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One for the Wine Lovers...

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Our favorite wine expert is a charming American sommelier who has worked for top Michelin starred chef Alain Ducasse in Paris, Monaco and Las Vegas...and was the sommelier at the highly regarded Christian Etienne restaurant in Avignon for six years. He's considered one of the leading experts in Rhône Valley wines and he knows everyone in the biz; he teaches sommeliers, in fact, and other industry insiders who want to learn about Rhône wines. His stomping ground? The world-class wine villages of Chateauneuf-du-Papes, Gigondas, Vacqueyras , Lirac and Tavel, as well as the lesser-known Seguret, Sablet, Crestet and beyond. He'll do just about anything when it comes to wine, but his most-popular offering is a day of wine touring. This is a custom-designed day during which you’ll hit three to four wineries...with talk, touring and tasting at each. And of course, lunch at one of your guide's favorite spots. For this we charge €600 (one couple) and €200 (for an additional couple) or €100 (for one extra person). Using a 4x4 Land Cruiser that holds up 5 passengers comfortably or 6 passengers squished. If you have more people in your group than that, we rent a mini-van for 8 passengers (about €200 per day) or use a chauffeured bus combo (about €950 /day), both of which are charged on top of the guide's fee. Lunch is extra and large group prices are negotiable. You'll be picked up at your hotel or villa at 9 am and dropped off around 6 to 7 pm ‘’depending on if you’re in a hurry or we’re all having too great a time to quit.’’ Another option is a seated tasting for you and your friends in your hotel, villa or other locale; see below. We can also lead a Nez du Vin class: a fun 2.5 hour session that improves your palate by teaching you to ID wine’s most-common sensory components. Note: This guide also offers tours to and in all the other wine regions of France and other countries as well. His particular areas of expertise are: Bordeaux, Burgundy, Alsace, Loire, Champagne, Languedoc, Italy (Piemonte & Tuscany), Spain (Rioja, Ribera del Duero & Priorat) and the Mosel in Germany. All prices are current for 2024. Available: year round.

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The Wonderful World of French Wines: A Seated Tasting 

 

The same expert sommelier mentioned just above spends most of his time leading wine tours but also offers a wonderful seated tasting in private homes and rental villas. Along the way, you'll get a crash course in the varietals, wine styles and nuances of the Southern Rhône Valley, including Châteauneuf-du-Pape, of course...but he features other villages and regions as well. He arrives with everything needed: glassware, spittoons, a large wine map and some fantastic wines from his cellar. A tasting platter of perfect Provencale nibbles can be added for €50. This event is perfect for wine lovers of any level...a great activity for a group...and the best possible way to learn a lot about French wine in a very short time. You'll be asked to choose one of three themes. Crash Course on the Rhône: With access to virtually all the best wines of the region, your guide will present at least 6 wines: a pale light rosé vs a dark Tavel; a Northern Rhone white vs a Northern Rhône red; and a Southern Rhône white vs a Southern Rhône red. Fifty Shades of Rosé: "This class is a blast," he says. "I'll take you from from super light pink (almost onion skin) to the darkest that rosé can be...from a special winery in the AOC Tavel." All Around France. This tasting is longer than the others and will include ten wines: 1 white Rhône, 1 red Rhône, 1 white Burgundy, 1 red Burgundy, 1 Alsatian white, 1 Loire Valley white, 1 Loire Valley red, 1 Bordeaux red, 1 Provence rosé, and 1 Languedoc red. Since he's out touring most days in season, the sommelier prefers to start at 6 pm or later...but daytime tastings are possible. If you'd like to add a chef to the mix we can definitely do that as well; he or she will arrive around the same time and be in the kitchen preparing your sumptuous multi-course meal while you're at the table tasting. 2024 pricing:  €600 flat fee plus the cost of the wine, which he'll discuss with you in advance. Your chef dinner will be priced separately if wanted. Available: year round.

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Discover the Wines of Legendary Châteauneuf

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Your guide on this private tour is a professional French sommelier, formerly of the Michelin three-star restaurant Baumaniere, fully bi-lingual. And she's got a great day planned, giving you a delicious immersion into the wines of the famous Châteauneuf-du-Pape. You'll be picked up at your hotel or villa at 9 am, get an overview of the region and an introduction to its wines...then hit one fantastic domaine/cellar for tasting before lunch. Next stop is a great meal in a popular Châteauneuf bistro...followed by two more tastings at two more highly regarded domains. You'll be returned home around 5:30 pm. 2024 Prices: 2 people: 500€ and 100€ for each additional person. Lunch is extra. Pick up is available within 10 km of St. Remy (otherwise you can rendezvous with the guide in a convenient location). Available: Every day except Sunday, year round.

