The Wine Enthusiasts Gourmet Cruise with La Tortue
If you are at a fairly early stage in your wine education – or even a novice, then Learn and Enjoy the wines of the Languedoc with The Wine Wise Company accompanied by the renowned hospitality of your gourmet Chef and Captain, Peter Shaw.
The Culinary Experience on the Canal du Midi
You will be thrilled with their enthusiasm and knowledge as they take you on this enchanted voyage of discovery. You will also have the opportunity to chat with many winemakers, and, back on board, Peter will talk you through every wine he serves and why he serves it with a particular course of the meal.
The Wine Enthusiasts Gourmet Cruise is based on the famous La Tortue luxury barge holiday which has been a feature of the Canal du Midi for over 7 years.
But in addition we will take you on an exploration of the Languedoc vineyards and their wonderful wines as you glide along the Canal du Midi, through the dreaming wine regions of Minervois, Corbières, and Côteaux du Languedoc.
You will have the opportunity to taste over 50 wines from its 12 'appellations' during your week, coming from every corner of the Languedoc.
As well as enjoying wines from top producers such as Mas de Daumas Gassac - the 'Lafite of the Languedoc' - you will also try wines from up-and-coming producers who are the stars of the future.
Your dining experiences on board La Tortue will include the finest local produce blended in the innovative dishes of Peter Shaw.
While your WSET Diploma qualified wine guide explains the origin and making of each wine, Peter's expertise in selecting the region's wines to complement each meal - plus his irresistible anecdotes - will let you develop your 'food-wine matching' skills from delicious practice rather than theory!
Peter's own passion for cheese and wine mirrors that of Rabelais, the famous Roman Catholic monk, who somewhat irreligiously referred to the combination of cheese, wine and bread, as the 'Holy Trinity'.
The Languedoc... a realm of history and enchantment
The Languedoc is a region that stretches from the Pyrenees to the Rhone river, and from the foothills of the Cevennes to the Mediterranean sea.
Here the extraordinary 'Cathars' flourished 900 years ago, their skeleton fortresses still looming over the valleys.
Vines were introduced to the region by the Greeks and viticulture was further developed by the Romans who 'exported' the wine to Italy.
From sea level to an altitude of 1800 feet, the Languedoc has a rich diversity of 'noblesse de terroir' (a wonderful French phrase combining the goodness of soil, elevation, micro-climate and the quiet old customs of local tradition), where vines grow in ideal conditions.
It is the largest area under vines in the world and produces a third of France's wine.
Approximately 85% of the wine produced is red and the remaining 15% is made up of white and rosé.
"Genius is that resolution which turns our universal needs to individual glory"
(Francis Hardie)
Until recently, no wine from the Languedoc merited a mention as its reputation was for quantity rather than quality. But in the last 25 years there has been a revolution in the Languedoc as innovative wine growers have realised the tremendous potential of this beautiful region. They have ripped up poor grape varieties and replaced them with high quality, low yielding vines and introduced modern winemaking techniques.
Quality has dramatically improved and today the Languedoc produces world class, characterful wines and is often described as the 'New World of France'.
"In bringing modern viticulture and wine making techniques to the region, French experts discovered what some local producers had known all along: that the Languedoc had the weather and the soil to produce great wines." (Frank Prial, N.Y. Times, 1998)
The Wine Wise Company has teamed up with the La Tortue to provide vineyard visits and tastings for the wine enthusiast regardless of their current knowledge of wine or this region.
The Wine Wise Company is based in England where they run wine courses for the professional and for the enthusiast.
The tours are led by WSET (The Wine & Spirit Education Trust) Diploma qualified wine experts who have a passion for this wonderful wine region. They will guide you through the appellations and accompany you as you visit different vineyards each day. These informal visits offer a fascinating insight into the ancient art of wine making and are an enjoyable way to begin to learn about the wines of the Languedoc.
Peter Shaw
Peter Shaw is the owner of La Tortue and your resident Chef. He has a wealth of experience of cooking in the U.K. Switzerland and France and, although his style is eclectic, he loves to put a modern twist on traditional Mediterranean dishes.
He has an enormous knowledge of Languedoc wines and the great cheeses of France and is - all his guests agree - a superbly entertaining expert in matching wine to his dishes.
Your Cruise Experience
The Cruises run from Carcassonne to Béziers or Béziers to Carcassonne.
The Itinerary given here is for Carcassonne to Béziers.
Day 1
At 4:00 pm (or thereabouts) your guide will be waiting to greet you at the pre-arranged pick-up point, which can be Carcassonne airport, train station, car rental agency or hotel. You will then be taken directly to La Tortue in the air-conditioned minibus.
During a champagne reception, we cruise from Trèbes to the viaduct designed by Vauban, which crosses the River Orbiel. As you cruise, your wine guide will give you an informal and enjoyable tutored tasting that will prepare you for the weeks tour of the vineyards and the tastings you are about to experience.
During this tutored tasting you will also receive your Tasting Notes - an illustrated Diary of the Cruise where, if you wish, you can record your personal tasting 'experiences' as the week goes by.
Dinner that evening is your first meal onboard - and Peter will prepare a gastronomic delight complemented by three different wines.
Day 2
The morning starts with a chance to see the sights at La Cité - fairy-tale Carcassonne before your first tasting at Château Pennautier.
This grand château was built during the reign of Louis XIII and the wines are equally impressive. Cabardès vineyards are influenced by breezes from both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.
Consequently, merlot, cabernet sauvignon and franc are planted as well as Languedoc varieties.
The wines have a charm all of their own and Pennautier is the leading producer in the appellation.
Back on board and a sumptuous lunch of salads, tarts and cheeses, accompanied by Peter's selection of 'matching' wines.
