Backroads Bourgogne Wine Tour

Wander through the enchanting backroads of Bourgogne—where rustic charm meets exceptional wines, and every turn invites a new discovery off the beaten path.

October 26 – 31, 2025

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6 days

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Led by Andrew Jefford

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Sold Out

Expert Instruction

In depth instruction and insight from award-winning author, editor and Wine Scholar Guild’s long-standing Academic Advisor, Andrew Jefford; one of the most respected voices in the wine world.

Experience the Road Less Traveled

Venture off the beaten path and explore Bourgogne’s less travelled lieux dit. Deepen your understanding and embrace a more authentic side of Bourgogne visiting vineyards and villages unknown to many.

Uncover the Beauty of Beaujolais

Explore the beautiful hills of Beaujolais. Known for its vibrant wines and stunning landscape. Discover why this neighboring region is gaining attention and how its wines contrast with those of Bourgogne.

About Backroads Bourgogne

This educational wine tour is for Bourgogne explorers and adventurers: those who already know the essential outlines of the region and would like to expand and deepen their knowledge by taking “the road less travelled”. We'll begin our tour by travelling to the Auxerrois where we will visit Irancy and St-Bris-le-Vineux.

The next two days sees our intrepid group scouring the less well-known villages of the Côte d'Or. Stops may include visits to Marsannay, Fixin, Pernand-Vegelesses, Savigny-lès-Beaune, St Aubin, Auxey-Duresses, St Romain, Monthelie or Maranges, with a visit to a top producer in the Hautes Côtes as well. We then head for the Mâconnais with winery visits in villages such as Quintaine/Clessé, Pierreclos, Vergisson and Fuissé.

Our final focus is on Beaujolais, where we visit village crus like Fleurie, Morgon, Côte de Brouilly or Moulin-a-Vent, with a final stop among the pierres dorées (golden stones) of Chardonnay-friendly Southern Beaujolais.

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About This Tour

This Study Abroad educational wine tour caters to passionate wine enthusiasts and professionals. Guided by Andrew Jefford, a leading regional expert, it offers guests the chance to thoroughly explore the terroirs, vineyards, wine estates and production processes behind some of the region's most notable domaines, while participating in exclusive tastings of their celebrated wines.

Participants will have the opportunity to meet winemakers and learn from some of the most distinguished names in the wine industry. Guests are kindly asked to arrive prepared having read the educational materials provided by WSG prior to the tour start date.

What's Included

Experience an immersive wine experience curated by the esteemed journalist Andrew Jefford. Enjoy a backstage pass with exclusive tours, tutored tastings and gourmet delights on the roads less travelled. 

Expert instruction throughout the tour by award-winning author, journalist and WSG Academic Advisor, Andrew Jefford.

Seamless travel support from your Tour Manager, Mary Kirk, providing impeccable customer service and logistical guidance throughout your journey.

2 Nights at 4-star Hôtel 360 Panorama in Mâcon (double occupancy).

4 Gourmet lunches paired with top-quality wines hand-selected and representative of the region.

Professional-level tours and extensive wine tastings at top-quality wine producers throughout the region.

3 Nights at 5-star Grand Hôtel La Cloche in the center of Dijon (double occupancy).

2 Exquisite dinners paired with beautiful wines hand-selected by your tour instructor and manager.

Welcome drink with your tour instructor and manager upon arrival.

Price per-person, double occupancy. Download the brochure to get detailed pricing.

Itinerary & Pricing

Join the waitlist!

Enter your name and email to receive the full itinerary and to be notified by email if a seat becomes available.

Meet Your Expert Guides

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Andrew Jefford

Your Wine Tour Instructor

Wine writer since 1988. Author of The New France (2002), Whisky Island (2005), Andrew Jefford’s Wine Course (2008), and Drinking with the Valkyries: Writings on Wine (2022). Andrew is Academic Advisor at Wine Scholar Guild as well as Contributing Editor and columnist for Decanter Magazine, The Financial Times, The Guardian and World of Fine Wine. Throughout his award-winning career, Andrew has recieved 8 Glenfiddich Awards, 8 Champagne Roederer Awards and is also the Co-Chair of the “Decanter World Wine Awards,” the world's largest wine competition. 

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Mary Kirk

Your Wine Tour Manager

Mary is Wine Scholar Guild’s Study Abroad Tour Manager. French-American, and raised between Washington State and France, she has been leading fine wine tours in France for over 15 years and has been working with WSG since 2015. Mary’s other activities include teaching Wine Studies at culinary academies in Paris such as Le Cordon Bleu, Ferrandi Gastronomic School of Paris and Butler Academy in Paris. Additionally, Mary hosts educational wine events and consults professionally on French wine throughout the US and European market. She is a DipWSET, FWS and certified French Sommelier-Conseil.

