BORDEAUX WINE, MEDIEVAL CITIES AND CASTLES, A Deluxe route for wine lovers, France

France

BORDEAUX WINE, MEDIEVAL CITIES AND CASTLES
A Deluxe route for wine lovers

Food & wine tours proposes a different way of traveling, combining freedom and organization. The freedom of driving on your own, the organization of having all the accommodations and almost all meals reserve and carefully chosen to ensure that you do not miss the best of each place.

Tour Highlights
Deluxe exclusive tour for wine lovers, visit castles and medieval cities while enjoying the Bordeaux wines
Accommodation in exclusive and charming hotels and in Relax Chateaux (Mercues Castle and Château Cordeillan Bages)
Meals in top restaurants: Les Délices d’Hortense 1 Michelin Star, Thierry Marx's 2 Michelin stars, Richard Coutanceau a Relaix Gourmand

In Bordeaux, everything combines to make the table a warm and welcoming place. Bordeaux's cuisine has become well known to the world mainly due to the illustrious Bordeaux wines. Bordeaux's food is normally prepared in a straightforward manner, without any attempt to reach gastronomic heights. However, Bordeaux does have some interesting specialties.
No one who spends time in Bordeaux can miss visiting the wine cellars. These can be truly theatrical moments with unforgettable scenes played by structured crus and wine producers devoted to their craft.

No one who spends time in Bordeaux can miss visiting the wine cellars. These can be truly theatrical moments with unforgettable scenes played by structured crus and wine producers devoted to their craft.

Program

Day 1: Rocamadour-Cahors
Midafternoon, meet at the tourism office of Rocamadour, private guided city tour. A historic shrine perched on a limestone cliff, Rocamadour tells a story of religious belief and human endeavor.

Looking out over the gorge of the River Alzou, this city devoted to the Virgin Mary has remained for over nine hundred years a symbol of faith and hope.
Lunch on your own
In the evening return to Cahors. Accommodation will be in the Mercues Castle. For twelve centuries it was the summer residence of the bishops of Cahors. Today the guest rooms, opening onto a breathtaking view of vineyards, valleys and French gardens, have lost none of their feudal grandeur. In this kingdom of foie gras, truffles and wine, the cuisine is rich and generous. Meanwhile, Georges Vigouroux's vintage Cahors age to perfection in the cathedral-like vaults of the cellar.
Guided visit of Cahors, where you will visit the most relevant monuments like the Valentré Bridge, the Cathedral of San Etienne, or the ancient city center.
Dinner and accommodation at the Mercues Castle, a Relais Chateaux 4*, a 13th century castle, surrounded by terraces and gardens, it stands on the top of an rocky outcrop. It has a gastronomic restaurant and a wine

Day 2: Cahors- Dordogne Valey (Bellerive)
Breakfast and departure to the Dordogne Valley. The Dordogne Valley offers a classic French landscape of green farmland and oak-lined valleys contoured by a tranquil, winding river and checkered with red-roofed fortified towns. Visit the exceptionally preserved city of Sarlat, capital of Black Périgord. More than 1.000 years of architecture live through lanes, roofs of roofing stones and fair and hot stone walls.
After the visit departure to Domme. On the edge of a cliff, Domme offers a vast panorama over the Dordogne valley. Enclosed by walls, the 13th century bastide tells about its glorious past thanks to its fortified gates and its towers, that were used as prison. Afterwards, visit the picturesque village of La Roque-Gageac, where its houses are set into the cliff overlooking the river.
Free lunch in La Roque Gageac.
In the afternoon we will descent the river with canoes, the best way to discover this magnificent valley.
Accommodation in the hotel Manoir de Bellerive, 4*. Dinner a the hotel restaurant “Les Délices d’Hortense”. Eric Barbe is the multi-talented Chef of Les Délices d'Hortense. His terroir cuisine is original and was rewarded by many famous guides: GaultMillau (1 toque 15): 'simply happiness' - Guide Champerard (2 points and 16 chandeliers): 'a great address with much charm' - Bottin Gourmand (1 star): 'a clever terroir cuisine cooked by a young Chef born in this South-Western part of France.' - Red Michelin (1 star).

Day 3: Dordogne Valey: Bellerive – Eyzies - Bellerive
Breakfast and departure to the Vézère Valley, where we will visit the famous ville of Eyzies, called ‘the prehistory world capital’, home of the discovery of the Cro magnon men. Visit the world prehistoric time center, known by the abundance of its archaeological wealths and its cliffs dug of numerous underground cave.
In the evening, visit of Lascaux 2 groute, an original of the replica closed years ago.
Dinner at the restaurant 'Le Vieux Logis'. Situated in the village of Trémolat, on a meander in the Dordogne River, the Vieux Logis has been welcoming guests for over fifty years in a setting that is as elegant as it is charming. The chef, Vincent Arnould, proposes flavoursome, ample meals prepared with locally-produced, high-quality ingredients.
Accommodation in the hotel Manoir de Bellerive.

