Champagne & Burgundy with Domaine Carneros

Bienvenue en France! After touching down in Paris, the road east leads us to Reims—Champagne’s unofficial capital and a city where Gothic grandeur meets effervescent elegance. Once we check into our hotel and unwind, there’s time to take in the historic surroundings. In the evening, we’ll gather for a welcome apéritif: crisp Champagne served in good company, with cathedral spires rising in golden light just beyond the terrace.

Later, we walk a short distance to a neighborhood favorite known for its warm, unpretentious welcome and contemporary approach to Champagne’s rustic cuisine, where we begin to immerse ourselves in the flavors of the region. We’ll toast to our adventure ahead as we sip, savor, and allow the anticipation to build for the days to come.

This morning, we head to Taittinger’s storied Champagne house, where centuries of Champagne-making history reside. Here, we’ll witness the méthode traditionnelle in action and learn about the legacy that began well before the Taittinger family founded Domaine Carneros to bring that same craftsmanship to California soil.

After our tasting, where Taittinger’s signature style reveals itself, we head to lunch and continue our exploration of Champagne’s gastronomy. The rest of the afternoon and evening are yours. You may wish to visit the soaring cathedral where French kings were once crowned, linger in a café watching the rhythm of the town unfold, or simply enjoy a quiet glass of Champagne in the glow of early evening. Dinner tonight is at leisure.

Today we trade bubbles for Burgundian reds as we travel south, stopping en route for an introduction to one of its most elegant expressions: Chablis. At a celebrated cooperative known for its finely etched whites, we explore the chalk and clay that give the wines their minerality and grace. A guided tasting highlights the nuances between villages and vintages, offering a preview of the complexity that defines Burgundy’s patchwork of terroirs.

Lunch is served at a traditional spot in the heart of Chablis that channels rustic French charm through seasonal menus and a thoughtful wine list. Afterward, we continue on to Beaune, the heart of the Côte d’Or and our home for the next several nights.

After settling into our rooms at the hotel, we reconvene for an exclusive after-hours visit to Hospices de Beaune. With its kaleidoscopic tiled roof and 15th-century halls, this former almshouse is one of France’s great architectural treasures and home to the most renowned charity wine auction in the world. We’ll wander through in the hush of evening, the stories of its former patients and patrons lingering in the quiet. Then it’s on to dinner, where Burgundy’s rich culinary legacy begins to unfold through regional classics like oeufs en meurette and boeuf Bourguignon paired with local pours.

We begin the day on two wheels, riding e-bikes along vineyard paths through a bit of fresh air and the Côte de Beaune. Pedaling along country lanes flanked by vine-covered slopes and ancient stone walls, we pause for a surprise tasting offering a glimpse into a smaller-scale, family-run domaine—an intimate counterpoint to the grandeur of Burgundy’s better-known names.

By midday, we arrive at a renowned Burgundian winery, where wine, food, and hospitality converge in perfect harmony. A three-course lunch, paired with wines from that span the domaine’s exceptional terroirs, offering a masterclass in precision and restraint. We dine in the courtyard or the vaulted salon, depending on the weather.

Next, we visit a winery with almost 600 years of viticultural history, nestled in the village of Santenay. A guided tasting, paired with small bites, introduces another facet of Burgundian winemaking—one that’s deeply rooted yet always evolving. After a bit of downtime back at the hotel, we reconvene for an unforgettable dinner where we sip our way through a curated menu, offering a crescendo of flavor and place that few ever get to experience.

Accompanied by the early morning sun and a local expert as our guide, we head into Beaune’s market, alive with color, chatter, and the scent of cheese, flowers, and fresh bread. Along the way, we’ll stop to sample glossy cherries, wedges of Epoisses, or freshly made gougères still warm from the oven.

From the bustle of the market, we shift to the calm precision of one of Burgundy’s most established houses. At Maison Louis Jadot’s estate, we’ll delve into their dedication to place and precision that echoes across continents at Domaine Carneros, where the Taittinger family’s commitment to estate-grown excellence lives on through méthode traditionnelle sparkling wines rooted in Carneros soil. While we’re here, a private tasting and tour offers insight into their approach—blending tradition with state-of-the-art facilities—and we linger over lunch at their guest table, surrounded by vineyard views and the quiet hum of fermentation tanks.

The afternoon is yours to rest or roam. Perhaps you’ll duck into a wine shop for a bottle or return to the hotel’s serene spa. Tonight, dinner is on your own and is a chance to revisit a favorite bistro or try something new just steps from the hotel.

We start our day with a visit to Les Remparts de Beaune, the fortified walls that once protected the town and now offer shaded paths and quiet vistas. After a relaxed lunch on your own, we head out to learn about one of the unsung heroes of winemaking: the barrel. At a local cooperage, we get a behind-the-scenes look at the time-honored craft of barrel making—where oak staves are shaped, toasted, and bound with fire and force into vessels that define the wine’s character as much as the grape itself.

We close the week with a multi-course dinner set in a vaulted stone cellar lit by candlelight. It’s a fitting finale that is generous, grounded, and full of the quiet magic that only Burgundy can conjure.

À bientôt! After a final breakfast, we’ll bid adieu to each other and transfer back to the airport. Whether homebound or continuing your travels, you leave with a deeper sense of Burgundy’s landscapes and probably a few bottles in your suitcase.