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Cycling tour in Provence
Côtes du Rhône ViIlage, Luberon (B16)
and visiting some wineries
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:
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