Then a relaxing cruise through one of the most magnificent tree-lined stretches of the Canal, where interlinked branches form a superb, green canopy, known as the "green cathedral".
Before your delicious four-course dinner your wine guide will join you again to take you through a tasting of the wines Peter has chosen to accompany the dinner which will include a white, a red and a Muscat wine - the Muscat so chilled you have to wonder where the marvellous flavour actually resides.
Day 3
We cruise through four sets of locks to the great lock at Aguile, home of an eccentric and friendly lock-keeper who makes amusing sculptures (some a bit naughty) from tree trunks and branches.
From there we visit 2 vineyards in this beautiful area. We start with Raymond Julien who is a grower to watch.
"The plateau of the Minervois forms a vast amphitheatre, bordered by the Canal du Midi to the south and the Montagne Noire to the north, stretching from the heights of Narbonne to the gates of Carcassonne. From the medieval village, an historic site of worldwide renown, one surveys all the many villages that make up this land of vines and olive trees. The rivulets Clamoux, Argent Double, Ognon and Cesse, running down from the Montagne Noire towards the Aude, have carved out a whole series of terraces of shale, sandstone, schist, limestone or white marble." - Raymond Julien, Minervois.
Amongst the wines we will taste is Le Clos de l'Azerolle, which is pure Carignan from fifty-year-old vines, which is sinewy, yet supple with brambly chewy fruit - gorgeous!
Our next visit in this area is to Domaine Cros where the vineyards sit on the poor shallow, stony soil so stark and inhospitable in some places that only the vine and olive trees can scratch an existence. The love of this arid terroir has induced Pierre Cros to preserve ancient parcels of Aramon (planted in 1930), Piquepoul Noir (1910) alongside the more classic varieties of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre.
Later we arrive at Château Bassanel whose vineyards border the canal. We will taste through its fine range of Minervois wines, which are richly concentrated but always a delight to drink.
Enjoy another delicious dinner and wonderful wines on deck under the canopy of the 'platanes' trees, planted by Napoleon.
Day 4
An early morning start to catch the best of Olonzac market before visiting picturesque and breathtaking Minerve perched on the cliffs of the Cesse valley. Not only did it give its name to the local Minervois wines, it was once a Cathar stronghold, overthrown by Simon de Montfort in the 13th century. In fact the history of Minerve goes back to Neolithic times and the altar in the church dates back to 456 AD.
You will have time to walk around the village, visit the museums, taste the renowned Muscat of St Jean de Minervois and perhaps do a little gift shopping.
After lunch we meet one of the most interesting characters of the Languedoc, John Bojanowski at Clos Du Gravillas in the Minervois. John originates from the wine plains of Kentucky and with his French wife Nicole produces some of the most unusual wines of the region.
The domain is situated on the white limestone gravel plateau of St Jean de Minervois home to France's wonderfully aromatic VDN Muscat, which we will taste.
We will also sample 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.
Day 5
Peter takes you to Narbonne, the ancient capital of Roman Gaul, where he will guide you through the outstanding covered food market. Choose your dinner from a variety of shellfish, home made pâtés and charcuterie, and freshly caught fish.
You will have a chance to visit the Cathedral and the Horreum (the remains of a Roman underground market).
Then it's into the hills above the Mediterranean to visit Le Château Abbaye des Monges.
The winery has been in the de Chefdebien family for over a century. Paul de Chefdebien, the great-great-grandson of the mansion's builder (an Edwardian Era "folly"), currently runs the property.
"It all started with a love for the land." - Paul de Chefdebien
The soil is made up of calcareous-clay slopes which are superb for red grape varieties (Merlot, Cabernet and Grenache) along with marls encouraging the production of white wines that are silky and round on the palate (Chardonnay & Vermentino) and throwing out a hint of herbiness from the 'garrigue'.
As you will discover, the reds of this region are some of the best in Languedoc, reflecting the craggy terroir of this dramatic region. Richly concentrated with smoky wild fruit flavours and, often, returning a remarkably spicy aftertaste!
Tonight you will have an onboard tasting of wines from appellations we have not had a chance to visit this trip, many of which are little known outside the region but are destined to be the top estates of the future.
Day 6
Today we visit 2 excellent domaines in the Faugères region where the vineyards are planted on steep-sloped schist outcrops of the Cévennes. The schist is hard and brittle and flakes like pastry and the advantage for the wine grower is that it forces the vine-roots deep into the ground to search for moisture. Also the schist retains and reflects back the heat of the sun which helps with grapes reach full maturity producing round and full-bodied wines.
Our first visit will be to Domaine du Meteor, which owes its name to a 10,000-year-old meteor, which can be seen at the base of the crater. One of the wines we will taste here is Faugères Tradition, which has a gorgeous deep colour, heady aromas of flowering shrub, bay, balsam and serious quantities of dark smoked fruits on the palate.
Our next visit of the day and last (alas!) of the Cruise is to the 25-hactare biodynamically farmed vineyards of Domaine Leon Barral where you will be enthralled by an overview of what it is to farm using biodynamic methods. Monsieur Barral's aim is "to make something irresistible; a bottle of wine that no one would willingly leave unfinished".
The "last evening" dinner will astonish you, with Peter's combination of foods and wines of the region - of which you have become your own enthusiastic expert!
Day 7
If travel schedules allow, we will cruise to Colombiers, a pretty French village just outside Béziers.
From here we say our goodbyes between 9:00 am and 10:00 am and you will be taken to Béziers, Narbonne or Carcassonne for your onward journey.
Become an enthusiast of the Languedoc wines and treat yourself to the experience of a lifetime. Please contact us for Cruises starting in October 2006 and through 2007 and 2008.
Prices
For prices, please see the price list.