Southwest France Wine and Food Tour

Daily Program:

• Wine Regions of the Bordeaux Region

Description:

Arrive in Bordeaux by plane or train. Transfer to your hotel in Bordeaux or the surrounding area. Check-in.
Lunch at a traditional restaurant.
Meet your guide for a city tour of Bordeaux. Bordeaux is one of Europe's largest ports, a major commercial and cultural center, and the world capital of fine wines. City walk and market visit.
Dinner at a gourmet restaurant in Bordeaux.
Return to your hotel. Overnight in Bordeaux or the surrounding area.

Wine Regions of the Bordeaux Region

Bordeaux's vineyards are located in the Gironde and its tributaries, the Garonne and Dordogne, and are divided into three major zones:

The Left Bank of the Gironde and Garonne (the Médoc and Graves subregions),
The Right Bank of the Gironde and Dordogne (the Côte de Blaye, Côte de Bourg, and the Libournais region, including Saint-Émilion, Pomerol, and Lalande-de-Pomrolle),
The Entre-Deux-Mers region ("between the two rivers").

Day Program:

• Wine Route

Description:

Departure from the hotel with a guide towards the famous "Wine Route." Introduction to the Left Bank Bordeaux wines and the Médoc wine region.
Attend an oenology masterclass.
Lunch at a traditional restaurant.
After lunch, visit the Saint-Estèphe wine estate – Château Cos d'Estournel, 2 Cru Classé 1855 Médoc, and the Pauillac estate – Château Batailley, Grand Cru Classé AOC Pauillac.
Bordeaux – Margaux – 31 km, !50 minutes.
Château Cos d'Estournel – Château Batailley – 10 km, !10 minutes.
Return to the hotel. Dinner.
Overnight in Bordeaux or the surrounding area.

Day Program:

• Saint-Émilion
• Saint-Émilion estate "Château Pavie"
• Pomerol

Description:

Departure from the hotel and transfer to the western part of the Loire Valley.
Along the way, you can visit the city of Tours.
Hotel - Tours – 48 km, approximately 40 minutes.
Tours is one of the most ancient cities in France. It boasts medieval squares, Renaissance mansions, and the remains of Roman buildings.
Lunch in Tours. Alternatively, you can visit the Chateau de Valmer.
Then transfer to Villandry. Tours - Villandry – 18 km, approximately 25 minutes.
Visit the Château de Villandry, which is of interest to those interested in landscape architecture.
Transfer to the Château de Azay-le-Rideau. Villandry Castle – Azay-le-Rideau Castle – 12 km, approximately 15 minutes by car.

You can also optionally visit Langeais Castle on this day. Azay-le-Rideau – Langeais – 11 km, approximately 15 minutes by car.

The castle was founded in the late 10th century. The ruins of the central tower, preserved in the park, are the oldest keep in France.
Transfer to the hotel. Check-in. Dinner.

Daily Program:

• Côte d'Argent (Silver Coast).
• Dune of Pyla
• Arcachon

Description

Trip to the Atlantic coast, the so-called Côte d'Argent (Silver Coast). This part of the Atlantic coast of France boasts endlessly wide, soft sandy beaches, and the air is filled with the scent of pine trees and the ocean.
Bordeaux – Dune of Pyla – 66 km, 1 hour drive.
Walk along the Dune of Pyla, the highest sand dune in Europe. Excursion to the Maison de l'Huitre oyster farm.

Dune of Pyla – Arcachon – 13 km, 16 minutes drive.
Arrival in Arcachon. Lunch at one of Arcachon's restaurants.
After lunch, stroll through Arcachon. At the end of the program, return to the hotel. Dinner.
Overnight in Bordeaux or the surrounding area.

Day Program:

• Graves – Pessac-Leognan
• Château Pape Clément
• Château Smith Haut Lafite
• Château La Tour Blanche – Premier Cru Classé.

