Burgundy

Burgundy Discovery

Private Wine Guide · Burgundy, France

Credentials WSET certified · Wine industry background
Languages English · French
Tour style Private · Small group

Stephen has been based in Burgundy since the late 1990s, arriving via a post at Château de Berne in Provence and then a decade as a sourcing agent and wine broker out of Dijon. That trajectory, from the cellar and trade side of the industry, is what separates him from guides who learned Burgundy from a book. He holds a WSET certification. Jodi brings 20 years running a travel agency and the conviction that travel, done well, becomes part of the story of your life. Together they run an operation that is equal parts wine knowledge and travel expertise.
Stephen and Jodi took over Burgundy Discovery in 2024 from founders Robert and Joy Pygott, who spent two decades building the winemaker relationships the business still runs on.

Two decades of sourcing, brokering, and guiding in the same region means Stephen and Jodi arrive at cellar doors as a known quantity: not a tour operator requesting a visit, but someone whose guests are expected.

  • Small, independent family domaines across the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits not listed on public booking platforms
  • Grand Cru tastings within producing cellars, including barrel tastings of current vintages
  • Visits calibrated across the full Burgundy hierarchy (Village, Premier Cru, Grand Cru) within a single day
  • Wine purchases direct from domaines at cellar prices, including bottles rarely available outside France
  • International wine shipping coordinated from the cellar door
Burgundy Discovery asks about your wine background and preferences before building any itinerary. Their booking inquiry form includes a Wine Profile section, and guests are encouraged to be specific about their knowledge level, what they've already tasted, and what they're hoping to find. Private tours are built entirely around the response; small-group tours follow a curated route, but they adapt the depth and conversation to the group in front of them. Lunch reservations and wine shipping logistics are handled by the team, so the day stays focused on what's in the glass.

Private and small group tours · By inquiry

This operator was personally evaluated by Michelle Ryan: WSET Level 3, French Wine Scholar, IATA Certified Travel Advisor. Vetting criteria: guide credentials, access to producers not available through public booking platforms, and knowledge intake process. Not every operator we evaluate makes it onto this site.