What a stroke of luck to live in France and be able to enjoy the most beautiful vineyards in the world, and the most varied terroirs. Oenotourism is developing throughout the country, offering the opportunity to discover vineyards that are all different from one another. Let's set off on a tour of France's hotels in the middle of vineyards and the best vineyards.
Discover the Club Travellers Society : Up to 25% off the finest hotels
Baumanière, Alpilles
Baumanière – ©L. Parrault
An institution of hospitality and fine dining, that's how one can summarize Baumanière, 3 Michelin stars since 2020 and one of the very best Michelin-starred restaurant in France. Nestled at the foot of the cliffs of Les Baux-de-Provence, its vast garden, spa, and guest rooms—elegantly decorated by Geneviève Charial—have been attracting celebrities and gourmet connoisseurs for decades. Chef Glenn Viel offers a journey through the flavors of the Alpilles region as well as a vegetarian «100%» menu, and guests can explore the wines of Provence by asking to taste «L’Affectif,» the biodynamic AOC “Baux-de-Provence” cuvée from Jean-André Charial, the owner.
The establishment, for its part, is a wellness hotel of choice with its three XXL outdoor pools and its Sisley spa, which is among the most pleasant spas in PACA (Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur).
The hotel in the vineyards of Baux de Provence
We have a wealth of choices for tours with Baumanière as a starting point. The Alpilles vineyards, of course, and their legendary estates like Château Romanin, founded in 1987 by Jean-André Charial and Pierre Peyraud, pioneers of biodynamics in France, or the Domaine de Trévallon, a true Petrus of Provence and yet a «simple» IGP Alpilles. Other estates like Hauvette or Mas Sainte Berthe also cultivate excellence within 10 km of this emblematic hotel. Wine route of Provence, for which a ready-made itinerary is available here on the great website YONDER.FR.
Baumanière – Les Baux-de-Provence
D27, Mas de Baumanière, 13520 Les Baux-de-Provence
Learn more about Baumanière Les Baux de Provence
2. Château de l'Epinay, Anjou
One of the most beautiful natural pools in France, an 18th-century château with all the modern comforts of a beautiful 4-star hotel, dozens of activities, and an immense park with a branch of the river, lavender fields, a tennis court, a lawn for horses, or a large organic permaculture vegetable garden. This is the setting of Château de l’Epinay, 25 minutes from Angers. An ideal setting for those who aspire to peace and rejuvenation in the heart of the countryside. We also appreciate the spa (steam room, massage rooms), the outdoor jacuzzi, and the cuisine of the young Italian chef who sources vegetables grown at the chateau.
The hotel is a stone's throw from the Savennières and Anjou vineyards.
We're diving into the Loire Valley's terroir, a prime destination for wine tourism, with the neighboring appellations of Savennières, Coteaux-du-Layon, and Quarts de Chaumes, and their world-renowned white wines. The Domaine du Closel and its Château des Vaults is well worth a visit. Organically farmed since 2009 and certified biodynamic in 2015, you'll learn a great deal about the clean, biodiversity-respecting cultivation pioneered here. The ultimate experience remains, of course, a visit to Coulée de Serrant, managed by Nicolas Joly, whose nectars are regularly hailed as the best white wines in the world.
Château de l'Epinay
L'Epinay, 49170 Saint-Georges-sur-Loire
Learn more about Le Château de l’Épinay
3. La Côte Saint-Jacques & Spa, Burgundy
Saint-Jacques Coast It is quite simply the most beautiful spa hotel in Burgundy, an ideal setting for a relaxing break, whether for a weekend or longer. You can pamper yourself in the 800-square-meter spa and the long heated indoor pool, a solarium, and an intimate jacuzzi overlooking the river, while taking care of your figure at Jean-Michel Lorain's 2-Michelin-star restaurant. His specialties? Truffled cabbage rolls, pollack fillet with oscietra caviar, and chicken in champagne steam... all wonderfully paired with the avant-garde wine cellar featuring a rare selection of natural, organic, and biodynamic wines.
The hotel, just below the vineyards of Joigny
A stone's throw from Chablis and the Auxerrois vineyards, a stone's throw from the prestigious Côtes de Beaune and Côtes de Nuits, you'll be spoiled for choice! And if you can't bring yourself to leave your room, know that the commune of Joigny produces AOC Bourgogne wines over some forty hectares. Saint-Jacques Hill, on the hill just above the hotel. From up there, you also enjoy a sublime view of the town of Joigny.
La Côte Saint-Jacques & Spa
14 Faubourg de Paris, 89300 Joigny
Learn more about La Côte Saint-Jacques & Spa
Discover the Club Travellers Society : Up to 25% off the finest hotels
4. Fleur de Loire, Loir-et-Cher
Another chef making waves. Christophe Hay and his cuisine, awarded two Michelin stars, represents the ultimate prize for fish lovers. The chef, who also owns the 5-star hotel where the restaurant is located, offers cuisine rooted in the local terroir, featuring freshwater fish (caught in the Loire), local products (caviar, game, and Sologne Wagyu beef), and herbs and vegetables from the hotel's garden. After such a meal, you can visit the Château de Blois, just a 10-minute walk away, the Château de Chambord (only 15 km away), Chenonceau, Chaumont, or take a bike ride along the Loire River using the bicycles provided for hotel guests.
The hotel near the Cheverny vineyard
The stars here are the two AOCs, Cheverny and Cour-Cheverny, a white wine made solely from the Romorantin grape, introduced by Francis I from Burgundy. At Fleur de Loire, you can taste the white Cheverny “Frileuse” from Clos du Tue-Boeuf or the red «Mes Racines» from Domaine de Montcy.
Flower of the Loire
Quai Villebois Mareuil, 41000 Blois
Learn more about Fleur de Loire
5. Château de Fonscolombe, Provence
It's not for nothing that Queen Elizabeth II chose this property to stay on, and even gifted it a cedar tree, under which one can have tea today. Fonscolombe Castle is the place to live a chateau life in the Provençal countryside. Completely renovated in the style of the era but with a modern vision and comfort, the castle lounges invite you on a journey through time, while enjoying the luxury of a superb 5-star hotel, a member of Relais & Châteaux. You can relax in the manicured park or by the heated swimming pool, which has been set up in an old priest's basin.
The hotel in the vineyards of Provence
Fonscolombe Castle is literally in the middle of vineyards, and the estate produces its own organic wine, which can be enjoyed during dinner at the château's restaurant, L'Orangerie.
Heading north, the vineyards of Châteauneuf-du-Pape are just an hour away, with emblematic estates such as Beaucastel, Le Clos des Papes — whose 2005 cuvée was named best wine in the world by The Wine Spectator magazine — Château de Vaudieu, and Domaine Saint-Préfert owned by Isabel Ferrando.
Near Aix, you'll visit the Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence, with Château Beaulieu, whose vineyards are planted in the heart of an ancient volcano, Villa Minna and its powerful, regularly awarded wines, or Château Beaupré.
Château de Fonscolombe
Route de Saint-Canadet, 13610 Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade
Learn more about Château de Fonscolombe