Description

Guide pickup from your hotel. Introduction to the Graves – Pessac-Leognan wine region.
This is where the oldest vineyards are located, the heart of Bordeaux. Bordeaux – Château Pape Clément – ​​7 km, 25 minutes drive.
Visit to the prestigious Grand Cru Classé de Graves estate – Château Pape Clément. This is one of the oldest appellations.
Vineyards were first planted here in the 13th century.
Château Pape Clément – ​​Château Smith Haut Lafite – 16 km, 20 minutes drive.
Visit to the Grand Cru Classé de Pessac-Leognan estate, Château Smith Haut Lafite. The chateau's history dates back to 1365. Since 1991, the estate has belonged to Daniel Catyard, whose daughter Mathilde helped create the Caudalie cosmetics line, based on grape seed polyphenols. Lunch.
Departure to the Sauternes wine region, where naturally sweet wines are produced from "raisined" grapes affected by so-called "noble rot." Château Smith Haut Lafite – Château La Tour Blanche – 35 km, 30 minutes drive.
Visit to Château La Tour Blanche, a Premier Cru Classé. This wine is considered the second most exquisite appellation in the Sauternes region after the famous Château d'Yquem.
Return to your hotel in Bordeaux or the surrounding area. Dinner.

Day Program:

• Périgord
• Brantôme
• Lascaux Cave
• Sarlat-la-Canéda

Description

Departure from your hotel in Bordeaux. Transfer to the Périgord region, located within the Dordogne department. Périgord is symbolically divided into four regions: Green Périgord (centered in Brantôme), White Périgord (centered in Périgueux), Purple Périgord (Bergerac), and Black Périgord (Sarlat).
Périgord is famous for its gastronomic specialties: truffles, walnuts, and foie gras. These delicacies are perfectly paired with the local sweet white wine.

Visit to Brantôme, the "Venice of Périgord." Here you can rent a boat and take a cruise along these picturesque canals. Lunch.
Bordeaux – Brantôme – 150 km, 1 hour 50 minutes.
Transfer to Sarlat-la-Canedat and the Lascaux Cave.
Brantôme – Lascaux Cave – 68 km, 1 hour 15 minutes.
Lascaux Cave – Sarlat-la-Caneda – 27 km, 30 minutes.
Lascaux Cave contains the most outstanding collection of prehistoric murals in the world. Sarlat is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in France.
Transfer to the hotel. Dinner

Day Program:

• Farm Ferme de la Chambaudie
• Perigueux
• Rocamadour

Description

Visit to the Ferme de la Chambaudie foie gras farm in Paulin.
Hotel – foie gras farm – 20 km, 25 minutes drive.
Visit to the town of Perigueux – the capital of foie gras and truffles.
Foie gras farm – Perigueux – 77 km, 1 hour drive.
Alternatively, visit the medieval village of Rocamadour – one of the most picturesque places on the planet – a town perched on a cliff.
Hotel – Rocamadour – 51 km, 1 hour drive.
Transfer to the Poitou-Charentes region towards Cognac.
Périgueux – Cognac – 115 km, 1 hour 50 minutes.
Dinner. Hotel check-in.

Day Program:

• Rémy Martin Cognac House
• Boat Cruise on the Charente River
• Cognac

Description

Introduction to the city of Cognac.
The history of Cognac began with the construction of a salt trading port on the Charente River. The first mention of this settlement dates back to 1215. Today, Cognac is the capital of cognac production—a strong alcoholic drink produced from certain grape varieties using a special technique and only in the Charente region of France.
Private visit to one of the largest cognac houses, Rémy Martin. During the tour, you will learn all the intricacies of the production of this wonderful drink.
Lunch at a traditional restaurant.

After lunch, boat cruise on the Charente River (a gabarre is a traditional flat-bottomed vessel used to transport barrels of cognac).
Upon request, we can also arrange visits and tastings at the Camus, Otard, Hennesy, Martel, and Courvoisier cognac houses.
Return to your hotel in Cognac or the surrounding area. Overnight in Cognac.

Departure from the hotel in Cognac. Transfer to Bordeaux.