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A Week in the Heart of Bordeaux Wine Country
offered by supplier M05092 (view this supplier profile)
Key Information:
Tour Duration: 8
day(s)
Group Size: 4
- 15
people
Destination(s):
France
Specialty Categories:
Food & Wine
Season: January - December
Airfare Included: No
Tour Customizable: No
Minimum Per Person Price: 3200 US Dollar (USD)
Maximum Per Person Price: 3200 US Dollar (USD)
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* About the location: Surrounded by the vines of Château Bujan, in a vineyard of the Côtes de Bourg, you will live in the charming 17th-century guest house of the wine makers. Nestled in a small green valley and restored with talent by architect Marielle Meacuteli (Pascal's wife), La Maison des Vignes ("House in the Vines"), with its large fireplaces, oak beams, four personalized bedrooms and old books, is totally elegant, while retaining a feeling of true authenticity. A Week in the Bordeaux Wine Country with Bujan's owner and wine maker Pascal Meli and food-and-wine expert Michèle Rousseau is a warm, personal and relaxing way to get to know the wines and gastronomy of the Bordeaux region.
* About your hosts: Thirteen years ago, Pascal realized his dream and purchased the 42-acre vineyard of Chateau Bujan, where he has devoted himself to producing small production of exceptionally fine wine. Michèle was for nine years the administrative director of the Côtes de Bourg appellation. Last year they teamed up to create an unbelievably unique and personal experience for the guests of Maison des Vignes, where you will spend time visiting the chateaux, meeting the people who make the wine and preparing typical and simple culinary specialties, while in the company of your totally charming hosts.
* About the cooking lessons: Michèle Rousseau has been cultivating her passion for wines in the Bordeaux region for 20 years, and through her apprenticeship with a local well-known restaurant owner and meetings with Parisian Michelin-star chefs, she has come to develop a diverse knowledge of cooking with fresh ingredients to complement wine selection. In six cooking lessons using the freshest available seasonal ingredients, you will learn to prepare regional dinner menus to accompany the wines tasted that day: Saint-Emilion, Médoc, Sauternes.
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1, Saturday:
* Pick up your rental car (we recommend from the Bordeaux airport or train station), and arrival on your own at Chateau Bujan.
Day 2, Sunday ("L'art de vivre au château"):
* After breakfast, Pascal will show you around his Château, a beautiful stone house that has watched over two centuries surrounded by 42 acres of rolling vines in an especially lovely Bordeaux landscape. Pascal will explain to you his way of making wine and take you through a tour of the vineyards. In his cellars, you will see the year's wine, peek at the vats and barrels and share in the life at Bujan.
* Lunch will be served in the "Petite Maison," a very old grape picker's house.
* Bujan is open to you all afternoon. You can walk in the woods or the vineyard; you can look in on the work of the season outdoors or in the cellars. You can take a dip in the swimming pool, discover the banks of the estuary of the Gironde, or simply lie down with a good book.
Day 3, Monday (Le Médoc):
* Breakfast. Board the ferry that crosses the Gironde at Blaye and take the route des Chateaux.
* All the dream Chateaux are here: Margaux, Latour, Mouton-Rothschild… You will visit one of the Chateaux, and if the Cellar Master is in good humor, he will entrust you with a few secrets while you savor the latest vintages.
* You can continue the visit in the afternoon or head to Bordeaux for the return wine tour.
* Around 7.00 p.m. your dinner will feature the Médoc wines and regional dishes such as cold cuts and Pauillac lamb.
Day 4, Tuesday (The Golden Sauternes):
* After breakfast, we will head for Sauternes, one hour away by car.
* In a small 25-acre property, you will discover the secrets of this golden wine. You will be shown the processes that make this wine so particular. During the tasting, you'll discover that this sweet wine goes well with both salty and sweet appetizers.
* In the afternoon, you'll probably want to visit the magnificent chateaux and immerse yourself in their glorious past. Wandering through Sauternes' country roads, you will make the surprising discoveries of Chateau Yquem, Chateau de Malle with its gardens, Chateau de la Brede where Montesquieu, the famous philosopher who wrote The Spirit of the Laws, lived.
* Everyone meets again at 6.00 p.m. to prepare a meal together that will feature Sauternes wines: foie gras in all its forms, parsley seasoned cheeses, Auvergne blue cheese, Fourme d'Ambert or Roquefort, orange salad.
Day 5, Wednesday (Blaye and the Estuary):
* Around 9.00 a.m., we will set off for the outdoor market at Blaye. Blaye is a lovely town dominated by a 17th-century citadel. We will buy some of the things we need for dinner.
* Next, we'll visit the Citadel, built by Vauban, under the reign of King Louis XIV.
* We will meet again at 6.00 p.m. at Chateau Bujan. While tasting white wines, Pascal will talk to you about the different processes for making red and white wines. Via your glass, you will experience a Bordeaux wine tour of the whites, a very pleasant way to travel! The menu varies according to the season: filet of sole or Basque-style tuna, mussels marinières, scallops, goat-milk cheese, fresh fruit tarts.
Day 6, Thursday (Saint Emilion):
* Saint Emilion has some of the oldest vineyards in the Bordeaux region. Surrounded by undulating valleys, the very "civilized" village has a distinctive and authentic charm. We will tour the property of a typical chateau of this renowned appellation.
* After a look at the grounds, you will enter the heart of the Chateau, the cellar, where you will taste the wines that are made there.
* The medieval village of Saint Emilion is worthy of all your attention and most probably all your afternoon. The site with its many monuments is remarkable. You will find craft and art shops to visit and some famous and enticing restaurants.
* We will see you again at the Chateau Bujan around 7.00 p.m. We will recap this outing with the wines of Saint Emilion and the dishes that accompany them so well: roast duck, autumn game meat, gratin dauphinois, Saint Nectaire cheese, pears in spiced wine with soft macaroons (small almond cakes made only in St Emilion!).
Day 7, Friday (Le Bassin d'Arcachon):
* After breakfast, we will take the ferry across the estuary and make our way to the Bassin d'Arcachon where we will spend the day.
* The oysters of the Basin are famous and we will visit an oyster farm. A real "farmer of the sea" will tell you about his art and let you taste this king of all festive dishes.
* Lunch beside the Basin on the Arcachon or Cap Ferret side is extremely pleasant.
* In the afternoon, you can do what you like: climb the Dune du Pyla, take a nap in the pine forest, swim, sunbathe, and discover the town of Arcachon. When you return via Bordeaux, you will understand why this region has inspired so many painters.
* Friday night's dinner will give us the opportunity to taste again the wines that you preferred and to select, depending on the season, dishes that would best accompany the wines: roasts or stews, garden vegetables, tasty cheeses.
Day 8, Saturday:
* We suggest that you don't include a very early departure time in your plans. It's going to be hard enough to say good-bye as it is! Why not leave la Maison des Vignes at the end of the morning and take some time to visit Bordeaux?
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Price Includes:
- Seven nights accommodations in the Maison des Vignes (some bedrooms may share either the shower or the WC)
- Daily breakfast
- Seven meals with their selected wines
- Each night you participate in the preparation of dinner
- Six morning guided tours
- At least six wine tastings
* Please note that this program requires a car: we would be happy to assist you with a low-cost rental.
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