Touring vineyards is essential to best understand the wine you enjoy. Having lived in France for over 10 years and writing professionally
about wine for various media, I know the ins and outs of many French wine producing regions, particularly Bordeaux, but also Alsace,
Burgundy, Champagne and the Rhone and Loire Valleys. Pictured at left: Patrick Maroteaux of Chateau Branaire Ducru in Saint Julien
(and president of the Bordeaux Grand Cru Union). One of my most memorable vineyard visits was at Branaire Ducru, during which
Patrick showed me around his domain and led me through a thorough vertical tasting of his wine, from 1966 to 2005. But I treasure many
other visits, such as Domaine Champy in Burgundy, Château Bélair again in Bordeaux, Moët & Chandon in Champagne, Château
Pibarnon in Bandol and Château de Beaucastel in Châteauneuf du Pape among many, many others...
DESCRIPTIONS FROM THESE VISITS TO BE PUBLISHED HERE OVER TIME.
about wine for various media, I know the ins and outs of many French wine producing regions, particularly Bordeaux, but also Alsace,
Burgundy, Champagne and the Rhone and Loire Valleys. Pictured at left: Patrick Maroteaux of Chateau Branaire Ducru in Saint Julien
(and president of the Bordeaux Grand Cru Union). One of my most memorable vineyard visits was at Branaire Ducru, during which
Patrick showed me around his domain and led me through a thorough vertical tasting of his wine, from 1966 to 2005. But I treasure many
other visits, such as Domaine Champy in Burgundy, Château Bélair again in Bordeaux, Moët & Chandon in Champagne, Château
Pibarnon in Bandol and Château de Beaucastel in Châteauneuf du Pape among many, many others...
DESCRIPTIONS FROM THESE VISITS TO BE PUBLISHED HERE OVER TIME.
| Would you like to visit your favorite vineyards, taste the latest wines (and some older ones, too), talk with the owners and enjoy lunches and dinners with them? I can help. Having lived in France for over 10 years, I know the ins and outs of many French wine producing regions, particularly Bordeaux, but also Alsace, Burgundy, Champagne and the Rhone and Loire Valleys. The Bordeaux tour, sponsored by the Washington D.C.-based French Wine Society, begins with an location mini wine tasting course. PRESTIGE BORDEAUX WINE TOUR October 8 - 14 2006 |
| Photos from Bordeaux, clockwise from upper left: Château Latour, Coralie de Bouard of Château Angélus, Pascal Delbeck of Château Bélair, Anthony Barton (left) with son-in-law Michel Sartorius, of Château Léoville Barton. |
| BORDEAUX TOUR ITINERARY |
Bordeaux. The word conjures images of great, age worthy wine. Though this famous southwestern French
winemaking region produces millions of bottles each year, only a select few are the stuff of dreams, worthy of
long séjours in your wine cellars.
Now is your chance to take part in an exclusive weeklong tour of the great Bordeaux winemakers, on location,
staying in the châteaux themselves.
- Tuesday, October 10: Petit déjeuner at the Margaux châteaux. The day will be devoted to the great Bordeaux
appellation of St. Julien, which is said to combine the power of Pauillac and the smooth elegance of Margaux. In
other words, the quintessential Bordeaux. This appellation is packed with classified growths, including the
famous Léoville estates, Ducru Beaucaillou, Gruaud Larose, Beychevelle, Branaire Ducru and others. Not only
will participants visit and taste at two of these above châteaux, they will lunch at Château Léoville Barton with
either owner Anthony Barton or Lilian Barton and enjoy a private dinner at Château Branaire Ducru with owner
Patrick Maroteaux.
Wednesday, October 11: Petit déjeuner at the Margaux châteaux. Morning visits and tastings at Château
Rauzan-Ségla, a great 2nd growth, and either Château Margaux or Château Palmer (TBA). Participants will then
take a break in the afternoon for shopping and strolling in Bordeaux, with lunch at the internationally acclaimed
Bordeaux bistro restaurant La Tupina. Return to Margaux, with a visit and dinner at Château Brane Cantenac
with owner and winemaker Henri Lurton.
Thursday, October 12: Early morning departure following breakfast to Fronsac, where participants will stay at
the fairy-tale like Château de la Rivière and the more classic Château L’Escarderie, right next door. After leaving
bags behind, participants will begin to learn about the three basic types of top Saint Emilion wines, typically
dominated by Merlot, beginning with a visit and lunch with owner and winemaker Hubert de Bouard at Château
Angélus in St. Emilion – one of the top 13 in St. Emilion, and known as a “hillside” type. Then, a visit and tasting
at Château Figeac, another top 13, but with the most Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc of all the St.
Emilions, known as the “gravel” type. Finally, a dinner with winemaker John Kolasa at Château Canon, another
top 13 wine, known as a “limestone plateau” type.
Friday, October 13: Petit déjeuner at the châteaux. After a visit to the famous Château Cheval Blanc (to be
confirmed), free time in St. Emilion, rated a historic preservation site by UNESCO, followed by lunch in town
where the locals eat: the lovely bistro L’Envers du Décor. Transport to the famous first growth Château
Suduiraut in Sauternes, where participants will stay overnight. A visit to Château Yquem or Château Climens in
Barsac (to be confirmed) will illustrate what makes the sweet nectar of Sauternes so special, followed by a lavish
dinner at Château Suduiraut, with wines that will make for a fitting conclusion of the trip, including three great
Bordeaux estates: Château Pichon Longueville Baron (Pauillac), Château Petit Village (Pomerol) and Château
Suduiraut (Sauternes), with possible surprises at no charge (port and another fine Bordeaux).
