When planning a European river cruise, the Danube, the Rhine and the Seine are often top of mind, but for cruisers interested in the river less traveled, France’s Saône is a picturesque and delicious alternative. AmaWaterways’ new seven-night Flavors of Burgundy itinerary sails from Dijon to Lyon, stopping at less-familiar ports of call between these two cities. Passengers aboard the 140-passenger AmaCello are introduced to the prestigious Burgundy wine region, widely heralded as the pinnacle of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and the ubiquitous food markets and family-owned boulangeries and patisseries.
Sailing the Saône in May 2024, I enjoyed an amuse bouche of culture and architecture in every port, especially in Dijon. The capital of the Burgundy region is famous as the birthplace of Dijon mustard, but it had much more to offer than this spicy condiment. Sure, I relished my lunch of chicken Dijon, a classic French dish with a creamy, wine-infused sauce, but I also had an appetite for the city’s ancient landmarks.
A city tour introduced the Palace of the Dukes and States of Burgundy, a cluster of regal buildings and courtyards built between the 1300s and the 1800s that now house a museum and city hall. It was the seat of power for the duchy of Burgundy, one of the most influential states in Europe, until it was annexed by the French crown in 1477 and became a royal residence. The imposing complex is a collection of architectural styles that range from Gothic to Neoclassical.
Less grand but equally interesting are the half-timbered Medieval houses in Old Town that have a surprisingly Bavarian style. Tucked into a winding cobblestone lane stands the Maison aux Trois Visages (House with Three Faces). It’s actually two half-timbered houses that look like three because one has two gables.
After a day of hoofing it through the streets, I took a coffee break at Place François Rude, a charming square in the heart of the city. Children went round and round on an old carousel, and dogs drank from a fountain topped by a bronze statue of a grape-stomping winemaker. Bright flowers cascaded down the side of an ancient building, and pigeons scavenged for crumbs along the sun-splashed cobblestones. This moment of being instead doing made me feel like a carefree local enjoying a spring day instead of a tourist with an itinerary. I ordered a second coffee and let the world (and the carousel) go by.
For those who prefer more active pursuits, AmaWaterways offers guided bike tours in Dijon and several other ports of call. Ride along the banks of the Saône from the city of Chalon-sur-Saône to Tournus, a village known for its Romanesque architecture. All that pedaling works up an appetite, so indulge in a meal at one of Tournus’ many Michelin Guide-listed restaurants, such as Le Bouchon Bourguignon.
The next day, I visited Beaune, a fairytale village surrounded by the lush rolling hills of Cote-d’Or, but I wasn’t there just to admire the bucolic landscape. I had a job to do. In Burgundy, wine is aged in French oak barrels, and I was going to make one. Yes, I was going to be a cooper (barrel-maker) for a day.
At Art du Tonneau’s cooperage workshop, an experienced cooper named Daniel demonstrated the barrel-making process. He divided the group into several teams for a friendly competition to see who would be first to successfully assemble a barrel.
Daniel made it look so easy.
My teammates and I set about placing staves vertically inside a metal hoop. Just as we were about to join them together with a metal blocker, the whole thing fell apart like a house of cards. We tried again and ended up with a skirt-shaped structure that flared at the bottom as it should at this stage. To our relief, it stayed put. A quick scan of the room revealed that our opponents were still struggling. We’d won!
Had we continued the process, the barrel would have been toasted to the winemaker’s specifications to extract rich notes of caramel and vanilla. I suspect a bunch of cruise ship passengers weren’t to be trusted with fire, so assembling the barrel was as far as we got. Even so, I discerned that coopers do more than just build storage vessels for the wine; they are architects of flavor. My team celebrated our victory with a glass of red Bordeaux, toasting not only the wine maker, but the cooper. Sante!
For me, part of the beauty of cruising the Saône was the opportunity to meet the people behind the food and wine of the region and hear their stories. Take Caroline Fyot. Her dream of being a winemaker could easily have died on the vine, but she’s the proud co-owner of Chateau de Garnerot, an organic winery in the village of Mercurey in Cote Chalonnaise, one of the foremost appellations in Burgundy.
Viticulture is in the blood of many Burgundy winemakers, but Fyot isn’t a descendant of winemaking royalty. The Dijon native didn’t grow up running through the verdant vineyards of her family’s ancient estate and picking up pearls of winemaking wisdom from her elders. She had to buy the 18th-century winery of her dreams and enroll in a course of rigorous study to earn her agricultural certificate.
As an outsider and one of the few female wine growers in what has traditionally been a boys’ club, Fyot was prepared for pushback, but it never came. She was welcomed into the industry by her male counterparts, and they provided help when needed.
The real challenge is how to continue producing some of the most prized wines in the world under the threat of climate change. “We have different seasons in the same month,” Fyot says, “but we are adapting our processes, especially the pruning.” Climate change makes it harder to achieve balance in the grapes, but delaying winter pruning until early spring can help produce fruit with more concentrated, aromatic flavors.
Fyot also is experimenting with hearty Middle Eastern vines that thrive in climates with cold nights and dry, hot days. “Working in nature is fantastic,” she says, “but it’s also very difficult.”
Later in the week, I sipped a light Beaujolais on the top deck of the AmaCello, appreciating the serenity of the Saône River. At the confluence of the Saône and the Rhone rivers, the pastoral scene gives way to city lights. We had arrived in Lyon, the gastronomic capital of France.
I set out on a tour of Les Halles de Lyon-Paul Bocuse, a gourmet market named for the late chef known as a pioneer of nouvelle cuisine. Dozens of stalls emitted mingling aromas, including freshly baked baguette and the sharp earthiness of Saint-Marcellin cheese. Curtains of fat sausages hung from hooks, and plump oysters waited to be paired with a crisp Chablis.
But it was pink pralines, a unique local delicacy, that were at the top of my “must try” list. At sunset, I sat on the riverbank with the locals and savored my treat — a pink praline tart. It was a sweet ending to my epicurean sojourn.
Click here to read more stories by Evansville resident and travel writer Tracey Teo.
