|
The Rhone Valley Wines Tour
|
When we started sampling French wines in earnest over twenty years ago, wines of the Rhone Valley region had lost much of the glory they had enjoyed 100 years before, when they were known as equal to the finest that France had to offer. We often confounded even the most knowledgeable of our connoisseur friends with blind servings of Cote Rotie and Chateauneuf-du-Pape selections, which they often mistook for the most noble Burgundies or the most illustrious Bordeaux.
Today, largely through the efforts of a few individuals, the great Rhone red wines have largely regained their former reputation, and this tour does homage to the achievement.
We start with a TGV (high speed train) ride from Paris to Vienne, where we will check into the renowned 2-starred Pyramide hotel/restaurant. After an appetite-whetting stroll through the ancient Roman ruins of the city (with its astonishing Temple of Augustus and Livia), we begin our samplings in earnest at Pyramide with a meal designed around the whites of near-by Condrieu and the reds of Cote Rotie. In the afternoon we will have tastings of Cote Rotie at either Barge, Bernard, Burgaud, Champet, Chapoutier, Clusel-Roch, or Delas. We will also taste Condrieu whites at either, Gangloff, Guigal, Jaboulet, Andre Perret, Niero Pinchon, Vernay or Verzier. The choice of venue for the tastings is determined at the time, according to the engagements of these remarkable producers. For those of you who wish to stock your cellars here, Paris Luxury Tours also provides facilities for shipping your purchases home. We conclude our first day at the starred Domaine de Clairefontaine in near-by Chonas l'Amballan, where we will have a dinner designed around Viognier and Cotes du Rhone wines.
Our second day begins with a drive down to Tain l'Hermitage, the capital of the second heavy-weight of the Rhone, of the same name. Here we will have a tasting of reds wines at either Belle, Chapoutier, Chave, Delas, Desmeure, Faurie, Sorrel or Tardieu-Laurent. Lunch will follow at the starred Rive Gauche restaurant, where we will have a meal conceived around septentrionale (northern Rhone) wines. After lunch we proceed to a tasting of still and sparkling whites from some of the same producers. We end our second day checking into the famous Pic Hotel/Restaurant (2-stars in Michelin) in the town of Valence, where we will stroll through the Old Town, spend the night and enjoy a dinner designed around St. Peray and Hermitage wines.
Our final day begins with a drive to the southern Rhone district of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, the third star of Rhone reds, where we will have a tasting of reds (and whites) at either Chateaux de Beaucastel, Fortia, Gardine, Mont Redon, La Nerthe, Rayas, or Domaines de Beaurenard, Bosquet des Papes, Les Cailloux, Font-de-Michelle, Grand Tinel, Pegau, Clos de Mont Olivet or Clos des Papes, Clos St-Jean or Vieux Donjon.
We have our final meal at the starred Europe restaurant in Avignon, designed around Cotes du Rhone and Chateauneuf-du-pape wines. Our tour finishes with a visit of the city's highlights and a TGV ride back to Paris.
Quotations upon request.
Please fill out our contact form with your exact requirements.
|
|
HOME 
TOURS HOME
Wine-tasting day tours from Paris
CONTACT US 
LINKS 