Day 4: Dordogne Valey: Bellerive – Bordelais – Bordeaux
Breakfast and departure to Bordelais. En route we will stop at the Monbazillac Castle to do a visit with tasting a tasting of a wine called “sun liquor”. Visit of Saint-Émilion, an exceptional site, combining extremely beautiful monuments, which have remained largely intact through the centuries, with a very beautiful and unchanging landscape. Saint-Émilion's inclusion on the World Heritage List is fully justified.
Free time for lunch in Saint-Émilion
After lunch special wine tasting of 'Grand Cru Classé', (Franc Mayne Castle, Mayne, Angélus, Laniote...), you will discover the flexibility and harmony of this famous wine.
Accommodation in Bordeaux, at the hotel Sources de Caudalie, a charming four-star luxury hotel with a wine-therapy spa. This famous centre dispenses treatments to relax, slow down the ageing process, and lose weight. There is nothing else quite like it in the world. Dinner at the restaurant Grand Vigne, the gastronomic restaurant of the hotel, that was inspired by 18th century orangeries. Its beautiful terrace overlooks a pond at the foot of vine-covered slope. It is a feast for the eyes as well as the palate.

Day 5: Bordeaux (Bordeaux ) – Garone Valley – Bordeaux
Breakfast and departure to the city of Bordeaux , a city to admire for its beautifully preserved 18th-century architecture rich in history, culture, arts, music, legendary wines and cuisine, Bordeaux is not only the wine capital of the world, but also a vibrant center of trade, industry and business.
Lunch at the Cafe du Musée, in the Museum of Modern Art. This small restaurant on the roof of the Museum of Modern Art offers great views of Bordeaux.
In the afternoon, discovery of the wineyards of Sauternes (château Filhot, Guiraud, Clos Lafaurie Peyraguey…) and its wines (Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Fieuzal, Carbonnieux…) along the Garone Valley; with two visits and tastings.
Free time for dinner in Bordeaux and accommodation at 'Sources de Caudalie'

Day 6: Bordeaux – Medoc wineyard
Breakfast and departure to the vineyard of Médoc, that has some of the most prestigious red wine vintages of the region. We will take the road throught the villages of Margaux, Moulis, Saint Julien, Saint Estèphe, where we will be able to see famous castles, like château Margaux, Mouton, Lynch Bages, or Pichon Longueville. Visit and tasting in two prestigious wineries. Accommodation in Château Cordeillan Bages, (Relais & Chateaux), a XVIIth century Carthusian monastery surrounded by the most prestogios wine growing Chateaux in the world.
Dinner at the restaurant of the hotel (2 Michelin stars), where Thierry Marx's talented creations combine the best produce from the Medoc vineyards and estuary, including Pauillac Lamb, shad or game... According to the seasons. He makes it a point of honor to find the best possible combinations of creative cuisine with the most famous Bordeaux wines from his impressive cellar.

Day 7: Bordeaux - Rochefort
Breakfast and departure to embarc your car in a barge near Lamrque, that will take us along the estuary of Gironde. Visit of Talmont and its beautiful church.
The visit continious to Rochefort, where you can visit the Corderie Royale and La Rochelle
Free time for lunch
Accommodation in Monnaie hotel 3*, situated in the heart of the city, at the entry of the ancient port, slumbering behind the ramparts of the past. in this old XVII century residence where calms and comfort will be the pledge of your wellbeing.
Guided visit to La Rochelle and dinner in the restaurant Richard Coutanceau, a Relais Gourmand at the seafront, their cuisine imbued with the light of the open sea and the perfume of the ocean, will reveal contrasting flavours to you, the subtle testimony of culinary delicacy are dedicated to the sea. Other tides will carry you to the crest of the wave with the help of our sommelier and delicious dishes.

Day 8: Rochefort
Breakfast and optional visit to the island of Ré.
End of our services

Program includes:
• 7 nighst in the mentioned hotels, double room with breakfast
• All the meals specified in the itinerary (wine not included)
• Entrance fees for all of the excursions
• Guide
• Basic Insurance

Not Included:
• Transportation
• Wine tasting Beginners course at Saint Emillion

This is a suggested itinerary. Can be done as self drive or with private guide/driver. We arrange sightseeing, reservations at best restaurants and winery visits.

Wine tours are a special experience. On our wine tours you'll enjoy special visits to cutting-edge wineries, have private tastings at top cellars, you'll discover great wines.
You'll meet the winemakers and the owners of great chateaux, enjoy gourmet food and have superb tastings. (Things like that do not happen if you just turn up at a chateau or winery).
Most of the visits we do, are to cellars that usually do not host tourists, thus the number of visitors are small.

Inquire for price. Please advice how many people, dates of travel

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