6 Best Sights in Burgundy, France

Although it wasn’t completed until the Renaissance, construction on Château du Clos de Vougeot was actually begun in the 12th century by Cistercian monks from neighboring Cîteaux who needed wine for Mass and wanted to make a diplomatic offering. It's best known as the seat of Burgundy's elite company of wine lovers, the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, who gather here in November at the start of an annual three-day festival, Les Trois Glorieuses. You can admire the château's cellars, where ceremonies are held, and ogle the huge 13th-century grape presses, marvels of medieval engineering. There are also regular photo exhibitions and concerts. Sixty-minute guided tours (€15) leave at 10:30 am and 2:30 pm daily, with an additional tour at 4:30 pm every day except Saturday. Guided tours in English (daily at 11:30 am and 3:30 pm) need to be reserved in advance.

Philippe le Hardi, the son of the king of France, was the illustrious owner of this majestic 9th- to 16th-century castle. The surrounding estate—one of the largest in Burgundy—has 237 acres of vines. There are three classic wine tastings (from €10) and, by appointment only, two high-end wine tastings that include a tour of the cellar that ends with either two white wines and three reds (€25) or three whites and three reds, including at least two Premier Cru and one Grand Cru (€55).

The liquid highlight of many Burgundian vacations is a visit to the Marché aux Vins, where you can sample a tongue-tingling, mind-spinning array of regional wines in an atmospheric setting made up of barrel-strewn cellars and vaulted passages. Your options for tastings are the Découverte tasting with five wines that includes one Premier Cru (€29), the Prestige tasting with seven wines (€59), or the Exclusive tasting of seven wines including two Premiers Crus and two Grands Crus (€89); there's no need to reserve in advance for any of them. There is another Beaune tasting house at Caves Patriarche on Rue du Collège.

Inside the Cassissium’s sparkling glass-and-steel building, the world of cassis is explored through films and interactive displays. A 90-minute tour of Védrenne's liqueur production ends (of course!) with a cassis tasting. Guided tours need to be reserved in advance.

Situated a few kilometers south of Dijon at the beginning of the Route des Grands Crus, this domaine has vineyards that extend down to Vosne Romanée. It specializes in all three colors of Marsannay AOP (red, white, and rosé), but also produces Fixin, Gevrey-Chambertin, Vosne-Romanée, and Clos de Vougeot. Tours of its gleaming facilities (built in 1990 in traditional Burgundy style) include a visit to the cellars, and the "Climats de Bourgogne" tasting includes six Côte d'Or wines for €39. Reservations are essential.

A miraculous Meursault has been produced at this elegant spot since the 7th century. Walk up the Allée des Maronniers through the vines to the château's cour d'honneur. Visits to cellars dating from the 14th and 16th centuries and an art gallery are part of the guided tour, which includes a sommelier-aided tasting of seven wines (€59). More elaborate theme-based guided tours are available by appointment.