The Côte de Beaune — the southern half of Burgundy's famous escarpment — produces some of the world's greatest white wines and is also, fortuitously, ideal cycling country. The vineyard lanes are almost flat, virtually traffic-free on weekdays, and pass through a succession of villages whose names read like a wine list: Pommard, Volnay, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet. The whole route from Beaune to Santenay at the southern end is about 25 kilometres each way.
You can rent bikes from several shops in central Beaune. The signposted Route des Grands Crus connects the main villages, but the most satisfying cycling is simply wandering the back lanes between the appellations, stopping when you see a domaine sign that interests you. Many small producers welcome visitors during the day, though calling ahead is always wise. The scenery — orderly rows of vines, stone walls, a village church in the distance — is quintessentially Burgundian.