About visiting some wineries
as part of your cycling trip.
Cycling tours with (guided)
visits to some wineries:
Cycling tour in Provence Côtes
du Rhône ViIlage, Luberon (B16)
If you are interested in tasting and finding
out about some of the top wines of Provence, we can offer you two possibilities
planned and guided by our wine professional Guide (see his CV at the bottom
of the page):
Option 1.
Half-day guided visit to the stunning vineyards and wineries of two
top wine domaines in one of the five wine villages, Gigondas, Vacqueyras,
Rasteau, Sablet or Séguret that are clustered around the Dentelles de
Montmirail Hills.
Each half-day visit compares and contrast wines from two different domaines.
Our guide explains the elusive concept of “terroir” and demonstrates,
in an accessible way, how different terroir, grape varieties, vine-growing
and winemaking methods determine the characteristics and quality of
the different wines that you taste.
The guided visits appeal to all wine drinkers, from those who simply
enjoy a glass from time to time, to wine enthusiasts seeking to broaden
their understanding.
Option 2.
Coordinated wine cycle holiday where you can:
1. Discover and learn all about the wines of the Southern Rhône & Provence;
2. Visit an interesting and broad range of top wine domaines in the
finest wine villages of Provence and; most importantly,
3. Discover something new and different in each winery that you visit;
The three most common problems
with wine holidays (either organised by tour operators or by the visitors
themselves) where they visit several different wineries are that the guides/owners
at each winery:
1. Assume their visitors already have a reasonable level of knowledge
about wine in general and local wines in particular;
2. Repeat the same general wine information the visitors have heard at
previous wineries;
3. Often contradict each other leaving the visitors confused at best about
the region's wines.
Each wine cycle holiday we offer is individually planned by our guide.
Depending on the duration of your trip, you will visit wine domaines in
up to 7 different wine villages, of which the initial visits (anything
from the first 1 to 4 visits) will be guided so you can get a comprehensible
understanding of:
1. "Terroir" and the local appellations;
2. The local grape varieties;
3. How the wine domaines work the vineyards;
4. Winemaking in general and the methods used by each winery.
You will then be well armed with general and local wine knowledge to visit
other wineries in other wine villages on your cycle route that are interesting
contrasts to the wineries you have already visited so as to give you a
broad picture of the region's wines.
The guide will plan each wine cycle holiday:
1. The guide will create specifically tailored guided visits – He will
speak directly to you once you have confirmed the booking to establish
the things you would like to find out about/learn/discover, etc. He will
then plan each of your guided visits on the basis of that discussion.
2. The guide will personally meet the owners of each wine domaine you
will visit on your own to plan your tasting and visit (even though it
is not guided by him) so you discover something new and different at each
wine domaine you visit.
3. The guide will provide you with coherent, consistent and coordinated
information about the appellations you will visit and all the wines you
will taste during your visits, including wines from the domaines that
are not guided by him. This will allow you to appreciate and understand
all the wines that you taste in a understandable and coherent way.
The guide will happily book/recommend restaurants that list the wines
from each of the domaines you visit so you can enjoy lunch / dinner with
some of the wines you have tasted during your visits.
Price per visit guided: 120 euros per visit or 40 euros per person if
there are three or more people.
Price per visit not guided: Varies depending on the wine domaine visited.
Anything from 2 euros per person upwards depending on the type of visit.
Planning costs: Between 100 to 200 euros, depending on the number of wine
domaine visits
Transport: As indicated above in Option 1
The CV of our guide:
"Our guide is a dual British and French national now currently residing
in Sablet, Provence. He obtained his final wine qualifications from the
Wine & Sprits Education Trust in 1998 and set up a UK wine importing business,
specialising in wines from the Southern Rhône. In 1999, he also commenced
a viticultural project in Valrèas, Provence and continues to cultivate
and make wines from those vineyards today. Guide has also been involved
in several other winemaking projects in Provence and the Languedoc since
2000. Having gained a significant and wide experience of the wine business
from vineyard cultivation to winemaking to wine trading, he set up a wine
education and wine tour business in 2005 based around the premium wine
villages of the Southern Rhône."
Regarding some questions you might have regarding the wineries you will
visit on your own:
Most wineries welcome visitors to taste (and purchase!) their wines. Very
few do tours and most of those that do require prior appointments.
There may be a small tasting fee at each of the wineries (which they can
pay at the time of the visit) if you do not purchase any wine.
If they do not speak much French and need English speaking owners then
the guide will find suitable wineries
The guide will arrange for each winery you visit to show the winemaking
cellar and point out any interesting things that will not have seen on
the guided visits.
You can combine these winery visits as part of three packages:
