Vineyard Visit Weekend in the Languedoc, Southern France
Escape for a weekend to experience and enjoy the wines of the Languedoc with The Wine Wise Company. We will take you on an exploration of some of the Languedoc vineyards, tasting and sampling wonderful wines whilst learning how they are made from some of the interesting characters you will meet.
The Languedoc is a realm of history and enchantment … a region that stretches from the Pyrenees to the Rhone River and from the foothills of the Cevennes to the Mediterranean Sea.
The weekend will be led by Wendy Gedney MD of The Wine Wise Company, a WSET (The Wine & Spirit Education Trust) qualified wine tutor who has a passion for this wonderful wine region. She will guide you through the appellations and visits to vineyards and introduce you to some of the wonderful wine makers in the region. These informal visits offer a fascinating insight into the ancient art of wine making, they are a delightful way to learn about and experience the wines of the Languedoc.
Day One – Friday
We will meet in the wonderful medievil cite of Carcassonne in the Languedoc. You can fly there by Ryanair who fly from East Midlands, Liverpool, Stansted and Dublin directly into Carcassonne airport – less than a 2 hour flight. Alternatively you can arrange to drive or perhaps take the TGV from Paris.For those arriving by air we will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel or B & B accommodation. Once everyone has arrived we will start our visit with a tasting and lunch at Domaine Gayda.
This fantastic winery and restaurant is in a village between Carcassonne and Limoux. Domaine Gayda produces award winning Vin de Pays wines from their ‘state of the art’ winery which we will visit before taking lunch amongst the surrounding vines. Before lunch Wendy will provide you with an overview of the region and a tasting of wines from both Domaine Gayda and other vineyards in the region. Following this visit we will return you to your hotel or B & B and the evening is free for you to do some sightseeing or sit in a café and enjoy the Mediterranean climate whilst sipping a glass of wine before choosing a restaurant or joining Wendy for dinner
Day Two – Saturday
We will start our day with a visit to the beautiful village of Minerve. The village is an island set between 2 rivers and has a wonderful history. We approach the village along a road which winds slowly up the valley from the Beziers Carcassonne highway, first climbing steeply then falling into the town of Aigues-Vives that lies along the River Cesse. A river full of tricks up its sleeve as it disappears underground, in the heat of summer, in this wild landscape of Causses. The village is perched like a survivor, that it is, marking the massacre inflicted by Simon de Montfort during the crusades against the Cathars in France in 1210.
You will have an hour to wonder the little streets and buy souvenirs or enjoy a drink before we set off for our next visit and lunch which will be a picnic near a beautiful hidden church and close to our next visit – Clos Du Gravillas, which is situated on the white limestone gravel plateau of St Jean de Minervois, home to France’s wonderfully aromatic VDN Muscat.
John and Nicole Bojanowski own the Domaine. John originates from the wine plains of Kentuc
ky and his French wife Nicole is the wine maker and together they produce some of the most unusual wines of the region. Amongst the wines we will taste is the Minervois Blanc “L’Inattendu”, which is made from Grenache Gris and has hints of apple-skin, nuts and an unexpected taste of caraway.
Only 800 bottles are made each year and can be found in Michelin restaurants in Paris. We will taste their wines and hear how he and Nicole chose this region and how they set out to make outstanding wines.
Day Three – Sunday 
We will collect you and take you on a road tour of the Corbierres which is situated between Carcassonne and Narbonne. This is a region of contrasts. Wild, windswept garrigue, where cigales sing and buzzards circle lazily against a blue sky. The vineyards are perched on sides of rocky hillsides and the roads wind round and round as we make our way towards our first vineyard visit – Domaine de Haut-Gléon. The wines here are stunning as is proved by the amount of awards they have won. We will enjoy a tasting here before heading back towards Carcassonne for lunch in one of the colourful cafes.
Our last tasting is at Châteaux de Pennautier in the Cabardès region of the Languedoc and close to Carcassonne. The wines from this region are a blend of Bordeaux and Languedoc grape varieties and provide us with a superb contrast to end our tastings with.
Tonight we will dine at Domaine Gayda where they not only produce excellent wines but also boast a superb restaurant. Their goal is to tempt the ‘Gourmet’ in you to indulge in their cuisine and delight in the fruits of the region. After a tour of the winery a wine-tasting dinner will be served in the restaurant accompanied by Domaine Gayda wines.
Day Four – Monday
If you are flying home we collect and take you to Carcassonne airport for your return flight home.
Simply Wine Tasting Weekend Cost per person is £395
This wine tasting weekend includes:
• 3 nights B & B accommodation near or in Carcassonne
• Transport throughout the visit
• Vineyard picnic in the Minervois
• Vineyard visits and tastings in Minervois, Corbières and Cabardès
• Dinner at Domaine Gayda
Your transport to Carcassonne and meals apart from those in the above list are not included in the cost.
Fully Inclusive Package £895 per person
We can also offer you a fully inclusive package which includes:
• Flights
• Hotel accommodation in Carcassonne
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner on each day
• Vineyard picnic in the Minervois
• Transport throughout the visit
• Vineyard visits and tastings in Minervois, Corbières and Cabardès
• Dinner at Domaine Gayda
2009 Dates
March 27th, 28th, 29th, 30th
May 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th
July 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th
We also offer private visits to this region and other areas of France. These trips are fully bespoke to meet your precise requirements.