 

Another for the Wine Lovers

This fully bi-lingual French guide is passionate about wine (and also very expert in the food, history and culture of the region). Having settled in France 20 years ago, he offers cultural, wine and food tours to destinations all over Provence. During his full-day wine tour in Châteauneuf-du-Pape you'll enjoy fantastic scenery, get insights into the grapes and wine styles of the region and visit two to three top domaines.  As time allows, you'll also stroll through the village itself and see its historic crumbling chateau and charming streets lined with tasting rooms. This tour may be available to other Southern Rhone wine regions as well and one winery visit can be replaced with something else (olive mill, goat farm, chocolate tasting, etc.) if desired. 2024 Price: 600€ total (for 1 or 2 people), 50€ extra for each additional person. Or, your guide can rent a vehicle holding 8 guests, for an extra charge of roughly 200€. Lunch is also extra. Available: year round.

 

Three Famous Villages, Three Top Wineries

 

Visit the three most famous wine villages of the southern Rhône Valley: Gigondas, Vacqueyras and Châteauneuf-du-Pape. On this full day tour you'll discover three styles of wines made with the same grape varieties, but from different landscapes and terroirs. We start in the morning and head for the gorgeous “Dentelles de Montmirail” mountains, stopping in tiny Gigondas, perched on the hillside. After our first cellar visit and tasting you'll have free time to visit the village with its charming streets and amazing views of the valley, before we're seating for lunch in one of our very favorite bistros. Next stop is Vacqueyras and finally we finish this journey in legendary Châteauneuf with a tasting at one of best wineries in the village. Timing is 9 am to 5:30 pm. Pick up and drop off is included within 10 km of St. Remy or offered at a small extra charge. 2024 Prices: 2 people 550€ and 100€ for an additional person, Lunch is extra. Available: Every day year round except Sundays.

 

A Day of Food & Vines

Avignon & Wine Country

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Les Halles in Avignon is a large, loud, colorful indoor marketplace, with rows of vendors selling every edible imaginable: meat, seafood, shellfish; fruit and vegetables; prepared and packaged foods; olives and tapenades; a fantastic array of fresh cheeses; herbs and spices; and every type of sweets imaginable. Peter Mayle was a regular here and featured Les Halles in his hugely popular book A Year in Provence. The market is open every morning except Monday and this is where the locals-- and the local chefs—come to buy the freshest foodstuffs, gossip with friends, catch up with their favorite purveyors...and then eat and drink together in the market cafes. A great way to experience the scene is with a local food/wine expert and I’ve got just the guy: a sommelier who worked for years at the top restaurant in Avignon. “I spend thousands of dollars at Les Halles and should own the place by now,” he says. “It’s a wonderland of tastes and people just go crazy for it.”  You’ll meet at the market around 9:30 or 10 am and get free tastes of a wide range of local products. All the while, you’ll be picking up this and that to assemble a fantastic lunch. Then you’ll find a table and enjoy a splendid indoor picnic, with a glass or two of wine. But don’t go crazy on the wine...because after lunch you’ll pile into a big comfy SUV for an afternoon of wine touring around the Southern Rhone. You’ll hit two to three wineries, meeting the winemakers if possible, tasting a range of top labels and getting a crash course on the grapes and wine styles of these famous appellations. Return to Avignon around 6 pm. 2024 Prices: 600€ for a couple; 800€ for four; 1000€ for six. Because some clients want a sandwich and others want fois gras, oysters and Dom Perignon, the cost of the lunch is extra. Available: year round, every day except Monday.

 

Food in the Morning, Wine in the Afternoon

Avignon & Chateauneuf du Pape

 

Similar to the tour just above, here's one that provides a perfect one-day immersion into the food and wine of the region. The Food & Wine Day Tour pairs a morning walking food tour in Avignon (with ten tastings) with an afternoon visit to Chateauneuf du Pape, to visit and taste at a family-run winery and a historic chateau winery with one of the top wine guides in the region. There's a break in between, so you can grab lunch on your own, and then round trip transportation to Chateauneuf will be provided. The Food & Wine Day Tour is available Tuesday to Saturday, March to October, and is priced at 190€ pp (2 people minimum). 

