A canal boat through French wine country is the ultimate in slow travel

With a maximum speed of six kilometres an hour, it’s all about “slow travel” aboard European Waterways’ luxury canal barge, Finesse. We’re floating along a section of the 112-kilometre Canal du Centre between St-Julien-sur-Dheune and Chalon-sur-Saone in Burgundy. Over five days, we’ll descend 27 of the canal’s 61 locks. Canopies of oak and plane trees hang overhead and stone cottages slide past while the chirps of golden orioles and red-backed shrikes provide a splendid soundtrack.

The height of slow travel ... luxury canal barge the Finesse.

It’s easy to tell when we hit wine country. Long lines of vines head off into the horizon, like soldiers costumed comically for A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The bright-green spring vines pop and I’m excited to be reacquainted with this spectacle.

More than 30 years ago, I picked grapes in this very region. I’d been backpacking around Europe, when my newly retired father decided to join me. We wobbled off on clunky three-geared bicycles to explore wine country. Cycle gears were unfamiliar to him; he refused stubbornly to change down. The undulating hills were tough; he became tired and irritable, and I was frustrated by his unwillingness to offload a bottle of duty-free liquor that weighed down his handlebar basket.

We were rescued by Australian wine writer Jeremy Oliver who recommended Domaine Chevrot, a local winery in the tiny village of Cheilly-les-Maranges. Vignerons Cathy and Fernand Chevrot welcomed us warmly to their stone house, trimmed with blue shutters. It also had a magnificent cellar – a series of interconnecting rooms lined with oak barrels that reeked of damp earth and fermenting grapes. Our moods were restored.

By the end of the visit (and enjoyable tasting), my name had been chalked on a blackboard as one of 25 grape pickers. I returned to Domaine Chevrot two months later for the year’s harvest.

Fruits of the vine … Burgundy vineyards.Credit: iStock

For 10 days the team picked thousands of bunches of grapes, consumed many multi-course meals in the communal marquee, and laughed at language translations. Bed was in a shared dormitory but by day’s end, exhausted from the hard work, we didn’t care. The bonne ambiance even lured me back for another two harvests. It’s a far cry from Finesse.

The barge’s onboard suite is as spacious as a premium wine cellar with a gleaming bathroom. A sunny “saloon” – a lounge-cum dining area – is where we enjoy all our meals. A staff of five, headed by Captain Mathias, ensures smooth sailing.

Our days follow a pattern. A generous breakfast followed by leisure time: birdwatching, cycling along the canal or simply gazing at the gardens and vines as they slip by. Next up is an activity at a winery – including Domaine Chanzy – or a local site, including the 15th-century Hotel Dieu Hospice in Beaune and the Roman sites of Autun. But it’s always lovely to return to the boat.

The 15th-century Hotel Dieu Hospice in Beaune.Credit: iStock

The guests dine together; our chef prepares dishes in the open kitchen and runs through the multi-course menu (no spoilers here: dishes are French, paired with European Waterways’ own top-quality wine selection, and dietary requirements are catered to). Diana and Luna, the boat’s personable hosts, present two or three wines at each meal, along with the cheeses – from gooey Camembert to the aromatic Epoisses de Bourgogne.

For the themed “Burgundy evening”, Chef Arnie whips up Oeufs en meurette, a local specialty comprising poached eggs served in a sauce of carrots, mushrooms and red wine, followed by poulet au Dijon, chicken smothered in a creamy, mustard sauce.

Luna, meanwhile, presents the accompanying wines with the panache of Nigella Lawson; she could convince us to enjoy a damp sports-sock flavour, such is her delectable French-accented delivery. The Chanzy Mercurey Les Caraby 2018, she tells us, is a chardonnay that’s “floral and fruity to the nose, dry and perfect with the poulet.”

With each glass, I acknowledge the dukes of Burgundy, who ruled the expansive Duchy of Burgundy in the Middle Ages. Although the original vines were planted during Roman times, it was the dukes (along with monks) who cultivated them.

The Dukes are brought to life on our first day of cruising when we visit Chateau de Germolles, a 14th-century castle that was home to Philip the Bold. Such buildings “showed power and money” says the current owner, Monsieur Matthieu Pinette, as he guides us through the maze of rooms. Some feature wood panelling, others original, hand-painted, Byzantine wallpaper.

Roman theatre in Autun.Credit: iStock

Another high point comes two days later when we venture through Cote de Nuits and Cote de Beaune (together, known as Cote-d’Or), the most historically important of Burgundy’s five wine areas. Strips of vines extend in different directions. Considered “noble” varieties (the result of a Middle Ages marketing ploy), these still comprise mostly chardonnay and pinot noir. So special and historic are these Burgundian climats, the specialised regional term for terroirs, they were inscribed as a UNESCO heritage site in 2015.

In Beaune we visit Maison Champy, Burgundy’s oldest winemaker. Here, along with a tasting and lunch that’s served in a giant, historic wine vat, we receive a comprehensive lesson in Burgundian wine growing and the region’s classifications: Regional; Village; Premier Cru, Grand Cru (considered the pinnacle). We leave elated.

The next morning, we alight at a lock and start cycling. With oncoming vessels and lock schedules, it’s slow going, so we pedal ahead along the former towpath. Reflecting on the difficult cycling three decades ago, I have an “if only…” moment; opened to tourists and cyclists since I first visited, this trail is a flat and easy way to explore the region. And it’s idyllic. An otter slips off into the water, a heron sits on a branch overhead, and a fisherman is trying to hook bream and perch.

The Saloon aboard the Finesse.

On our last day, we wander through Chateau du Clos De Vougeot, a 12-century walled vineyard, now headquarters of the Chevaliers du Tastevin, an exclusive wine society. We return via Romanee-Conti, the famous vineyard in Nuits St Georges where, Captain Mathias informs us, a bottle averages around $38,000.

The final morning sees our descent into the most dramatic lock – it’s 9.76 metres deep. It brings on a foreboding that we’re almost done. Deckhand Will, an Australian, it transpires, signals the all-clear to the captain as a Cyclopean-sized chain hauls up a massive iron gate. We exit the lock and emerge slowly into sunshine. But there’s one more surprise to come.

We’re nearby, so I make a pilgrimage to my picking “alma mater”, Domaine Chevrot et Fils (the sons now run the show). It’s a joyful reunion. Cathy, Fernand and I reminisce over several glasses of their own Santenay Blanc “Comme Dessus”, a chardonnay. We enter the very cellar that had delighted my father (who has since died). Fernand reaches into a pile of bottles that are stacked haphazardly in a pigeon hole and covered in a blanket of black dust. He pulls out a ’91 vintage, the very one I sweated over. I squeal with excitement.

On uncorking the bottle, he tries to curb my enthusiasm. He’s right to do so. Slightly vinegary, it’s way past its use by date. But, as I discover when I squat to pose for a photo (cue knee crack), so am I. To pick grapes, that is.

But it doesn’t matter. For, thanks to European Waterways, there’s a luxurious way to enjoy Burgundy. As Luna, the French Nigella, might purr of this superlative experience: “it exudes dominant notes of hospitality and full-bodied service”. It’s the Grand Cru of cruising.

That said, it lacks various undertones.

Those of my grumpy old man.

THE DETAILS

FLY

Qantas flies from Sydney and Melbourne to Paris (then take the TGV to Dijon). See Qantas.com

CRUISE

European Waterways’ six-night sailing along the Canal du Centre departing Dijon on Finesse (one of two barges in the ultra-deluxe category) starts from $US8550 ($12,950) a person twin share. See europeanwaterways.com