Visiting Small Burgundy Domaines: Appointments and Etiquette

Visiting small Burgundy domaines means tasting at family estates such as Domaine Molin in Fixin, which farms 8 hectares, Domaine Lucien et Fanny Rocault in Saint-Romain, with 12, and Domaine Courtault Michelet in Lignorelles, with 28.

The BIVB, the Bourgogne wine board, says that a tasting in the cellar or at the property is a moment shared with the winegrower. This page covers how appointments work, languages, etiquette, fees and where to find family domaines open to visitors in the Côte de Nuits, the Côte de Beaune, Chablis and the Mâconnais.

For appointment rules and fees at the larger houses and châteaux, see Booking Burgundy Domaine Visits.

Getting there

The fastest train from Paris to the vineyards is the direct TGV from Paris Gare de Lyon to Mâcon-Loché TGV, in 1 hour 30 minutes. Bus line E links Mâcon-Loché TGV with Mâcon-Ville station.

Direct TGVs from Paris Gare de Lyon reach Dijon in 1 hour 35 minutes. From Dijon, the TER reaches Gevrey-Chambertin, 15 km away, in under 10 minutes. Beaune is 2 hours 15 minutes from Paris with a change at Dijon.

For Chablis, take the TER from Paris-Bercy to Auxerre-Saint-Gervais, about 1 hour 45 minutes. Chablis has no station and lies 20 km from Auxerre. Rent a car at the station. By road, the A6, A31 and A38 highways serve Beaune.

For more detail, see Paris to Beaune by train, Getting to Chablis and Burgundy without a car.

When to go

Domaines receive visitors all year, but the Beaune tourist office says some estates are less available in September and October because of the harvest and cellar work. From November to March, fewer wineries are open.

Some family domaines take appointments all year. Domaine Girard Philippe in Savigny-lès-Beaune receives visitors by appointment throughout the year. Domaine Lucien et Fanny Rocault in Saint-Romain takes appointments every morning, Monday to Sunday, all through 2026.

Others keep seasonal hours. Château de Melin in Auxey-Duresses opens its tasting from March 10 to October 30, 2026. Domaine Alain Geoffroy in Beine opens Monday to Friday, plus Saturdays between May and October.

Several domaines close on weekends. Domaine Tortochot in Gevrey-Chambertin and Château de Melin close on Saturdays and Sundays, and Domaine Savary in Maligny closes on Sundays and public holidays.

Two village festivals open winegrowers' cellars to visitors. At Easter weekend, the Printemps de Monthélie opens local cellars, with free tastings, tasting walks and music. On the fourth weekend in October, about twenty Auxey-Duresses winegrowers open their cellars for the village festival.

Visiting the estates

Book ahead. The Beaune tourist office advises booking in advance, though some estates accept visits without booking.

How appointments work

Book family domaines directly. Domaine Lucien et Fanny Rocault takes appointments by telephone or text message on 06 19 60 70 96. Bernard Rion in Vosne-Romanée books on 03 80 61 05 31 or at rion@domainerion.fr.

Domaine des Arbillons in Sologny has no online booking: contact it by phone, through its website or with its form. Domaine Molin takes appointments on 03 80 52 21 28, and Domaine Girard Philippe on 03 80 21 57 97.

The Rocault tasting in Saint-Romain takes 1 to 12 people, and Bernard Rion's Superior Vineyard Tour 2 to 8. Bernard Rion's visits need at least 2 people, and its truffle hunt at least 4.

Languages

Cellars with the Vignobles & Découvertes label commit to a welcome in French and other languages. Bernard Rion runs visits in French or English by prior arrangement only. Its Superior Vineyard Tour starts at 10 a.m. in French and 2 p.m. in English.

Domaine Girard Philippe speaks English and Spanish, and Domaine Tortochot German and English. In the Chablis area, Domaine Fourrey, Domaine Courtault Michelet and Domaine Gérard Tremblay work in English. When you book, say which language you need.

Etiquette at the domaine

Pet rules differ. Domaine Girard Philippe and Domaine Savary welcome pets, while Domaine Tortochot and Domaine Gallois in Gevrey-Chambertin don't allow them.

Bernard Rion's cellar has no access for people with reduced mobility. Those visitors taste upstairs or at the Bernard Rion Boutique on rue du Château, opened in 2025.

Cellars signed up to the BIVB's De Vignes en Caves charter give children the Amuse-Toi Avec Découvre ta Bourgogne leaflet of eight wine and vine games. Domaine Alain Geoffroy's individual visit is child-friendly.

Spit as you go if you are driving, or choose a designated driver. The Beaune tourist office recommends car pooling rather than driving solo on the Route des Grands Crus.

