This Chateau will be your home base during your stay in the Burgundy countryside. It’s a Sleeping Beauty style castle dating back 500 years that has been lovingly transformed into a jaw-dropping five-star vacation home. During your eleven-night stay, you’ll visit world-class wine producers, meet iconic cheesemakers, learn from local experts, sample specialties from regional artisans, and enjoy a private invitation from the Chateau’s owner to taste his own personal selection of Grand Cru wines-9,000 bottles- most are never sold to the public!

Your adventure launches from Paris and includes a day exploring the highly regarded cheese caves of Herve Mons and tasting some of the finest cheese in France. At the chateau, enjoy French meals prepared by our private chefs, along with historic site and culinary excursions including wine caves built by the Romans, the historic Hospices de Beaune, and a farmers’ market shopping spree. You’ll experience a regional flea market shopping for French antique treasures -and spend a day in the legendary food city of Dijon, the jewel in the crown of Burgundy cuisine.

Throughout your stay, you’ll have free time to relax by the pool, bike around the countryside, or work out in the private gym. Plus, your schedule includes cooking classes, and private cheese, wine, and cocktail experiences, all taught by local experts and our tour hosts.

Wednesday, Day One

Your 12 day journey begins with a Cheese Journeys meet-up in a select Paris hotel lobby . Meet your hosts, Anna Juhl, and educator, author and co-host Tenaya Darlington aka Madame Fromage, and after a brief bonjour, you’ll travel with our private coach driver and hosts to Burgundy.

Prepare for beautiful scenery – charming villages, rolling vineyards – as you make your way to your home base, Chateau de Burnand, a magnificently restored estate that dates back over 500 years. This chateau is located in the heart of a beautiful 13 hectare park, home to gardens, lovely swimming pool, a wellness center, and breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains.

Unpack, relax, check out the pool, stroll the grounds, or even go for a bike ride during your free time. Join Tenaya as she teams up with a local sommelier Emily Lester Fouilleroux for a guided introduction to the wines of Burgundy, followed by a sumptuous welcome dinner featuring local delicacies.

Thursday, Day Two

After a restful night’s sleep, you’ll enjoy a leisurely breakfast and a morning to explore the world of artisan cheese- especially French cheese!  Learn from the best, Cheese Journeys’ team of experts will help you navigate this unique world- you’ll be chatting about how artisan cheese is made, what makes French cheese so special, and, how to select, curate, serve, and photograph a beautiful cheese board!

 Remember, our trip to Burgundy is also a deep dive into all things wine, so after lunch it’s only fitting to have a hands-on event, learning how to make wine barrels. You’ll wrap up the day with new photography skills, so don’t hesitate to take some artful shots of the Chateau, the food, or your aperitif. Enjoy a glorious chef prepared dinner featuring local cuisine.

Friday, Day Three

Today you’ll visit cheese royalty as we have an invitation to explore one of the finest cheese aging caves in the world. Thanks to French affineur Hervé Mons and his team, superb versions of Camembert and various other soft ripened and beautifully aged French cheese gems are now found in selected stores in the United States.  Herve Mons’s parents started selling cheese in small markets in France in the 1960s. Hervé and his brother expanded the business to have world-class facilities, multiple retail locations in France and UK, and provide fine training in the art of affinage.  Hervé is a Meilleur Ouvrier de France, the country’s highest honor for artisans. Learn what makes French cheese so special, tour the caves, and taste the difference great affinage can make. We’ll return to the Chateau for a swim and a classic French lawn game of Patanque paired with a glass of Pastis and a chef prepared BBQ.

Saturday, Day Four

Grab your market basket and prepare for the ultimate shopping day. You’ll start the morning at the much-lauded Beaune Farmers’ Market. Stroll the stalls, picking up snacks and souvenirs, and visit Alain Hess Fromagerie, an exquisite cheese shop with an extraordinary wine selection. Select the perfect brasserie for a classic French lunch and in the afternoon…shop! You may want to buy a copper pot, a French tablecloth, or join Anna for a visit to The Cooks Atelier, (a well-known French cooking school & culinary boutique). Have fun exploring the city’s historic Hospice de Beaune, a museum preserving the great history of Burgundy wine and learn about the renowned international wine auction which takes place every November. This institution is one of the best and oldest examples of historical, philanthropic, and wine-producing heritage, and has become linked with the economic and cultural life of Burgundy. Travel back to the chateau with shopping bags in hand, for a relaxing evening, aperitif and a classic French dinner, featuring- cheese!

Sunday, Day Five

It’s a morning to live local. After a leisurely breakfast, take a swim, hike, explore the neighboring villages or join us for a classic flea market, a common weekend event in Southern Burgundy. Rummage through goods - from clothes to china, furniture to glassware, jewelry to paintings - find a treasure to take home and re-love or just have a coffee and watch the world go by! Back at the chateau, enjoy a chef prepared lunch, and a bike ride or walk through the countryside. Later in the day, prepare to taste some exquisite raw-milk Époisses, the area’s most celebrated monastic cheese, along with a local triple crème that will change how you entertain forever. Hanna Shaps will introduce you to a selection of regional artisan cheeses that never cross the pond and pair beautifully with one of Tenaya’s favorite cocktails. Transition into a wine tasting with Tenaya and a fabulous chef-prepared dinner.

