Best base in Burgundy?
 

We are planning a fairly last minute trip to France for the first week of June. We have a credit on an apartment in Paris in St. Germain that is for June 3-7. Right now our flights arrive at 8 AM on June 1 and leave at 4:30 on June 7.

I realize it's a short amount of time but we will take what we can get as we have 3 young kids and are excited to get away.

A couple of notes:

• We have been to Paris a few times. We are thinking of using one of our days to do a day trip to Reims/Epernay.
• We love to drink wine but we are not wine experts by any means. We prefer white wine, love Chablis. We like Pinot Noir but I don't tolerate red wine very well.
• Love the idea of staying in Beaune and cycling to vineyards. My husband cycles outdoors regularly. I'm more of a Peloton gal but am exciting about riding outdoors.
• Wandering around and being outside is our preference. We would like to visit 1 or 2 vineyards but are happy with tasting rooms in town.
• we tend to hire private guides and would love to do so on this trip
• we love food but thinking only one big sit down meal a day.

Would love some help figuring out this itinerary. I love the idea of Beaune but the only thing holding me back is lack of white wine (and I could certainly be wrong). I love the idea of northern Burgundy for the wine but don't want to miss the cycling. Is there a way to combine the two?

I've cycled around a fair bit of Burgundy and the best area for me (quiet roads, low traffic levels) is the area between Chablis/Auxerre/Cravant which would stretch out to a medievel monastry and an Abbey (Auxerre) and abandoned medievel town. This are also includes a river and canal (with canal path) and lets you drink Chablis and Sauvignon St Bris (not a great wine but a little special). Auxerre is especially beautiful

No need to go down to Beaune you can also drink Pinot Noir in Auxerre and Irancy to name but a few of the local red areas.

If I really wanted to taste good Burgundy I might prefer to stay in Nuit St Georges or one of the villages along this road. Everyone is a little different. Tasting in some of the non-tourist places along here might require your local wine merchant to send an email to help "open the door."

Traditionally local (ie Europeans) expect freeish wine tastings but they do that expecting to sell wine. If you can't buy wine due to shipment issues please buy something as it keeps the doors open for the rest of us.

Burgundy does have white wines other than Chablis which you can see growning further south. There is the famous or infamous Aligote' (you take your pick, some love it some despise it) but there is a lot of Chardonnay made throughout the region, often with a fair bit of oak and even Pinot Blanc but you will not see that in the white wine as it slips silently into bed with Pinot Noir and often helps add to the complexity.

I decided that I'm overthinking this. I booked a place outside Beaune (La Terre D'Or). We can always come back!