Côte de Nuits

The Rion family's domaine in Vosne-Romanée runs cellar visits Monday to Saturday, with five to eight wines and truffle products. Its Authentic visit is private and led by a family member. The Superior Vineyard Tour covers the Vosne-Romanée terroirs with the producer, Monday to Friday, in 1 hour 30 minutes.

Les Trésors de la Côte, also at Bernard Rion, is a truffle hunt with the family dog, followed by a tasting of five wines. It leaves Monday to Friday at 9:30 a.m. and lasts 1 hour 45 minutes.

In Fixin, Armelle and Jean-Michel Molin created their family estate in 1987. It covers 8 hectares, from regional wines to grand cru, with tastings by appointment in the cellar at 4 rue du Chapitre.

Côte de Beaune and the Hautes-Côtes

Domaine Girard Philippe has passed from father to son for over five centuries in Savigny-lès-Beaune. It farms 25 hectares, 60% red and 40% white, and receives visitors in its village cellar by appointment.

The family behind Domaine Lucien et Fanny Rocault has been in Burgundy for 18 generations. The domaine, certified organic, farms 12 hectares in Saint-Romain, mainly Hautes-Côtes de Beaune.

In the hamlet of Orches, Domaine François et Blandine Rocault, run by the 17th generation and also organic, runs its Vis ma Vigne visit once a month on a Saturday at 9:30 a.m. It lasts about 2 hours, takes 5 to 15 people and must be booked.

Château de Melin, on the Route des Grands Crus 12 km south of Beaune, pours more than 12 appellations from wine-by-the-glass dispensers. By appointment only, a member of its team leads a private tasting, followed by a tour of the cellars and the 16th-century winery. It opens Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., and Wednesday mornings.

Chablis

Domaine Fourrey, a 25-hectare family estate in Milly, runs 30-minute individual visits by appointment, with five wines. Domaine Courtault Michelet in Lignorelles, run by Stéphanie and Vincent Michelet, the second generation, runs 15-minute individual visits with six wines, with guided tours by appointment.

Domaine Alain Geoffroy in Beine has been in one family for five generations and farms 55 hectares. Its 60-minute visit with five wines is self-guided at any time, or by appointment. It opens Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to noon and 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., and closes on public holidays.

In Chablis itself, Domaine Gérard Tremblay farms 37 hectares across the four Chablis appellations, run by Eléonore and Vincent, the founders' children. Individual visits last 30 minutes, with guided tours by appointment.

Domaine Savary in Maligny, created in 1984, brings together two winegrowing families of the Chablis region on 20 hectares. It runs cellar visits and tastings Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon and 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Mâconnais

Near Mâcon, the Luquet family has passed its Fuissé estate down through six generations. It farms 31 hectares in eight villages and offers cellar and vineyard visits with a tasting, Monday to Saturday from October 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027, in English.

Domaine des Arbillons in Sologny, halfway between Cluny and Mâcon, starts with a walk through the vines, then the barrel cellar and winery, in French and English. Through December 31, 2026, it receives visitors Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Finding open domaines

Burgundy has more than 260 tourist cellars with the Vignobles & Découvertes label, the French certification for wine tourism. Certified estates pass the Bourgogne Wine Tourism Quality audit and display the sign at their entrance. Chablis has been a Vignobles & Découvertes destination since 2012, and participating cellars show the label's green logo.

The Gevrey-Chambertin Nuits-Saint-Georges tourist office lists 165 winegrowers and trading houses. Its offices are on +33 3 80 34 38 40 in Gevrey-Chambertin and +33 3 80 62 11 17 in Nuits-Saint-Georges.

What it costs

Some small domaines charge nothing. Individual visits are free at Domaine Fourrey and Domaine Courtault Michelet. At Domaine Alain Geoffroy in Beine, a group visit costs €7.50 ($8). Domaine Gérard Tremblay charges groups €5 ($5).

In the Mâconnais, Luquet's tour and tasting costs up to €8 ($9), and Domaine des Arbillons starts at €10 ($11). Château de Melin charges €10–39 ($11–42), and Domaine Savary €13–60 ($14–65).

Bernard Rion prices each visit per person:

• Discovery, 5 wines in 40 minutes: €18 ($19)
• VIP, 6 wines in 45 minutes: €32 ($35)
• Signature, 6 wines in 1 hour: €50 ($54)
• Superior Vineyard Tour: €70 ($76)
• Les Trésors de la Côte: €85 ($92)
• Authentic private visit, 8 wines: €100 ($108)

In Gevrey-Chambertin, Domaine Gallois charges €25–220 ($27–238) and Domaine Tortochot €40–250 ($43–270). Ask about the fee when you book at Domaine Molin, Domaine Girard Philippe and Domaine Lucien et Fanny Rocault.

Before you go

• Stay on the edge of the rows without walking between the vines, especially if they have been treated recently.
• Don't touch the grapes or vines.
• Watch for farm machinery, which has priority on the vineyard paths.

For the wider region, see Burgundy.