Sober private driver · Beaujolais · Burgundy · Côtes du Rhône · Personalised itinerary · Fixed prices
Lyon is one of the most fortunate cities on earth for wine lovers. Three major appellation regions lie within an hour's drive in different directions: Beaujolais to the north, Burgundy to the north-east, and the northern Côtes du Rhône — Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Crozes-Hermitage — to the south. No other French city of equivalent size can claim the same proximity to wine regions of this calibre.
Our private wine tour service provides a sober, licensed chauffeur who drives you between producers while you taste, buy and enjoy the landscape. There is no meter running, no shared minibus, no fixed group schedule — the day is yours, and the itinerary is built around your preferences: whether you want three grand cru Burgundy estates, a morning among Beaujolais Crus villages followed by a cellar lunch, or a full day exploring the granite slopes of Côte-Rôtie above the Rhône.
We can help plan the itinerary including producer recommendations, appointment booking at artisan cellars not normally open to walk-ins, and restaurant suggestions for lunch or dinner in the wine country. Wine purchases made during the tour are transported home in a protective bag we carry in every vehicle.
Per vehicle · Sober private driver · Personalised itinerary · All tolls included
Book My Wine Tour Call to Plan Your TourThe Beaujolais wine region begins just 30 km north of Lyon, making it the most accessible major wine appellation in France for a day trip. The ten Beaujolais Crus — Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Morgon, Brouilly, Régnié, Chénas, Chiroubles, Côte de Brouilly, Juliénas and Saint-Amour — each have a distinct granite-driven personality that surprises visitors expecting simple Beaujolais Nouveau.
A typical full-day Beaujolais tour departs Lyon at 09:00, visits the Beaujolais Crus villages by car, stops at three or four artisan producers for guided tastings in the cellar, includes lunch at a traditional bouchon lyonnais in a village like Villié-Morgon or Fleurie, then returns to Lyon by 18:00. The route covers approximately 120 km — all driven by your sober chauffeur.
Producers we visit regularly include Château Thivin (Côte de Brouilly), Domaine Marcel Lapierre (Morgon), Domaine du Vissoux (Fleurie) and Jean-Paul Brun at Terres Dorées — all small producers who receive visitors by appointment. We can arrange access on your behalf when you book at least 72 hours in advance.
Burgundy produces what many wine critics consider the world's finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The Côte d'Or — the golden slope between Dijon and Beaune — contains more Premier Cru and Grand Cru appellations per kilometre than any other wine region on earth. Romanée-Conti, Chambolle-Musigny, Gevrey-Chambertin, Meursault and Montrachet are not just wine names — they are limestone hillsides that have been tended for over a thousand years.
Our Burgundy wine tour departs Lyon and reaches Beaune in approximately 1h15 via the A6. The itinerary can be structured around a visit to the mediaeval Hospices de Beaune (the 15th-century hospital whose annual wine auction is the most famous in the world), followed by estate visits in the Côte de Nuits (Gevrey-Chambertin, Nuits-Saint-Georges) or the Côte de Beaune (Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Pommard).
For guests whose schedule allows two days, a Burgundy circuit can be combined with a night in Beaune — one of the most beautiful small wine towns in France — followed by morning tastings before returning to Lyon. We can recommend accommodation in Beaune and liaise with producers for private tastings not normally available to the public.
The northern Rhône Valley begins just 60 km south of Lyon — the closest major wine region to the city. Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Saint-Joseph, Cornas and Hermitage are appellations recognised worldwide but often overlooked by visitors who head straight to Beaujolais or Burgundy. This is a mistake the northern Rhône's producers are quietly grateful for: tasting rooms are less crowded, cellar doors are more accessible, and prices for wines of equivalent quality remain considerably lower than Burgundy.
Condrieu produces Viognier of extraordinary aromatic complexity — the grape that launched Viognier's worldwide popularity. Hermitage is a single 136-hectare granite hill that produces both the most powerful Syrah in France (from Jaboulet, Chapoutier and Chave) and a rare white Hermitage Blanc of extraordinary longevity. Côte-Rôtie — the roasted slope — produces the most elegant northern Rhône Syrah, sometimes blended with up to 20 % Viognier.
A half-day Rhône Valley tour departs Lyon at 09:00, reaches Tain-l'Hermitage at 10:15, visits Chapoutier and a smaller artisan producer, has lunch overlooking the river in Tournon or Tain, and returns to Lyon by 16:00. A full day extends to Condrieu and the vineyards of Côte-Rôtie above the town of Ampuis.
Select Beaujolais, Burgundy or the Côtes du Rhône. Tell us your preferred wine styles (red, white, natural) and any producers you want to visit.
We suggest a personalised itinerary of 3–5 cellar visits, including producers not normally open to walk-ins, and coordinate tasting appointments on your behalf.
Your licensed chauffeur collects you from your hotel, apartment or Lyon Airport at the agreed time in a Mercedes-Benz with a protective wine bag for purchases.
Taste freely at every cellar. Your driver is sober throughout the day and returns you safely to Lyon at the end of the afternoon.
Your driver does not drink during the tour. You have total freedom to taste as much as you wish at every producer. No driving rotation, no designated driver stress within your group.
We work with small Beaujolais, Burgundy and Rhône producers who do not advertise to the public. Access requires a prior appointment — which we arrange on your behalf when you book in advance.
This is not a shared minibus tour. The vehicle, the driver and the itinerary are entirely yours for the day. You decide when to linger at a cellar you love and when to move on.
The price confirmed at booking covers the full day, regardless of traffic or extra time spent at a cellar you fall in love with. No meter, no per-kilometre surcharges.
We carry a protective wine bag in every vehicle. Bottles purchased during the tour travel safely to your hotel. For case purchases, we can coordinate direct shipping with the producer.
We know the best cellar-door restaurants, village bouchons and Michelin-listed tables in each wine region. We can book your lunch or dinner as part of the full itinerary service.
Beaujolais (30 km north), the northern Côtes du Rhône — Tain-l'Hermitage, Condrieu (60 km south) — and Burgundy's Côte d'Or around Beaune (80 km north-east) are all reachable for a comfortable full-day tour. Combining two regions in one day is possible for guests who prefer breadth over depth.
For large estates and négociants with public tasting rooms, walk-in visits are often possible. For smaller artisan producers — which are typically the most interesting — an appointment is required. We recommend booking your tour at least 72 hours in advance so we can coordinate cellar appointments on your behalf.
Our Mercedes E-Class carries 1–3 passengers. The V-Class carries up to 7. For wine groups of 4–7, the V-Class is ideal — everyone travels together and shares the same tasting experience. For larger groups (8–14), we can arrange two vehicles with a combined itinerary.
Yes. We carry a padded protective wine bag in every vehicle capable of holding 6–12 bottles safely. For case purchases (6+ bottles), most producers offer direct shipping to your home address in France or internationally — we can facilitate this conversation at the cellar.
The tour price covers the private vehicle and licensed chauffeur for the day. Lunch and tasting fees at cellars are paid separately and directly to the restaurant or producer. We can recommend and book restaurants in each wine region on your behalf — just let us know your preferences when enquiring.