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Discover the Vineyards & Villages of the Luberon

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Your guide on this private tour is a professional sommelier, formerly of the Michelin three-star Baumaniere. And she's got a great day planned, taking you to visit two of the most popular villages in the Luberon and two of the best wine domains. The tour departs St Rémy (or nearby) with pickup at 8.30 am. First stop is the beautiful historic hilltop village of Gordes with the Senanque abbey, and follow with the famous perched village of Roussillon, where they mine ochre to make pigments for paint.  Everyone who visits loves it. Then you'll have lunch. After lunch it's all about the wine,  with tastings and cellar visits at two of the region's best domains. The tour returns to St. Remy or nearby around 6 pm. (Note: Pick up and drop off is available within 10 km of St. Remy.)  2024 Prices: 2 people 750€ and 100€ for each additional person. Lunch is extra. Available: Every day year round. 

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Discover the Wines & Olive Oils of Les Baux

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The famous Vallee des Baux-de-Provence (aka the AOC and AOP Les Baux), has roughly 500,000 olive trees, its farms and 12 mills producing 500 tons of oil per year and another 140 tons of table olives. It's also known for wine: vast rows of grape vines shimmering in bright sunshine on fertile plots in the foothills of Alpilles Mountains. So why not discover both on the same day? Led by a professional sommelier, you'll depart St. Remy at 9.30 am (or any village within 10 km of St. Remy). By 10 am you'll be settled in at one of the best wine domains, having a cellar visit, presentation and tasting. Lunch will be in one of our favorite nearby bistros; the cost of lunch is extra. At 2 pm, we'll visit a terrific olive mill, learn about the different olives and the process of pressing oils. Then we'll have time for one more winery visit before returning to St. Remy (or wherever you're staying) around 5 pm. This day has everything: stunning scenery, terrific tasting, lots of learning and a lovely lunch! If you prefer to skip the olive mill, you can visit three wineries instead of two. 2024 Prices: 2 people 500€ and 100€ for each additional person. Available: Every day except Sunday, year round.

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The Holy Trinity Tour: 

Wine, Goat Cheese and Olive Oil

 

Ok so we decided that if wine and olive oil is a good way to spend the day, then an even better way would be to add goat cheese to the mix! First stop is the goat farm/goat cheese maker where you can play with the goats, learn a bit about the cheese-making process and of course taste the delicious fresh chevre. Then we'll hit one or two wineries in the AOC Les Baux de Provence, for tasting and cellar visits if possible. Finally, we'll cap the day at a local olive mill to learn about this important local "liquid gold" and taste the various varieties, oils and other local products. Timing is roughly 9 am to 5 pm but flexible. Pick up and drop off are included within 10 km of St. Remy; otherwise there's a small charge or you can meet your guide in St. Remy. 2024 Priced: Two people, 600€; 100€ for each additional person. Lunch is extra. Available: March thru October, everyday except Sunday.

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Days of Wine and Truffles

Southern Luberon

 

This adorable Franco American couple moved to the South of France from Chicago in 2003 to take over the his family's vineyard and find a better quality of life. So just like on Green Acres (remember?), they traded in their high-flying jobs in finance and PR for fresh air, starry skies and organic farming in the bucolic Luberon region of Provence. That was nineteen years ago. Today their 11-hectare farm (in Cadenet, near Lourmarin) produces grapes, olives (1000 trees!), lavender, apricots, cherries, plums, apples, pears, pomegranates, figs, almonds, hazelnuts and—wait for it--black winter truffles. Yes, la famille owns 50 mature olive trees and another 950 trees (that they they planted themselves—yikes!) and a stand of oak that regularly produce the prized tuber melanasporum, AKA truffes noirs, AKA Black Gold. They also produce tuber aestivum--black summer truffles--as well. Sign on for one of their truffle tours and you'll learn about how truffle trees are cultivated, the special conditions necessary to grow truffles, the signs nature gives to indicate your trees might have truffles beneath them, dramatic stories about the extreme lengths people will go to in order to steal or even sabotage, all while watching their expert hunter's duo of dogs dig for the hidden treasure and come up with "black gold" before your eyes. You'll learn how to clean and prepare fresh truffles, what dishes taste best with truffles, how to tell the difference between a real truffle and the fakes from China...and then tuck into a sampling of fresh truffle hors d'oeuvres, truffle ice cream with truffle honey, with Champagne, and a tasting of their truffle salt, organic olive and truffle oils. Available: Winter season is roughly Nov 15 to March 15; summer season May 1 to September 30. Summer tours are at 10 am and 6 pm Monday through Friday. Winter tours are at 10 am and 2:30 pm Monday through Friday. Tours take roughly 3 hours, for 2-15 people. 2024 Prices: 108€ for adults, 72€ for ages 10 to 17, 48€  ages 2 to 9.

