How about a wine trip through the Burgundy region of France this summer? You can experience it without leaving your home by sampling some of the fabulous red and white wines that this beautiful area is known for.

Burgundy is not a large region. The heart of it, Cote d’Or, is just a tiny strip of hillside divided into the Cote de Beaune and Cote de Nuits, but this is the region that built Burgundy’s reputation. To the north of the Cote d’Or is Chablis, home to chardonnays, while to the south lies Cote Chalonnaise, where both whites and reds and made, and further south, the Maconnais, producing largely chardonnays and other whites.

Maconnais has recently become noted for being the source of some excellent and affordable chardonnays. The Maconnais whites share the same characteristics as their northern and far more expensive neighbors—Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, and Chassagne Montrachet—but are not considered quite as "rarified".

Having said that, Maconnais wines are delicious examples of handsomely crafted chardonnay—dry, with some honeyed tones and touches of grapefruit and lemon, and discreetly oaked, if at all This cautious use of oak guarantees that the wines will go well with most foods, which can be especially important for summertime entertaining.

I have found that the wines of Jean-Pierre and Michel Auvigue, who run an estate in the village of Charnay-les-Macon, are particularly noteworthy for being affordable enough to uncork every day and impressive enough to carry over into a special dinner. You can’t go wrong with an Auvigue chardonnay, because they are flavorful and extremely well made, and offer pure, crisp, flavors.

In Chablis, Corinne and Jean-Pierre Grossot represent the third generation of winemakers at their family domain. The Grossots seek to produce exceptional Chablis wines by keeping the rich chardonnay fruit, the unique mineral quality of the region’s soil, and the lively, fruity acidity and bouquet in perfect balance. Depending on the vintage, wine maker Jean-Pierre may block the malolactic fermentation in order to ensure that his wines retain their fruity acidity and crispness, so essential for great chablis.

Particularly good is the Chablis 1er Cru Fourneaux , which offers good depth of spicy, ripe pear fruit and a long finish, and the Chablis 1er Cru Vaucoupin, which has the finesse and soft acidity of a truly enjoyable chablis.

Bernard Morey of Chassagne-Montrachet is known as an intelligent and meticulous winemaker. His wines have been described by Robert Parker of The Wine Advocate as "always lush, ripe, rich, hedonistic examples of burgundy."

The Morey wines have been estate bottled since 1950. Bernard is a firm believer in harvesting as late as possible to gain the most natural alcohol and power from the grapes. At the end of the alcoholic fermentation, the wines begin the process of aging on the lees right up until bottling. This extended time on the lees serves to add richness to the wines while ensuring freshness.

While Morey’s wines are known worldwide for being some of the most complete and satisfying from this region, the Chassagne Montrachet Les Baudiones 1er Cru is especially stellar.

In the Cote d’Or, Jean-Marc Boillot is considered to be a star in both the red and white wine categories. Wine critics praise his talent in producing wines that are seductively rich, dense and concentrated.

Another young winemaker from this famous region in the heart of Burgundy is Claude Marechal. His philosophy is to make each vineyard express its own individual character, and to make wines where fruit dominates.

The Bourgogne Cuvee Gravel is a prime example. It is packed with up-front raspberry fruit and finishes long with ripe pinot noir aromas. Other wines worth trying are the Auxey-Duresses white and red, Pommard la Chaniere, and Cotes-de-Beaune Villages.