In an atmospheric cellar beneath a 15th-century church, taste some of Burgundy’s best bottles and buy a few to enjoy at your leisure.
The Marché aux Vins Winery is an atmospheric setting for sampling wine as you learn about Burgundy’s long winemaking heritage. After your tasting, visit the shop to buy a bottle of your favorite vintage to bring home. Choose from over 22,000 bottles, including rare bottles and old vintages that date back as far as 1958.
Be sure to ask your guide about the fascinating history of the Cordeliers Church, which houses the winery. While the exact year of its construction is unknown, historians date the building between the late 14th and early 15th centuries. The church remained in use for centuries, but closed and became a grain market. Eventually, much of the church was torn down to build the Rue de l’Hôtel-Dieu. The remainder was sealed and forgotten until the 1970s, when construction began on the cellars. Remarkably, three chapels from the old church remain.
Start your visit in the cellars. In these spectacular surroundings, your guide will teach you the history of Burgundy wines and the ways that production has changed over the centuries.
The wines offered here are mostly from Beaune and the surrounding Côte d’Or region. In Burgundy, white wines are made from chardonnay grapes and red wines use pinot noir grapes. Taste the many excellent selections of chablis, pouilly-fuissé and bubbly crémants de Bourgogne.
After the tasting, head upstairs to the shop to buy a Burgundy bottle. Options range from modestly priced regional varietals to premier cru and grand cru appellations. The Marché aux Vins also has a section selling gourmet foods from the Burgundy region. All goods for sale have been vetted to ensure they are the highest quality and that producers use sustainable business practices.
The Marché aux Vins Winery is open daily in the spring, summer and fall. The market closes each year for a short time around the winter holidays, so be sure to check the opening hours on the official website. Make reservations for tours and tastings online prior to your visit. Tastings are available at a range of prices.
