Bienvenue à Languedoc!
Let us welcome you to this wonderful part of France by introducing you to the wines the food and the culture. We will take you to explore the vineyards, tasting and sampling wonderful wines whilst learning how they are made from some of the interesting char
acters you will meet. You will spend a day in a French kitchen, visit a local market to select fresh produce and learn how to make a fabulous French dish. You will see the amazing Cathar castles, enjoy the Mediterranean climate and immerse yourselves in this magical part of France.
- Wine tasting
- Vineyard tour & picnic
- Market visit
- French Kitchen
- Cathar castles
- Domaine Gayda
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.
Wines and Vines – After settling in at your hotel we begin our weekend with a tour of Domaine Gayda followed by lunch at their fabulous restaurant. Domaine Gayda is one of the leading and most impressive wine producers in the area. They also boast a superb restaurant and their goal is to tempt the ‘Gourmet’ in you to indulge in their cuisine and delight in the fruits of the region and the passion and creativity of their chef Pascal. We will enjoy a four-course lunch either inside the restaurant or outside in the stunning and unusual outdoor area amongst pine trees and surrounded by vines. The afternoon will be spent learning more about the region and the wines and how to appreciate them. This is a fun and very enjoyable introduction into wine tasting suitable for everyone.
Day Two – Saturday
A Day in a French Kitchen – Today we introduce you to Barbara and her superb French kitchen. Barbara is half English and half French, fluent in both languages and is a superb cook. We are going to spend the day with her in her beautiful farmhouse kitchen which overlooks the Pyrénées. We will begin our day wit
h a trip to a local market to buy fresh produce and Barbara will show you how to select the food you want before returning to her kitchen where we will all enjoy learning how to prepare a delicious French dish using the produce purchased at the market. During the day you will learn about food and wine matching and Barbara will demonstrate many of her recipes, The day will culminate in a delicious supper on the terrace.
Day Three – Sunday
Today we start our tour with a visit to the lovely town of Limoux. The most famous wine fr
om this region is the sparkling Blanquette du Limoux, which has been in production since before 1531 and claims to be the first sparkling wine predating Dom Perignon’s accidental production by about half a century. Although the majority of wine from Limoux is sparkling there are some still whites made here. Our first visit is to Les Caves du Sieur d’Arques which is a cave co-operative in the town of Limoux and is responsible for about three-quarters of the production in the area. They produce a Chardonnay called ‘Toques et Clochers’. It takes its name from the annual auction of exceptional barrels from the best parcelles which is held in Limoux on the Sunday before Easter every year. A gala dinner is cooked by a celebrity chef (hence the Toque – the chefs traditional tall hat) whilst the proceeds of the auction go to a different Limoux wine village each year to be used for the restoration of the bell tower (the Clocher).
After a tasting of these delicious wines we head the Côtes de la Malepère. This is a hilly area south-west of the city of Carcassonne and although the area claims a great history of wine making was only awarded AOC status in May 2007 and is little known outside of France. Although an obscure region the Malepère is well worth a visit and offers a very different terrain to the more recognizable Languedoc appellations. There are many interesting medieval circular villages and we will pass a few on our way to our next tasting and picnic lunch at Château de Routier.The Château has a long history of wine making and you will be able to visit the cave and also the small but fascinating wine museum. They produce red and rosé and this appellation allows Bordeaux as well as Mediterranean grape varieties and although the Bordeaux varieties dominate the blends the wines bear more similarity to those from the Gascony region of south west France. Merlot dominates the blends accompanied by Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc plus a little Cot (Malbec), Grenache and Cinsault. The wines are deep in colour with redcurrant, raspberry and blackcurrant on the nose with hints of spices, truffle, pepper and a lightly wooded scent. They have a powerful & rounded palate with a tannic structure, good acid balance and develop well when matured in casks.
Tour Dates & Prices
3 Day Tours - £550 per person based on 2 sharing and £650 single traveller
Our 3 day tours include 3 nights guest house accommodation, breakfast each day, delicious 3 course or lavish picnic lunch each day, transfers to and from the airport or train station in Carcassonne, air conditioned comfortable transport throughout the tour and your wine tour guide. Also included are the visits to the Domains and Châteaux and the wine & food tastings.
We choose small interesting hotels and guest houses in either Carcassonne or surrounding towns and villages that have a choice of restaurants for you to seek out and enjoy an evening meal. We are very happy to upgrade your accommodation to a hotel of your choice and also include dinner if you would like a fully inclusive package.
Not included in the tour are your flights or transport to the area, your evening meal and any drinks or meals not included in the tour and your personal expenses during free time.
We also offer Private Tours which can be specially designed to your individual requirements including your choice of hotel and tour itineraries.
2009 Dates
Bienvenue à Languedoc! Three Day Tour
May 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th
June 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th
July 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th
August 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st
How to Book
Select your tour dates and either email wendy@thewinewisecompany.com or telephone Wendy on 07880 796786. We will check availability and email the booking form to you to be completed and returned to us along with your deposit. The non-refundable deposit is £250 per person. Once we have received the booking form and deposit we will confirm your booking. The remainder is payable at least 60 days before the tour dates.
We regret that reserve bookings can not be held beyond 14 days if we have not received your booking form and deposit by the end of this period.
If we receive your booking less than 60 days before the tour dates full payment is required and your booking is not confirmed until this is received.