A Burgundy wine day is half in the cellars and half among the vines. The cellars do not care about the sky, but the walk in the rows, the e-bike and the 2CV do. Match your Burgundy tour to the month, and pack for the half you spend outdoors.
Rain rarely stops a tasting, because the domains pour under a roof. The Grand Cru route day from Beaune runs in all weather conditions, so you dress for the day rather than wait for it. What changes is the time you spend outdoors: a vineyard walk, a stop at the Clos de Vougeot, a village square.
Some days are more exposed than others. The e-bike day spends seven hours on the Côte de Nuits, and the 2CV half day is three hours in a classic car on the wine route. The Land Rover day in the Mâconnais holds some tastings among the vines, weather permitting, so a wet morning moves them inside.
Heat matters more than rain. On the hottest days the Clos de Vougeot shortens its guided tours, and a vineyard walk at 3 pm is hard work. In winter, frost and short days are the constraint, not the wine.
The figures below are Météo-France's 1991-2020 normals for Dijon-Longvic, a station at 219 m at the northern end of the Côte. No Beaune station is published here, so read them as Dijon averages.
Highs average 5.6 °C and lows −0.2 °C. About 57 mm of rain falls, on 11 days, with 61 hours of sun. Frost comes on about 16 nights. The Hôtel-Dieu opens only at 2 pm on 1 January and closes at lunch all month. Plan the cellars first and the vines at noon.
Highs average 7.6 °C and lows 0.0 °C. About 43 mm of rain falls, on 8 days, with 95 hours of sun. Frost comes on about 15 nights. The driest month of the year. Both sights keep their short hours, and the domains are quiet.
Highs average 12.5 °C and lows 2.6 °C. About 48 mm of rain falls, on 9 days, with 160 hours of sun. Frost comes on about 8 nights. The last month of short hours at both sights. The e-bike day wants gloves.
Highs average 16.2 °C and lows 5.2 °C. About 58 mm of rain falls, on 9 days, with 194 hours of sun. Frost comes on about 2 nights. Long hours begin on 1 April: the Hôtel-Dieu to 7:30 pm, the Clos de Vougeot to 6 pm.
Highs average 20.0 °C and lows 9.2 °C. About 76 mm of rain falls, on 10 days, with 216 hours of sun. The wettest month of spring. Pack a waterproof for the walk in the rows.
Highs average 24.2 °C and lows 12.8 °C. About 66 mm of rain falls, on 9 days, with 240 hours of sun. About 3 days reach 30 °C. The long evenings suit a late dinner in Beaune after a day of tastings.
Highs average 26.7 °C and lows 14.9 °C. About 65 mm of rain falls, on 8 days, with 257 hours of sun. About 8 days reach 30 °C. The hottest month. The Clos de Vougeot may shorten its tours in extreme heat, so ride in the morning.
Highs average 26.2 °C and lows 14.6 °C. About 62 mm of rain falls, on 8 days, with 240 hours of sun. About 7 days reach 30 °C. Almost as hot as July. The shared days fill fast, so book early.
Highs average 21.7 °C and lows 11.0 °C. About 56 mm of rain falls, on 8 days, with 191 hours of sun. Heritage Days on 19 and 20 September 2026 bring a EUR 12 guided tour at the Clos de Vougeot.
Highs average 16.1 °C and lows 7.6 °C. About 74 mm of rain falls, on 10 days, with 118 hours of sun. The Clos de Vougeot's long hours end on 31 October. Pack a layer for the evenings.
Highs average 9.7 °C and lows 3.3 °C. About 78 mm of rain falls, on 11 days, with 66 hours of sun. Frost comes on about 6 nights. The wettest month. The Hospices de Beaune wine sale falls on Sunday 15 November 2026.
Highs average 6.1 °C and lows 0.7 °C. About 62 mm of rain falls, on 11 days, with 53 hours of sun. Frost comes on about 14 nights. The darkest month. The Hôtel-Dieu opens only at 2 pm on 25 December.
| Season | Average high | Rain | Sunshine | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring: March–May | 16.2 °C | 182 mm | 569 h | Long hours from 1 April; the vines come into leaf |
| Summer: June–August | 25.7 °C | 193 mm | 737 h | The hot days; the longest light |
| Autumn: September–November | 15.8 °C | 208 mm | 375 h | Heritage Days, turning leaves, the Hospices sale |
| Winter: December–February | 6.4 °C | 161 mm | 209 h | Short hours; frost on about half the nights |
Late spring and early autumn are the easy choice. From May to September, highs run from 20 °C to nearly 27 °C, frost is gone, and both sights keep long hours. September gives you mild days, 191 hours of sun and the start of the colour in the vines.
Summer is the brightest season, with over 250 hours of sun in July. It is also the one with heat: about 18 days a year reach 30 °C at Dijon, nearly all of them in June, July and August. If you come then, you want a morning start and a cellar after lunch.
Winter is the quiet season. You get about 53 to 95 hours of sun a month, frost on about half the nights, and domains with time to talk. If you come for the wine alone, any month works, and the dates on when to visit Burgundy matter more than the forecast.
In summer, take the vines in the morning. The shared days leave Dijon and Beaune between 9 and 9:45 am, and the e-bike day at 9:30, so you ride before the afternoon heat and taste under a roof after lunch. Bring water and sun cream for the rows.
In winter, reverse it. Spend the morning in a cellar, then walk the vines in the few warm hours after noon. The Hôtel-Dieu closes from 12:30 to 2 pm in winter, so visit it first thing or late in the afternoon.
For photographs, the low light of late afternoon suits the vines best. The 2CV half day lasts three hours, so you can pick a slot that ends near sunset in spring or autumn.
Temperatures, rain, sunshine, hot days and frost come from Météo-France's climate sheet for Dijon-Longvic. The hours come from the Hôtel-Dieu and the Clos de Vougeot, and the rain rules from each tour's booking page.
Ninety minutes in a Dijon cellar under the Hôtel du Palais, with six wines from the regional appellations up to a Grand Cru. Over-18s only, and no car needed.
From $63 per person
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A driver for up to six and a route planned to your taste, with the visits booked for you. The domains' tasting fees, about EUR 150-300 a head, are paid on the spot and are not in the fare.
From $1,399 per group, up to 6
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Three wineries from 16 Place Darcy at 9 am: Gevrey-Chambertin, Beaune and one near Meursault, with lunch at your own cost in Beaune's old town. Adults only.
From $251 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: see what is open each month on when to visit, plan the day on the visitor guide, or compare every tour on Burgundy Tours.