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Truffles in the Morning, Wine in the Afternoon

 

If you're staying in the Alpilles region of Provence (near St. Remy), this is a great escorted one day outing to discover two of the iconic Provencal delicacies: truffles and wine. We'll depart at 8.30 am from your hotel and head for a very small pretty village in the Southern Luberon, to have a truffle hunt and tour with our favorite trufficulteurs! Then we return to their comfy outdoor kitchen for truffled hors d'oeuvres and Champagne. In the afternoon, we'll visit two top wineries in the Luberon AOC area with tastings, finally returning around 6 pm to your hotel. Note: pick up within 10 km of St. Remy is included in the price. Otherwise meet the guide in St. Remy or pick up can be arranged for a small surcharge.2024 Prices: 2 people, 800€; 4 people: 1000€ Price includes transport, truffle tour and two winery visits with tasting. The cost of lunch, if wanted, is extra. Available: in both winter and summer truffle season.

 

Cassis, the Calanques...and Wine Tasting!

 

We're getting up and out early on this one, folks...departing your hotel at 8 am. First stop, one of our favorite Cassis area vineyards, for a cellar visit and tasting. Then we'll continue on to this charming seafront village where you'll time to wander on your own followed by lunch facing the Mediterranean. Then depending on the weather, we'll all aboard the site-seeing boats to see the gorgeous cliffs and coves of the Calanques. If the weather isn't boat-worthy, we'll visit another vineyard. Return to your hotel around 6:30 pm. This tour includes pick up and drop off within 10 km of St. Remy. If you're staying further away, meet the guide there or pick up can be arranged for a small surcharge. 2024 Prices: Two people 1000€ and 100€ for each additional person; the cost of lunch is extra.  Available March thru October.

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Insiders Wine Tour with Lunch

 

One of the nicest wine visits in the area is up in the Ventoux region, not far from Vaison-la-Romaine, at a luxury, organic property that offers tours, tastings, classes for all levels of wine lovers and a few lovely lunch options. This is an historic, world-class property that's home to 35 hectares of vines, a highly regarded wine school, an organic garden, a B&B and a large villa available for rent. The multi-lingual staff loves welcoming visitors, personalizing every visit and sharing the history of this unique property. One of my clients who spent the day here recently wrote: "Loved it, loved it, loved it! We had an exceptionally wonderful afternoon! We did the bentobox lunch outside on the terrace (the lunch was quite involved and delicious), toured the vineyard and the cellar and then did a tasting. I would tell all your clients to DO IT!! The owner's daughter was our guide and she was just lovely! Everyone else there was terrific too and we couldn't have asked for a better day!" The standard offering is an Insiders Tour of the state-of-the-art cellar, barrel room with a tasting of our range of wines (rosé, white, red). The group visit generally lasts 1 hour but can be longer upon request. For lunch (prepared by the on-site chef using ingredients from his kitchen garden), choose from a picnic basket (with a map of the best picnic spots on site); a bento box selection of Provencal specialties; or a three-course, seasonal meal. (The prestigious wine review “Terre de Vins” nominated the winery as a France finalist in its “Best Winery meal” category.) Pricing: The visit and tasting is 12 € pp person. Lunch ranges from 20 € pp for a picnic basket without wine to 60 € pp for a 3-course, farm-to-table meal with wine pairings. Other options include: An Intro to Tasting workshop (35€ pp) and a blending workshop called Winemaker for a Day (50€ pp). Or, a private visit with vineyard and apiary tour, cellar tour and wine tasting with treats; 35 € pp. Group prices available for all activities but please reserve at least two days in advance, longer in busy season, to get your preferred time slot. Tastings and tours available all year; lunches from April through October. Overnight stays available at different times throughout the year, excluding November through March.

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Barrels of Fun: Grape Stomping in Provence

Cadenet (Lourmarin)

 

This 11-hectare farm (in Cadenet, near Lourmarin), run by a Franco American couple, produces olives from 1000 trees, as well as fruits, nuts, black winter truffles...and wine grapes. They make their own wines with syrah and grenache...and have just planted 10 additional varietals which will yield unique wines in a few years. A couple years ago, they started hosting grape stomps for friends and then opened them up to the public; they’re now wildly popular. First you’ll learn how grape vines arrived in Provence and how to harvest them. Then it's off to handpick the grapes. Afterwards, you'll crush organic muscat (table grapes) and organic syrah-grenache by foot, in a big barrel, with a view of Cezanne’s famous Mount Ste. Victoire in the background. You’ll finish the day in the farm's summer kitchen, nibbling cheeses and charcuterie--with the farm's own truffle honey, truffle oil and truffle salt—and all you care to drink of red wine and rosé. Great fun for all ages...and you’ll learn French drinking songs too! Plan to spend at least 2.5 hours. Prices: 75€ per adult, 50€ for kids (10 to 17) and 25€ ages 2 to 9. Minimum: 2 people. Available: Weekdays only, from early August until end of October, depending on weather and grapes!