Saturday, October 14: Petit déjeuner at Château Suduiraut. Morning departure for Bordeaux Center and end
of the tour.
Optional choice: For those participants who wish to stay another evening, arrangements can be made for an
unguided stay overnight at the Les Sources de Caudalie in Martillac, just next to the well famous Pessac-
Léognan estate Château Smith Haut Lafitte. Guests at this luxury hotel can opt for some “vinotherapy” in a spa
bath of naturally warm spring water, combined with vine and grape extracts – plus another day to visit the great
region of Pessac Léognan. Overnight stay, restaurant, spa and transportation would cost extra (as would
transport to the airport or train station on Sunday). Please call Rene for more information.
*Special note on housing: Normally, the châteaux can propose only a limited number of rooms, and the rate for
now only covers a limited number of rooms for two people each. We strongly encourage participants to come in
pairs, and arrangements can be made to either have two beds per room or just one large bed. Should
participants require a single room, extra charges will apply, and the request will likely result in a separate
housing location during most of the trip. If absolutely necessary, please contact tour operator Dionysus &
Friends for more details.
- Touring Wine Country: What's the point ?
The greatest feeling I have when enjoying wine is sharing that enjoyment.
Explaining how red Bordeaux is a mixture of several wine grapes, or marveling at
how small vineyards can be in Burgundy – and yet the wine is made from only one
sole grape. Walking underground in chalky cellars of Champagne, and seeing rows
upon rows of the large, heavy bottles. Or simply visiting the vat room of a great
château in Bordeaux, whose owner or representative will explain why his or her
method works best… Wine not only provides for a delightful drinking experience, it
also exudes culture, tradition and very often beauty. When you open a fine Burgundy
from a specific vintage, for example, you take in the fruit of labor from a very small
plot of vines, which also represent the particular characteristics of the given vintage,
and the type of wine making employed by the domain which crafted the wine at the
time.
But nothing beats being there – seeing where the wine comes from, and what sort of
methods are now being used in terms of work in the vineyard and in the vat room,
and also during barrel aging – if at all. What has always captured my imagination
about French wine are the centuries of tradition and culture that lurk behind the
wines I taste. Having just recently read Don and Petie Kladstrup’s Wine and War:
The French, the Nazies and the Battle for France’s Greatest Treasure, I was
impressed yet hardly surprised with the risks French vintners all over the country
took - sometimes risking their lives - to hide their wines during the Nazi Occupation.
Not only because of the large economic stake that wine possesses in France, but
because, not to be too glib about it, wine is to France what baseball is to America.
As a wine writer over the years, fluent in French, I have learned much about French
wine both while reporting on it and visiting its wine regions. Over the past two
years, I have also hosted tastings of wines in Germany and in the United States –
something I just love to do.
With this in mind, I propose wine tours to prospective tourists – tours that include
tastings of various wines and vintages, and tours of the vineyards, with detailed
explanations of why a particular wine is made from a particular vineyard, plus
lunches with winery owners when available, and excursions to discover other treats
of a particular wine region, such as cycling in Burgundy, bathing in Bandol, or just
walking about, discovering the city of Bordeaux and then going to a fine bistro for
dinner there – to take but three examples.
- Similar visits cost $4,000 per person and more, but this weeklong visit,
during one of the most beautiful times of the year – just after the 2006
harvest – will cost under $3,500 per person, should 12 participants sign
up!
- Space is limited, and because the châteaux can only house up to six
couples, we need to have people sign up by 10 September.*
The program of 7 days and 6 nights
The chauffeur-driven visit – scheduled from Sunday, October 8 to
Saturday, October 14 – will begin with dinner at a great Médoc
restaurant Sunday evening and an easy-going, yet informative 3-hour
wine tasting course and lunch in the Médoc on Monday, October 9 by a
qualified wine instructor.
Guided visits and tastings at some of the top châteaux are then
scheduled for the entire week, which at this stage is planned as follows:
- Sunday, October 8: Arrival mid afternoon at Château Kirwan and
Château Brane Cantenac, both of the famous Margaux wine
appellation, where participants will stay for the next four nights. Indeed,
participants will be on location, not at a hotel, which gives this wine tour
greater authenticity. After the long transatlantic voyage, a private and
relaxing dinner will be served at the prestigious Michelin-rated
restaurant and château, Cordeillan Bages in Pauillac. An early exit to
get ready for an intense and pleasurable week of tasting great wines!
Monday, October 9: Petit déjeuner at the Margaux châteaux, followed
by a three-hour wine course at Château Preuillac in the northern
Médoc, during which a variety of wines will be tasted to illustrate the
broad spectrum of Bordeaux – from basic Bordeaux, to such highly
rated wines as Château Grand Puy Lacoste and Château Rauzan-Ségla
. A four course lunch with Champagne and other wines will follow. Two
afternoon visits and tastings are scheduled: at the famous classed
growth wines Château Lynch Bages and at Château Mouton
Rothschild, both fine illustrations of great northern Médoc wines
(Pauillac). Then participants will return south to Margaux for a visit and
dinner with the winemaker of Château Kirwan.
| Vineyard visits |
