Day 1: Paris

Bienvenue! After taking some time to settle in at the Hôtel de Crillon, we’ll meet Carlton and celebrate our adventures to come with a flight of Champagne and caviar sourced from Place de la Madeleine’s renowned Caviar Kaspia.

This is but a prelude to an extraordinary dining experience this evening. Michelin-star La Tour d’Argent has been a Paris institution since 1582, and a favorite of luminaries from King Henry IV to Georges Sand. Dining here, with Notre Dame’s illuminated spires peaking through the windows, is a true immersion in French cuisine culture, carefully paired with wines from their private 350,000-bottle cellars. We’ll tour the cellars, then sit down for a grand welcome dinner. It’s the perfect start to our first day together, and to our week of unparalleled access alongside Carlton.

Day 2: Paris to Burgundy

We’re off to Burgundy this morning, discovering how each unique terroir plays out in the glass. Our lunch is a private off-menu affair with Chef Mathieu Sagardoytho in Chablis, at Au Fil du Zinc, housed in a 12th-century mill on the Serein river.

In Beaune, the majestic walled city at the beating heart of Burgundy’s wine region, we’ll have time to freshen up at iconic Hôtel Le Cep — a quintessential rite of passage for travelers to Burgundy — before reconvening for a private tour and tasting at Domaine Comtes Lafon. Here, ancient plantings of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay — hand-harvested and naturally fermented — produce sublime biodynamic wines.

We’ll close this remarkable day at storied Domaine de Montille, the rare Burgundy estate producing superb reds and whites in both the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits. We’ll tour the estate and cellars, meet the winemakers, and sit down to a private dinner and pairing curated by Carlton and our hosts.

Day 3: Burgundy

After a leisurely breakfast we’re off to Domaine Lapierre, a century-old family winery in Beaujolais that Carlton considers one of the most exciting in France. Lapierre has been a trailblazer in the natural wine movement since the early 1970s; we’ll meet the fourth generation of the Lapierre family to tend the vines, brother and sister Mathieu and Camille.

Lyon, France’s third-largest city, is a former Roman settlement at the confluence of the Rhone and Soane rivers. We’re here to sample the city’s culinary arts on a gastronomic tour, before settling in for lunch at a classic Lyonnaise bouchon (family-run bistro) where the checkered tablecloths are piled high with traditional dishes and pots lyonnais filled to the brim with excellent house wine.

The afternoon is ours to explore Lyon, wandering the narrow streets of the old quarter and its clandestine traboules, the hidden passageways built during the Renaissance that weave in and out of buildings and courtyards. We’ll have the evening back in Beaune to explore its bistros and wine bars on our own.

Day 4: Burgundy

We wake early today for a sunrise balloon ride over the vineyards. After, we’ll head for brunch at La Rôtisserie du Chambertin, an historic inn nestled in the village of Gevrey-Chambertin. Chef Thomas Collomb is a close friend of Carlton’s; our meal here is a celebration of expertly crafted Burgundian recipes paired with bottles from the superb cellar.

It’s an easy e-bicycle ride this afternoon through the vines to visit Carlton’s friends at Domaine Dujac, another family-run estate — in this case, the Seysses family — famed for its biodynamic practices. No hyperbole, these are some of France’s most critically lauded wines.

The capstone to this incredible day is dinner at three Michelin star Maison Lameloise in the village of Chagny. Chef Eric Pras will join us at the end of our meal to share his gastronomic philosophy and culinary influences. Back in Beaune, we’ll gather for a nightcap at wine bar Le Bout du Monde with rare eaux de vie virtually impossible to find outside of Burgundy.

Day 5: Champagne

The village of Époisses is home to one of France’s most fabulously pungent cheeses, Époisses de Bourgogne. We’ll visit a local fromagerie and sample alongside an expert affineur.

Reims is the unofficial capital of Champagne’s grape-growing region. We begin our exploration at the source, at Maison Ruinart, established in 1729 and the oldest Champagne house in France. We’ll explore the centuries-old network of crayères, the chalk caves used for cellaring, and taste their finest Blanc de Blancs and cuvées (first pressings).

Our elegant home for the next two nights is Domaine les Crayères, a storied manor house and gastronomic destination that houses two Michelin star Le Parc, where we’ll dine tonight. Here, Chef Philippe Mille will craft a multi-sensory menu to pair perfectly with a flight of the finest Champagne and local wine.

Day 6: Champagne

Today we embrace the mastery of smaller growers at three of the region’s renowned family estates. Our first stop is the fifth-generation Vilmart & Cie, established in 1890 and notable for its unusual mix of native varietals (60% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir). Chouilly, the northernmost Grand Cru village in the Côte des Blancs, is home to Legras et Haas, where the Legras brothers — some of Carlton’s closest friends — draw upon 400 years of grape-growing experience in producing their sparkling wines, including the first non-dressage Champagne ever made by a family estate. Finally, we’ll head to Domaine Jacques Selosse, where the Selosse family has perfected its own system of viticulture to produce globally regarded natural Champagnes.

Dinner tonight is at one of Champagne’s culinary icons, L’Assiette Champenoise, a family-run three Michelin star kitchen on the outskirts of Reims. This is our opportunity to savor elevated renditions of traditional rustic fare like potée champenoise, a hearty dish of pork and beans traditionally served to pickers during the grape harvest.

Day 7: Champagne to Paris

It’s our final morning in Champagne, and we cannot resist one last visit to a family-run estate for a private tour, followed by a casual lunch.

Paris may feel a world away, but the road is short and scenic; after we settle back into our hotel we’ll have a few hours to explore on our own before meeting up for dinner at one of Paris’ most beloved restaurants, Chez l’Ami Louis. This is quintessential Parisian dinning — and not an easy reservation for even the politicians and cultural luminaries who dine here in the snug, wood-paneled dining room that’s virtually unchanged since it opened in 1930. We’ll toast to Carlton, and to each other, with wines from the impeccable list.

After dinner, we’ll head off into the night for la surprise — a truly special afterparty that we’re keeping close to our chest!

Day 8: Paris Departures

Alors, even the grandest adventure must eventually come to an end. The last eight days together have been a masterclass in the wines, vineyards and the spirit of Burgundy and Champagne.

As we part ways with Carlton and our new friends, we know that it’s only a matter of time before we’ll return to France and once again take part in its sumptuous centuries-old conversation between food and wine. Until next time!