Discover the vineyards and villages of charming Burgundy by bike

Imbecile! Idiot! shouted the estate manager of a vineyard just outside the village of Puligny-Montrachet as I took a shortcut through his vines. He waved a tool.

“I thought he was going to shoot you,” my girlfriend said later.

Yes, I admit that I take the idea of ​​exploring Burgundy’s vineyards by bicycle too literally. The vehemence of the vineyard manager was a clear testament to how precious the French are about their treasured crops.

Meanwhile, it feels virtuous to pedal the length of a wine region. Minimal carbon footprint and all.

There are no strenuous climbs or manic descents, and the organizer, Inntravel, will take care of your luggage between hotels.

Our six day journey took us from Macon in southern Burgundy north to the ancient city of Beaune. We cycled about 15 miles a day, unaccompanied, but the route was meticulously planned and signposted. They were mainly special paths along canals or traffic-free routes on old railway lines.

Taking the two-wheeled route through rural France touches the heart of the nation. You pass villages just as devout locals stream into morning mass, admiring their pride in their vintage cars and observing the sweat of the farm hands, diligently pruning, weeding and spraying the vines under the heat of the midday sun.

There was further evidence of their impressive self-sufficiency in Cluny’s bustling food and craft market. We stared hungrily at the rows of browning chickens on a rotisserie, drizzling grease on sizzling potatoes below; and by the vast amount of local vegetables loaded into the locals’ frayed wicker baskets. Not a plastic bag to be seen.

Simon reveals he traveled 140 miles on the route and tasted 25 wines along the way (file image)

There was a van that offered Burgundy wine tasting. ‘Is it €10 a glass or a bottle?’ I inquired in pigeon French.

“Les Anglais!” laughed the locals. It was by the bottle, of course.

A bike ride also quickly acquaints you with French intransigence. Pastries and bakeries routinely close at noon and not a minute later. “A baguette s’il vous plait?” we asked plaintively at 12:01am through a half-open door. “Non, pas du tout!” came the inexorable answer.

Looking for lunch after a hot drive up the hill to Mercurey, we arrived at a sunny restaurant terrace at 2:05pm. Village shops are fermé without explanation on random days. The sign at the entrance to the chateau advertised wine tastings from 10am. “Ce n’est pas possible,” a female voice replied when I pressed the intercom shortly after noon.

Simon ventured to the fortified town of Givry one evening for supper. Above are vines near the city

After a five hour drive on the albeit flat 40 kilometers from Cluny to Dracy-le-Fort, the two swimming pools and spa at the contemporary Hotel Le Dracy were most welcome.

We ventured into the fortified town of Givry for dinner but paid €38 for a taxi. We feared the same on our return, but Hendrik, the chef of bistro La Cadole, brought us back for free.

The highlight of our trip was a drive through undulating vineyards in glorious weather to the majestic Chateau de Chamirey and a tasting on the rooftop veranda.

The owner, Bertrand Devillard, pointed out the different terroirs – some with more reddish soil or a steeper slope than others – from which each of the wines, three chardonnay and three pinot noir, are derived.

In Cluny’s (above) bustling food and craft market, Simon “stared hungrily at rows of browning chickens on a rotisserie, drizzling grease on sizzling potatoes below”

Simon passes through the prestigious wine villages of Meursault, Volnay and Pommard (photo). “You smell wealth here,” he says

Wine laws like me ask questions like, “Why don’t the French put the name of the grape, say Chardonnay, on the bottle?” were more than tolerated.

‘Because a chardonnay from one terroir tastes very different from that of the one harvested terroir,’ was his answer.

Cycling 12 miles back after six glasses of wine was irresponsible, but Inntravel provides detailed route notes not only to, but from, your chosen castle, recognizing that you may have had a few.

On day four, we headed north from the market town of Chalon-sur-Soane to Puligny-Montrachet, riding mostly along the towpath of the Canal du Centre, passing barges and pleasure craft trapped in locks.

Simon says he felt a ‘touch of pride’ as he cycled to his final destination, the walled city of Beaune (above)

We picnicked on local cheese and hand-picked cherries from an overhanging tree, before arriving at the elegant Hotel le Montrachet in the main town square.

On day five we stuck to estate roads from the premier cru vineyards, through the prestigious wine villages of Meursault, Volnay and Pommard. You smell wealth here, especially when you see the size of the wine merchant houses.

We felt a touch of pride as we finally entered the walled city of Beaune, celebrating with a traditional Burgundy lunch of garlic escargots, eggs poached in red wine and a bottle of Nuits St Georges.

Beaune’s supposed raison d’être is wine. But another focus is health. Maybe those two are connected.

The centerpiece of the town is the imposing, 15th-century Hotel-Dieu, built in 1443 to house the poor and sick after the Hundred Years’ War. It is now a museum and in one of the original rooms we found remedies including woodlice powder, crawfish eye and vomit powder.

Tasting the varied wines of Domaine Moissenet-Bonnard in an atmospheric musty cellar in nearby Pommard was a better aperitif for our last dinner in Montrachet.

We traveled 140 miles, tasted 25 wines and ate several dishes without ever feeling exhausted or bloated.