October, and harvest and auction weekends book out weeks ahead.
October
The wines ferment in the cellars and the vines turn gold and red.
Burgundy month by month
The wine year, how busy the villages are, the usual weather near Beaune, the main events and what to plan for in each month. Prices stay the same all year: what changes is how early to book.
| Month | Vines and cellars | Visitors | High / low, rain | Key events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Pruning begins | Quiet | 6 / 0 °C, rain on 11 days | Saint-Vincent TournanteSaint-Vincent de Dijon |
The quietest weeks: roads and cellars are calm, though some domaines close for a few days after New Year, so book tastings ahead. All events in January | ||||
| February | Pruning in the cold | Quiet | 8 / 1 °C, rain on 9 days | Trail de PommardCarnaval de Chalon-sur-Saône |
Still quiet: an easy month for tastings, and for restaurant tables at short notice. All events in February | ||||
| March | Sap rises, last pruning | Quiet | 13 / 4 °C, rain on 10 days | Vente des Vins des Hospices de Nuits-Saint-GeorgesLe Printemps de Monthelie |
Calm roads and the first spring weekends: a good month for an unhurried visit. All events in March | ||||
| April | Budburst, risk of frost | Busy | 17 / 6 °C, rain on 10 days | Festival Beethoven à BeauneBouzeron fête sa différence |
Visitors return around Easter: book tastings a week or two ahead. All events in April | ||||
| May | Shoots grow and are tied up | Busy | 21 / 10 °C, rain on 10 days | Mois des ClimatsBeaune Saveurs de Vignes |
Bank holidays and long weekends fill Beaune: book your driver and your tastings early. All events in May | ||||
| June | Flowering | Busy | 25 / 14 °C, rain on 9 days | Lumières à BeauneElégance des Volnay |
Warm days and busy weekends; on weekdays, tastings are still easy to arrange. All events in June | ||||
| July | Small green grapes form | Peak | 27 / 16 °C, rain on 8 days | Festival international d’opéra baroque de BeauneFestival De Bach à Bacchus |
High season: many visitors, and some small domaines close for a summer break. Book ahead. All events in July | ||||
| August | Véraison; the harvest often starts late in the month | Peak | 27 / 15 °C, rain on 7 days | De Cep en VerreLa Ronde du Couchois |
The holiday month: many family domaines close for part of August, so plan your tastings with us. All events in August | ||||
| September | Harvest, at dates set each year | Peak | 22 / 12 °C, rain on 8 days | Festival d’automne Jazz O’VerreLivres en Vignes |
The busiest and most beautiful weeks. Many domaines receive fewer visitors while they pick: book early. All events in September | ||||
| October | Fermentation, golden leaves | Busy | 16 / 8 °C, rain on 10 days | Fête du Vin BourruFête des Vins de Chablis |
Golden vineyards and fewer crowds after the harvest: one of the best months to visit. All events in October | ||||
| November | Leaves fall, new wines in barrel | Busy | 10 / 4 °C, rain on 11 days | Vente des Vins des Hospices de BeauneLa Paulée de Meursault |
The Hospices de Beaune auction weekend books out months ahead; the rest of the month is calm. All events in November | ||||
| December | New wines rest in barrel | Quiet | 6 / 1 °C, rain on 11 days | Beaune Blues Boogie FestivalLe Festi’Noël |
Christmas markets and quiet cellars; many domaines close between Christmas and New Year. All events in December | ||||
Weather: average daily high and low, and days with at least 1 mm of rain, at Météo-France’s Savigny-lès-Beaune station, 4 km north of Beaune (1991 to 2020 normals). Events: the next edition of each, with its dates on its page.
Harvest and truffle season
Harvest: picking starts when the grapes are ripe, usually 90 to 100 days after flowering, so its dates change every year and are set each year by prefectoral decision, the ban des vendanges. It now often starts in late August, sometimes earlier: in 2026, the earliest year on record, Crémant de Bourgogne grapes were picked from 8 August and still wines from just after 15 August, and the last grapes came in just before mid-September, according to the Burgundy wine board (BIVB). In 2021, a year of classic dates, picking began around 18 to 20 September.
Truffles: the Burgundy truffle, Tuber uncinatum, is gathered from mid-September to the end of January on the limestone plateaus above the vineyards, and its fêtes and markets come in October and November:
Read more: Harvest and truffle season in Burgundy
Questions
October and the spring months from April to June suit tastings best: the vineyards are at their finest, the days are mild, with highs of about 16 °C in October and 25 °C in June near Beaune, and the villages are calmer than at the height of summer. During the harvest, which starts between August and mid-September depending on the year, family domaines have little time for visitors, and some close for a holiday in August; from December to March the cellars are at their quietest, but the days are short and highs only reach about 6 to 13 °C.
Wine tasting in BurgundySources
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From €290 per car · 1–4 guests · tolls and parking included