Monday, Day Six

Your day includes two winery visits, a vineyard picnic, and a little mustard tasting in the charming town of Beaune. Do pack your walking shoes and sweater since most of the day will be outside. After breakfast, you’ll meet up once again with our friend Hanna Shaps at her father’s winery, Maison Shaps for a tour and chef-prepared picnic and tasting in the vineyard. This winery has a unique connection to the state of Virginia, where French-trained winemaker Michael Shaps also owns land and produces award-winning bottles near Anna’s home. Hear stories of Michael’s international wine business and how his American-born daughter, Hanna, became a wine-and-cheese expert in France. Learn about the unique and contrasting flavor profiles of wine made from grapes grown only a few rows apart, and finish with a beautiful picnic overlooking one of the most renowned wine producing villages of Burgundy.

Afterward, we will travel to our favorite town of Beaune to visit a Dijon mustard maker (the only one who still works with locally- grown mustard seeds) and then on to the wine caves of Joseph Drouhim, under the streets of Beuane. These caves have belonged to the Canons of Beaune, the Dukes of Burgundy, and the Kings of France, with Roman remains dating back nearly 2,000 years. When you return to the chateau, you’ll enjoy a gorgeous meal prepared by our private chefs.

Tuesday, Day Seven

Today, you’ll have two signature experiences. We’ll break into two groups, one group will enjoy the morning in a hands-on cooking class with Chef Sylvain (a Frenchman who speaks perfect English), and the other half will visit the Gay’s private château cellar for a once in a lifetime wine experience. Christophe Gay, an experienced wine expert and collector of fine wines, has invited us to a private Grand Cru Tasting. You’ll be sipping wine from his private stock, a collection of over 9,000 bottles of rare Burgundies and other French wines that never make it onto the market. We’ll enjoy lunch prepared by the morning group of guests, and switch activities for the afternoon. After an active day of cooking and wine-tasting, you’ll have free time before the daily “wine chat” with Tenaya, followed by a fabulous dinner that – guess what? – you helped prepare! Enjoy your labor with plenty of delicious wine, and time to go for a late-night stroll around your very own château.

Wednesday, Day Eight

Put on your boots – today you’re off to a local goat cheese creamery to learn about making goat cheese! When you sample this authentic chèvre, you’ll realize why people come to France just to each cheese. Meet the goats, pick up pairing ideas, and taste truly seasonal French goat cheese and shop for other regionally produced items. After a morning in the countryside, you’ll return to home base for a relaxing lunch, followed by a free afternoon to enjoy the chateau. Later, find Chef Sylvain in the kitchen as he leads a sweet demonstration on making mouthwatering chocolate ganache and truffles. Before dinner, join Tenaya for a Kir Royale, an aperitif tasting of Cassis, an artisan liqueur made from black currants, produced by a local distillery followed by a chef prepared meal featuring a cassis dessert!

Thursday, Day Nine

You’ll have two fascinating educational experiences today. One group will spend the morning with Chef Sylvain for a hands-on cooking class and the other half will get an up-close look into how book authors write cookbooks! Tenaya, an accomplished author and educator on the subject, will help guests learn the process of how to write their own family cookbook. We’ll enjoy lunch prepared by the morning group and switch activities for the afternoon. After an active day of cooking, recipe writing, and storytelling, guests will have free time before the daily “wine chat”, followed by a fabulous dinner guests helped prepare. Enjoy your labor of love with plenty of delicious wine, and a late-night stroll around your very own chateau.

Friday, Day Ten

Dijon is on the docket for the day! There’s much more than mustard to this lovely city! Get ready to daytrip to a city revered as the crown jewel of Burgundy cuisine.

First stop- Les Halles of Dijon, often considered the best food market in all of France. This is your chance to indulge in some gastronomy on your own – will you have escargots for lunch, or boeuf bourguignon, or both? Don’t forget about the exquisite patés and terrines – so good when spread on pain d’épices (local gingerbread), and don’t forget THE CHEESE! Pick up some local specialties for your cheese boards back home – like brandied cherries from renowned local Auxerres cherries, or cherry blossom honey – before returning to your château for the evening. The chefs have prepared a lovely meal for you, once again.

Saturday, Day Eleven

Enjoy an outing with Emily (our local wine expert), as she takes you to one of her favorite producers. She’ll join us for lunch as Chef Sylvain has designed an exquisite meal and paired wines from a local family-owned producer in a nearby village. Enjoy a relaxing afternoon at the chateau before a special farewell dinner event with live music performed by two brilliant musicians Anna first met in Paris. An evening you won’t forget!

Sunday, Day Twelve

You’ve got a chef-prepared brunch, as you pack your bags for a return trip to Paris. You’ll load your luggage onto the coach and take one last look at your château, before heading to Paris and CDG Airport for a flight or hotel stay. The tour ends this afternoon, so be sure to exchange emails and addresses, or make plans to meet up with your new Cheese Journeys friends for a glass of Burgundy wine and a cheese board when you return home.

TOUR PRICE INCLUDES

Lodging for eleven nights, breakfast provided eleven mornings, ten noon meals, and eleven evening meals (alcoholic beverages served with meals) and additional food events and tastings. All transportation during the tour (including round trip from Paris to Chateau and day trips during tour), all classes, tour tickets, and day trips provided by local hosts, cheese educators, and chefs. Alcoholic beverages, other than those served at meals and tasting events, may be purchased separately from the host or at locations during the tour.

TOUR PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE

Round trip transportation to and from home to Paris, hotel accommodations before or after the tour, personal shopping during time in Beaune, or any activities during free days, shopping, and personal sightseeing in Dijon.

DISCLOSURE

To the best of our ability, this tour itinerary is final. However, if, due to unexpected extreme weather, a schedule emergency with hosts, or limitations due to imposed travel restrictions, etc., Cheese Journeys reserves the right to substitute an event if needed. During the tour, you have the option of declining a particular excursion or tour, but we are unable to make refunds for any missed meals, classes, or events. Please see our Terms and Conditions for additional details.