This adventure starts in Paris and includes a day at the annual Chablis Wine Festival, where travellers will take in the French countryside and sip the area’s legendary white wines. At the chateau, guests will enjoy French meals prepared by our private chefs and excursions to a series of culinary and historic sites, including a tour of wine caves built by the Romans, a visit to the historic Hospices de Beaune, and a farmers’ market shopping spree with our chefs. You’ll hunt for truffles, and day-trip to a legendary food city: Dijon, the jewel in the crown of Burgundy cuisine.

Throughout the stay, Cheese Journeys guests will have free time to relax by the pool, bike around the countryside, or work out in the private gym. Plus, the schedule includes unique cheese, wine, and cocktail-making classes, led by our expert co-hosts. The hands-on cooking demonstrations by Chef Sylvain and Milo are a tour highlight!

Day One

Your 12-day journey begins with a Cheese Journeys meet-up in the lobby of the Courtyard Marriott Hotel (Paris CDG location). Meet your hosts, Anna Juhl Founder and CEO of Cheese Journeys and educator, author and co-host Tenaya Darlington aka Madame Fromage. After a brief bonjour, you’ll board a high-speed train and head south to the French city of Lyon. 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. Monsieur Christophe Gay, his wife Sylvia, and a team of skilled craftsmen, lovingly transformed this chateau this chateau (just finished) and seven other chateaus, into jaw-dropping five-star vacation homes.

You’ll arrive to a stunning welcome lunch, featuring dishes from the nearby Bourgogne-Comte region- one of many meals prepared by Cheese Journeys’ private chefs Sylvain and Milo.  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 cuisine.

Day Two

Today, you’ll have two signature experiences: 1) Hands-on cooking class with Chef Sylvain (a Frenchman who speaks perfect English, and who the New York Times described as “exceptionally talented”).  The class will feature items such as blue cheese soufflés, salmon en croute, crepes suzettes, and more! Half of the group will prepare classic French dishes in the morning to be enjoyed by all for lunch.  The other half will also prepare classic French dishes in the afternoon to be enjoyed by all for dinner. 2) Once in a lifetime wine tasting in Christophe Gay’s private château cellar. Christophe, 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.  The two groups will alternate between cooking and wine tasting.  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.

Day Three

Today you have a private invite to travel to Mons- Affinage caves to experience some of France’s finest cheese and how they are aged by the esteemed affineur team at Herve Mons. We’ll visit the affinage Tunnel at Ambierle. Discover this 2000 m long railway tunnel, now affinage cave, housing thousands of wheels of cheese from all the regions of France. Guests will learn the criteria needed for ideal affinage, see the evolution of new cheeses as they reach maturation. You’ll enjoy a tasting and lunch before returning to the chateau for a relaxing late afternoon swim, hike, or a game of tennis. Madame Fromage will serve you a cocktail on the beautiful terrace before you feast on a glorious dinner featuring local delicacies.

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, then we’ll split into small groups for tours of Alain Hess Fromagerie, an exquisite cheese shop with an extraordinary wine selection. You’ll have a personal shopper to assist you and a wine tasting and a special private lunch in the shop’s cellar.

In the afternoon, you’ll explore the city’s historic Hospice de Beaune, a museum preserving the great history of Burgundy wine and learn about the renown international wine auction which takes place every November. The 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. 

You can join Tenaya and Anna for a historic wine tour under the streets of Beaune, exploring the centuries old and vast underground caves, followed by a tasting at the renown Maison Joseph Drouhin. When you return to the château, you’ll enjoy an aperitif with Tenaya, followed by another gorgeous meal by our private chefs.

Day Five

Enjoy a relaxing day with multiple options. Join Anna on a shopping adventure to one of the many local flea markets for French treasures, antiques, and a morning of regional fun!  If you prefer, you can explore the grounds, take yourself on a photo walk, or lounge with a book by the pool. Follow a pedestrian & cycle path at the gate of our castle for a visit to the local village of Cuisery. Explore all the essential shops (grocery, patisserie, butchery, bank or florist) and say hi to Theo and Angel, owners of our favorite brasserie Le Perron. Cuisery is renowned as the “village of books” and the “Grand rue” has about ten booksellers offering rare & old books at unbeatable prices.

Enjoy a chef prepared lunch and then meet up with Tenaya and local cheese and wine expert Hanna Shaps to dive into a short Food Photography Workshop that will assure picture-perfect photos from your trip!  Grab a glass of wine and Deep Dive into the Cheeses of Burgundy with Hanna and Tenaya. 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. Plus, Hanna will introduce you to a selection of regional artisan cheeses that never cross the pond. Wrap up the day with a fabulous chef-prepared dinner using products from the region.

Day Six

Your day includes a winery visit, a vineyard picnic, plus an afternoon in the charming town of Beaune. Do pack your walking shoes and sweater since part of the day will be subterranean. After breakfast, you’ll venture off to Maison Shaps for a vineyard tour and tasting. 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. Learn about Michael’s international wine business and meet his wonderful daughter Hanna – a young wine-and-cheese expert who speaks perfect English and French. 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 renown wine producing villages of Burgundy.

After lunch, why not visit a Dijon mustard maker (you’ll meet the only one who still works with locally grown mustard seeds!) and enjoy shopping in beautiful Beaune? You may want to buy a copper pot or a French tablecloth. Join Anna for a visit to Cook’s Atelier, one of our favorite French cooking schools & culinary boutiques. When you return to the château, you’ll enjoy an aperitif with Tenaya, followed by a gorgeous meal prepared by our private chefs.

Day Seven

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.

Day Eight

Put on your boots – today you’re off to a local goat-cheese creamery, Chevrerie La Trufière, 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 the château for a relaxing lunch, followed by a free afternoon to enjoy the chateau. Enjoy a rare experience to learn during a private evening with a wine expert from Albert Bichot and a chef prepared meal designed specifically to be paired with Albert Bichot wines.

Day Nine

Enjoy several deep dives into liquid intelligence today, starting with an introduction to the making of wine barrels. Learn about this hands-on art, then put your new knowledge to work at private tour-and-tasting experience hosted by a château-style wine producer. This afternoon, you’ll have free time back at the château before an aperitif tasting of Cassis, a liqueur made from black currants, featuring a special guest from local Distillerie du Clos Saint Joseph. Get all your distilling questions answered, while sipping delicious drinks. Hint: Cassis is wonderful when mixed with sparkling wine and served with a lemon twist (Kir Royale cockatail).

Day Ten

For your last day in Burgundy, you’re going to want to eat some truffles! You’ll spend the afternoon with a specially trained truffle-sniffing dog who loves to root around in the forest, but first – you’ve got a slow morning to journal, snap photos, write postcards, or nap on the terrace. Enjoy a wine chat, followed by a lovely lunch, then collect your supper in the woods and learn about the truffle trade. When you return home, you can anticipate a magnificent farewell dinner, full of mushroomy aromatics, anecdotes from the day, and wonderful wine.

Day Eleven

The memorable week winds down with the final opportunity to learn from our professionals. Learn the simple tricks to building the ultimate cheese board with Tenaya, travel the world of gourmet spices with Rob, or uncover the sweet secrets of chocolate ganoche with Chef Sylvain. You’ll break for lunch, and then enjoy attending a session of your choice in the afternoon. In between sessions, enjoy a leisurely swim or a workout in the gym. The day wraps up with our last cocktail with Tenaya and a farewell chef prepared dinner.

Day Twelve

You’ve got a lazy morning to pack, luxuriate over a chef-prepared brunch, or even make one last trip into the local village for souvenirs. At noon, 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.