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Why travel with WSG?

Top wine industry professionals and regional experts as instructors

Service of tour manager offering customer service and logistics support during the trip

Professional-level visits with educational objectives

Tastings of dozens of top-quality wines during estate visit and included meals

Opportunity to meet the producers and local specialists

Access to wine estates often closed to the public

Join a community of fellow wine professionals and serious enthusiasts

What our customers say

Frequently Asked Questions

  • You’ll learn so much more than you would on your own! During WSG tours, our internationally renowned instructors are always with you; providing fascinating information, answering questions, and clarifying facts and figures to ensure understanding of the nuances and subtleties of each region and its wine styles.
  • Camaraderie! And the experience of exploring new wine regions with other like-minded individuals who are just as passionate and obsessive about great wine as you are!
  • Access to amazing wine tastings and estates you would not be able to visit on your own. With personal and long-standing relationships in each of the regions we operate, WSG has some of the highest-level contacts in the industry. As a WSG study abroad participant, you will have the opportunity to taste incredible wines at each estate and will be welcomed as an honored guest everywhere you go.
  • All our WSG instructors have lived or worked in France, Italy, Spain, or other countries in which we operate, for many years. This has allowed them to cultivate extensive experience and contacts within the region. You’ll get expert information about the wine business, and an insider’s take on local culture.
  • Avoid taking chances on hotels or restaurants you don’t know.  With more than a decade of experience, our guides use first-hand knowledge to select the best hotels and restaurants for your enjoyment.
  • Make the most of your travel time! Our itineraries minimize driving to ensure you receive a thorough overview of the region, taking in the breathtaking landscapes and amazing wine culture of each respective region.
  • Avoid driving, navigating or directions. Feel free to relax and enjoy wine your meals in the comfort of a safe and carefully curated learning environment.
  • Your WSG instructor and Tour Manager will translate for the group at all times, eliminating communication or language barriers, as many winemakers in France, Italy and Spain may have limited English proficiency.

Preparing for the trip

Please ask the instructor if there is enough time before the end of the visit for you to make your purchase without impeding the progress and timing of the trip.

It is very rare that estates offer international shipping. If you would like to purchase wine, we recommend that you ask your government’s customs office for their rules and regulations if you intend to bring wine back into your country, or have wine shipped to you. You always have the option of bringing wine home with you in your checked luggage. A specialized wine suitcase is perfect for this. Depending on your home country, this amount will vary.

You may have to pay some amount of duty on your wine when you go through customs. Therefore, it's best to check with your local authorities for further information.

TRANSPORTATION, FOOD & LODGING

We choose 4-star hotels to ensure a high level of comfort, including en-suite bathrooms, WiFi and air conditioning.  It’s very important for the hotels to be well situated in the region, to keep driving time and distance to a minimum. We want to make sure you are as close as possible to the vineyards and other local sites of interest. The hotels we choose also must be large enough to accommodate groups.

We thoroughly check each hotel before including it in a WSG tour or program. In wine regions that are large and spread out, you may change hotels once or twice during a week-long stay (to keep driving times to a minimum each day). In other regions, there may be only one centrally located hotel.

Organizers & Instructors

Our tour instructors are among the most renowned and respected wine professionals in the wine business. They are also professional wine educators who are absolutely passionate about the region and its wines. You can see a full biography of the instructor for each trip on the corresponding page, so you can know exactly with whom you'll be touring and learning. Most are native English speakers (American or British), and all other instructors speak English fluently.

Our instructors have that special combination of high-level wine expertise, personal warmth, friendliness, and excellent leadership skills. They'll accompany you every day, throughout the trip, and will be able to answer all of your questions about the wines of the region you’ll be visiting (and about wine in general).

Booking a trip

Yes, we strongly encourage you to purchase a very comprehensive travel insurance package once you have paid your non-refundable deposit for a Study Trip. Note that many plans require you to purchase the insurance very soon after your deposit payment (some require it within 14 days). There are any number of things that can happen that can cause cancellation or interruption of package travel, and travel insurance can help cover the costs you incur as a result.

You can find travel insurers easily and there are sites where you can compare policies (for example, Insure My Trip). Be sure to read policies very carefully before you purchase. Include your airfare, train fare, and any other expenses you will have in addition to the price of the study trip itself. We highly recommend getting a “cancel for any reason” policy, which offers the best coverage. Travel experts say “if you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel,” so don’t skimp on this important coverage!

Have a different question? Feel free to contact us.

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