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Boulangerie, Fromagerie, Epicerie...Apero!

French Happy Hour in Aix

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​Everything stops for the French version of “happy hour” as people gather to enjoy the "apéro” before dinner, in cafés or with their friends at home. For an original taste of this enjoyable tradition, our foodie friends in Aix will take you out in the afternoon for a truly local experience, gathering all the elements for an authentic Apéritif from several food shops. Along the way, you’ll learn a bit of history about the town and what makes Aix such a special food destination. The afternoon starts with a little sugar boost at the best patisserie in town, along with a coffee or tea at an artisan roaster, and then you’re on to some wonderful neighbourhood shops. You’ll hit the boulangerie for some rustic baguettes and visit the fromagerie to collect some delicious French cheese. You’ll visit a 100-year-old “epicerie” and a local deli for “rillettes” or “tapenades.” Finally, with all these wonderful treats in hand, you’ll head to  a local “caviste”, where the wine merchant will pour chilled rosé to go with your spread.  This is a super and original way to spend the afternoon, before heading out for dinner. Available: Tuesday - Fridays from 3:30 pm to 6 pm and other days upon on request, year round. 2024 Prices: 350€ flat fee for 1-4 guests; additional guests 80€ each. Available: year round.

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Wine and Food Tours From Uzes

 

If you’re staying anywhere near Uzes, here are some great day-tour options for you. In his air conditioned car holding six passengers, our guide (a Canadian with WSET credentials, based in the region for 20+ years) offers popular tours focused on the wine and food of the region. Vina Nostra Wine Tour (145€ pp for 2 ppl; 120€ pp for 3 to 4 people; 110€ for 5 or 6 people). Visit and taste at three top local wineries (one organic), learning how the winemakers coax the best flavors from the soil. With a break for lunch, this is a terrific one-day immersion in the wines and grapes of the region. Wines and Local foods of Uzès (same prices as Vina Nostra tour above). Visit two excellent local wineries and experience the farmers’ market in Uzès or St. Quentin, where you’ll pick up local cheeses, olives, pâtés and breads for a picnic lunch. After lunch, taste at a premium olive oil producer before heading to the last winery of the day. Half Bottle (90€ pp for 2 people ; 80€ pp for 3 to 4 people ; 65€ for 5 to 6 people ). A ½ day, morning or afternoon overview of Uzès wines, grape varieties and production methods, with two local winery visits. Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Gard Côtes-du-Rhône (175€ pp for two). Visits and tastings at two domains plus a top Châteauneuf-du-Pape producer. Tours include free pick up and drop off within a 15 km radius of Uzes; clients staying further afield can pay a small fee for pickup/dropoff or rendezvous at the Uzes Tourist Office (there’s a large car park next door). Custom tours in the Languedoc, Rhône Valley, Arles, Orange and Uzes/Pont du Gard area are also available; rates range from 210€ pp (minimum 2 people) for a nine-hour day; five or more people pay 170€ pp. A custom tour might include winery visits, an olive oil producer, the Roman Theatre in Orange, a visit to the Château Suze-la-Rousse and private tasting at its University of Wine), the new Van Gogh Foundation in Arles and more. 

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Yay, Rosé! A Two-Hour Guided Wine Tasting with Niçoise Snacks

Old Town Nice

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How great does this sound? Discover a selection of fantastic rosé wines from Provence and the French Riviera. Learn professional tasting techniques from a charming female sommelier. Nibble traditional Niçoise snacks. And do it all in a beautiful studio in Old Town Nice, with like-minded travelers. from all over the world. Yes, it seems that everyone is falling for the crisp Rosé wines of the Mediterranean coast, which conjure up deep turquoise water and a refreshing sea breeze with every sip. But how is rosé produced and what makes certain bottles stand out? Under the expert guidance of a certified sommelier and cookbook author, you'll learn how modern rosé came to be born in Provence, discover several different rosés from the region and learn to identify your preferred sipping style. While she's sharing her best tips and wine-making tales she'll be uncorking bottles from her favorite producers. Because rosé is an integral part of la merenda, Nice’s famous street-food tradition, nibbles will be served and you'll learn about pairing rosé with foods from the Mediterranean and elsewhere. Pricing: 65€ per person. Available from 5 to 7 pm on Fridays with other days upon request. Min # of people is 4; max is 12. If fewer than 4 people sign up, your deposit will be refunded. Available: year-round.

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Please note that prices are set by the wonderful people who provide these experiences for our clients. We do our very best to keep them current but it's possible they've changed slightly since our last update.