Dijon: Burgundy Wine Tasting Masterclass & Local Pairings

4.99

(141 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

He’s already pouring the first glass before I’ve even settled into my seat — that’s how it starts. Our guide, Florian (he said to call him Flo), grins and asks if anyone actually knows what “terroir” means or if we’re all just pretending. Someone laughs. The room smells like fresh bread and something earthy — maybe the wood shelves or just the wine itself, I can’t tell yet. It’s late afternoon in Dijon but inside it could be any time at all.

Flo walks us through how to taste Burgundy wine properly — not just sipping, but really noticing things. He tells us about the different grapes (I keep mixing up Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, he doesn’t mind), and explains why the same grape tastes so different depending on which village it comes from. There’s a map on the wall with tiny dots for every vineyard; he points out names I can’t pronounce. We try six wines, including a Premier Cru that makes me pause — there’s this sharpness at first, then something soft underneath. Cheese arrives next, then charcuterie, both local. The cheese is creamy and salty at once; I keep reaching for more without thinking.

I ask about reading Burgundy labels (honestly, they always confuse me) and Flo breaks it down step by step. He jokes that even locals get lost sometimes with all the rules here. It’s not rushed at all — people ask questions about history, climate, even how many bottles a small producer might make in a year. At one point someone tries to say “Gevrey-Chambertin” correctly; Flo laughs but helps her out gently.

The whole thing feels more like hanging out than a class. I catch myself watching the light shift across the bottles as we talk about old harvest traditions and how weather changes everything here — rain one year means a totally different taste next year. By the end I’m not sure if I know everything about Burgundy (probably not), but I do know I want to come back someday just to sit in that room again with another glass.