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There is no bad time to visit Burgundy. Even late October after harvest can be magic. The grapes have been picked, the vines are shutting down and the crowds are few. As long as you have rainwear and an adventurous attitude, you are all set.

If you’re thinking about a visit to the region, I have some details for you at the bottom of this post. You can do it!

A Walk Around Morey-Saint-Denis
When you visit Burgundy, leave time to wander in the little villages and in the vineyards. There are plenty of paths, and with a good local map, you can easily navigate. You can even search out that special lieu dit or clos you’ve always loved, or just dreamed about. (click on any photo to start full size slide show, “escape” to return)

As you are driving in to your destination, be prepared to stop. This is looking up the slope in Gevrey Chambertin

Grand Cru Chambertin Clos de Beze

Your first stop in Burgundy is to the Tourist Office in Beaune. Pick up a copy of the Appellations Guide (around 20 €). You can thank me later.

Check in to your hotel or B&B and go out to explore. Grand Cru vineyards are in maroon, 1er Cru in Orange.

I want to live in that “cottage” up in the vineyard.

Clos des Lambrays – yes, that’s 1365. It’s been under vine for a while

Looking downslope from the Clos des Lambrays

Little huts for storing equipment or seeking shelter in a storm

Look carefully at the soil on either side of this lane. Grand Cru Clos des Lambrays on the left, village level vineyard above Clos de Tart on the right

Grand Cru soil in Clos des Lambrays

30 feet away, the soil is different! This is a village level vineyard.

Old vines are so beautiful, any time of year.

Getting ready for the winter slumber.

Visit to Domaine Pierre Amiot & Fils
With a 2:00pm appointment in hand, we were looking forward to our visit to Domaine Pierre Amiot & Fils. I had gone out in the morning to walk in the vineyards immediately around the village and the winery. It turned out to be a good decision, as I had the opportunity to walk in the vines responsible for the wines we would taste later in the day.

Make sure you bring rainwear when you visit Burgundy!

Domaine Pierre Amiot & Fils also has a guest house you can rent via Gites de France. Maybe on a future visit!

Wineries, hotel, B&B, farm equipment vendor, and a bakery pretty much describe Morey-Saint-Denis

With your trusty “Appellations Guide” you can hike around the villages and know exactly which Grand Cru or Premier Cru vineyard you are looking at

Grand Cru vineyards can be on surprisingly flat ground

Soil in Clos de la Roche Grand Cru vineyard

Some clusters aren’t ripe at harvest. They are often left for the birds

Vineyard details

Even on a rainy day, the colors are stunning

Old vines and green harvest grapes dropped to allow the remaining grapes to ripen fully

Grape pomace (seeds, skins & stems) returned to the vineyard for fertilizer

Domaine Pierre Amiot &Fils winery in Morey-Saint-Denis

The winery is run by Chantal (our host), Didier and Jean-Louis, all family members

Frequent reminders of the history here.

Chantal explained we couldn’t tour as much of the winery as usual as they were working today. They were transferring the new wine from tank to barrel. The red hose leads from the tank down to the lower level for filling the barrels

Better than a tour, we could see the winemakers in action

Filling the barrels for the long rest over the winter

Pierre Amiot & Fils farm 8 hectares (about 18 acres) of vineyards

They bottle approximately 30,000 bottles in each vintage. The wines spend 18 months in barrel before bottling.

Time to taste!

Village wines from Gevrey-Chambertin & Morey-Saint-Denis, 1er Cru from Morey-Saint-Denis, and Grand Cru Clos de la Roche

The Aux Charmes was so elegant with a nose of cherries and flowers.

I love the color…

Chantal told us about the unique character of each of the wines.

You’ll have to choose your favorite!

Resources For Your Visit
A couple of key points before your visit:

• Winery visits in Burgundy (like much of Europe) require a reservation. I would highly recommend you limit yourself to one morning visit and one afternoon visit. Leave time to explore the villages and the vineyards!
• Dinner reservations are also key. There certainly are wine bars and casual bistro’s, but even moderate restaurants will fill. You can often get a reservation the same day, just don’t leave it to chance.
• Plan to visit the tourist office in Beaune at the beginning of your visit for lots of advice, maps, and guides (the Appellation Guide, for example)
• The Bourgogne-Wines website is super useful resource for planning your trip. There is an excellent search capability for helping you set up winery visits. You can search on a village, select winegrowers who speak English, and even choose growers who sell from the cellar. Start here.
• You’ll make mistakes and have unexpected adventures. Embrace them, be humble, and have fun!