I have teamed up with Tour de Forks, a 15-year-old boutique travel company that invites travelers to see world destinations, their history, and culture through culinary travel.
I am very excited to invite you to join me on a deluxe culinary and wine exploration of France’s Bordeaux region. We will do it all with our own Luxury Van and Driver spending 3 nights in Bordeaux, a UNESCO world heritage site, and 4 Nights just outside beautiful St. Emilion, in the heart of the Bordeaux wine region.
We’ll meet in Bordeaux on Monday, May 4th, where we’ll be ensconced in the perfect location: The Hotel de Seze. Our English language guide will be with us every step of the way as we explore this beautiful city, second only to Paris in its architectural heritage.
We’ll visit La Musée du Vin, the largest museum in the world dedicated solely to the world’s wines. Armed with our new knowledge, we will visit the Chateaus that produce some of Bordeaux’s most famous wines. And they’re not all Bordeaux.
We’ll tour and taste Sauternes at Chateau Climens under the personal guidance of Berenice Lurton, the Chateau’s proprietère and a member of one of France’s most distinguished wine families, whose wines have often bested those of the world-famous Chateau d’Yquem.
With a Chef in tow, we’ll head south of the city to the Marché des Capucins. Here we have arranged for the Chef to take us around the market as he picks out the ingredients for lunch at his restaurant.
We’ll give you plenty of time to relax, shop or spend an afternoon at the Spa at Hotel de Seze. Or to simply enjoy the comforts of your deluxe hotel room.
On Day 4, we’ll depart Bordeaux for a four-night stay at the 5-Star Chateau Grand-Barrail near the beautiful neighboring village of St. Emilion in the heart of the Bordeaux countryside
En route to the Chateau, we’ll spend a morning immersed in the world of Truffles. We’ll meet our Truffle hunters extraordinaire at their country retreat before a lunch featuring truffled toasts, scrambled truffle, fried and truffled goose foie gras, and of course, an aperitif to start and wine with our lunch.
In the afternoon we’ll check into our deluxe rooms at the Chateau Grand-Barrail, a Small Luxury Hotel of the World. We’ll have plenty of time for a visit to St. Emilion, a treatment at the Hotel’s Spa or a walk around this beautiful property. Tonight, enjoy a welcome dinner in the Grand Barrail’s elegant restaurant featuring southwestern France’s most inventive cuisine and the finest of wines.
Next morning, we’re off to Blaye, on the Gironde river, where we’ll visit its citadel and then drive to Cognac. After lunch, we’ll partake of a private tour of a 5th generation cognac maker. For a souvenir, we’ll each blend a cognac of our own.
A scenic Saturday drive will take us through the region for more tastings and tours on magnificent estates where we will be welcomed as honored guests. Sunday, we’ll be off the coast and the town of Arcachon to visit an Oyster Farm by boat. After a short cruise, we’ll learn all about oyster cultivation and sample the freshest of oysters. The boat then takes us to Cap Ferret for lunch and then it’s back home to the Chateau for our grand Farewell Dinner.
Next morning, our van will take us to Bordeaux’s TGV Train station for a swift two-hour-fifteen minute trip to Paris Montparnasse, just a 15-minute taxi ride to Orly Airport, or on a TGV train straight to CDG Airport.
This magnificent trip includes everything—all meals, wines, hotels, luxury van transportation, entrance to every vineyard, site, and guided tour for $6000.00 US.* Your transportation to Bordeaux is not included. We highly recommend your looking into the remarkable and well-priced All-Business Class flights on LaCompagnie.com, departing twice a day, Newark to Paris Orly.
*Some adjustments to the schedule may be necessary. We hope you understand. But we guarantee an absolutely superb journey with only the nicest of companions. Single Supplement is $1000.00 US. A $2000.00 US deposit is required to hold your place.
To reserve, please email [email protected]. Space is extremely limited so don’t be disappointed and please do so today.
