Road Trip #1: Paris to Burgundy

This will go down as one of the most memorable weeks of my life. Partly because it was a dream come true to attend THE COOK’S ATELIER cooking school and also because it was a trip spent with my mom. I’m sharing our weekend itinerary as it was very doable from Paris if you are looking for an option to get out of town. I’m a big believer on experiencing more than the city life of France… see the countryside! This trip below not only lets you see the lush areas of France but while sipping on the world’s best wines.

The trip started off with us renting a car from Europcar in Paris and then drove straight for CHÂTEAU DE CHAMIREY in Mercurey, France. We enjoyed a private wine tasting which included a lovely walk through the vineyard.

I found my new favorite white wine on this adventure. It’s called Domaine de la Garenne 2016 which was from another domaine in their family.

Fun fact: all the domaines (wineries) in this region can/will team up on your wine order so that you only pay once for shipping.

Next up, Beaune! The bustling Beaune Market is on Wednesdays and Saturdays and so so so dreamy. Wake up early so you don’t have to rush your way through it — as these types of markets are meant to be savored! They have a wonderful brocante at the end of the market. One lady in particular has my favorite stuff at the brocante section, her name is Martine and her husband is François.

The highlight of our trip (and the reason I chose Beaune in the first place) is for THE COOKS ATELIER. This was a full day class revolved around the French kitchen, the heart and soul of the home and gave me a true taste of the French culture. We prepared and cooked a multi-course meal starting with shopping at the market mentioned above and finishing with a giant feast (including a killer cheese board & overflowing wine) shared with our new friends in the class. You will have all the heart eyes for the way this mother and daughter team has decorated their place. The entire space is adorned with copper and French pieces thoughtfully placed. It has reshaped how I want my kitchen to be one day. We cooked everything from cheese puffs,  pork roast with the frenching technique, to strawberry butter cake and madeleines while learning classic cooking techniques. My mom and I both were so inspired by the class and I have so much appreciation for Marjorie and Kendall (the mother & daughter duo) for selflessly sharing their knowledge with us so that we can have a better relationship with what we eat and the people we are sharing it with. I mean what’s not to love about a time dedicated to cherishing food and family?

Now, my mom and I have their new cookbook which has also served as the perfect souvenir to our Burgundy adventures.

We stayed at the “piedde de terre” of The Cook’s Atelier. It was so dreamy! I would recommend that to anyone for the location and the perfectly French aesthetics.

Our favorite dinner was at LA LUNE. What made this dining experience so exceptional was the chef cooking right in front of you. Don’t miss the tuna or plate of vegetables. Reservations necessary. 52, rue de Richelieu, 75001 [website] €€€

We also dined at PIERRE ET JEAN in Chagny. This is a family-owned restaurant with high end French plates.

A quick 15 minute drive took us to CHATEAU DE POMMARD which includes a gorgeous garden of roses that is not-to-be-missed. Then you might as well start your road trip along the ROUTE DES GRAND CRUS. This makes for the perfect afternoon drive through wine villages such as POMMARD, VOLNAY, and MEURSAULT. Speaking of, we found the perfect spot for an al fresco meal on a warm summer day in Volnay called RESTAURAUNT LE CELLIER VOLNAYSIEN.

#WheninBurgundy don’t miss all the wine or the Burgundy-style escargot.

Other notable aspects of our trip was our beautiful drive going through FLEUREY-SUR-OUCHE.

Then I went *back* to Beaune in September with my husband! Additional spots to add from that trip are…

For the road trip, you can’t go wrong with any of these charming French towns on the way to Beaune: Montreal, Noyers, Chateauneuf en Auxois, Vezelay, Semur en Auxois, Flavigny, and the whole area around the Burgundy canal.

LES PÔPIETTES – Delicious food located in the center of Beaune. They clearly base their menu on the season. So so so good. I would recommend making a reservation in advance.

Domaines to hit up in the Burgundy region… DOMAINE HENRI & GILLES BUISSON (located in Saint-Romain) and BOUZEREAU-GRUÈRE HUBERT (located in Meursault).

I do suggest a bike rental while in Beaune so that you can ride the “Route des Grands Cru” (as opposed to by car). Bike rental companies to choose from are Bourgogne Evasion and Bourgogne Randonnées.

You can read additional travel tips about the fairytale French town of Beaune here.

Road Trip #2: Paris to the South of France

Details coming soon for this road trip! But I’ll go ahead and share the line up that we did! 

Resources:

• The Provence Post: LOCAL MARKETS
• A Beginner’s Guide to Collecting

L’ISLE-SUR-LA-SORGUE

GORDES

BONNIEUX – we went the second weekend of July with full intentions of hitting the lavender fields and it worked! They were gorgeous right in the valley under Bonnieux. Drive that way and you can’t miss them! Lavender season is June – August.

AIX-EN-PROVENCE

MARSEILLES – must shop at MAISON EMPERUR and might be my favorite store in France!

CASSIS – our favorite town on the trip!

AVIGNON

SAINT-REMY-DE-PROVENCE

I offer customized itineraries that you can email me about at prepforparis@gmail.com.