Questions about wine tours
Welcome to the FAQ! Here I will try to answer all your questions about the wine tours and their progress!
If ever an answer is missing, please do not hesitate to contact me!
It’s a tour in a private car with driver, that I create and realize, only for you to discover a wine region and its wines. I drive and guide you through the vineyards and châteaux of the region throughout the day. Everything is created, built and planned in advance according to your desires and expectations.
A wine tour can take place over one or more days according to your wishes and availability.
A wine tour is a beautiful journey to discover the landscapes and wine heritage of Bordeaux. A moment of escape combining an introduction to oenology, a drive, tastings and gourmet stops. Enjoy the landscape in total comfort.
You will be able to taste wines without breaking the rules of the highway code.
Yes, all private wine tours include a pick up and drop off at the requested location – (hotel, airport, train station, Rbnb…) in and around Bordeaux.
It is a fixed price for 2, 4, 6 or 8 people.
For each wine tour there is a detailed section showing what is included or not included.
The package price includes the prior organisation of the tour, transport, my services, the costs of the visits with tastings. It does not include entrance fees to monuments, museums, attractions, meals, drinks and other extras.
Meals are not included in the packages, however restaurant reservations can be arranged on request.
Usually, it is a 100% electric 5-seater saloon car, Tesla Model S.
Pascal, to find out more about me go to the “who am I ” page.
Yes, it is possible to propose a list of the wineries or places you would like to visit, but reservations at the châteaux depend on availability at the time of booking.
Visits are not private as you can be grouped with other people. It is possible to privately visit the châteaux, but at an additional cost. A private tour of a château must be requested at the time of booking.
As a general rule, I offer programmes that include visits to 2 vineyards for half a day and 3 or 4 vineyards for a full day.
The cost depends on the properties. For group visits, prices vary from €5 to €20 per person. For private visits, prices vary from 10 € to 50 € per person (or more).
In general, the greater the reputation of the estate is, the greater the demand for visits is , hence the need to prepare your trip in advance.
I don’t make any reservations at the châteaux before your booking has been confirmed.
Some 1er Grand Crus Classés 1855 such as Château Haut-Brion and Château Mouton Rothschild offer visits with tastings but reservations must be made months in advance as requests for visits are numerous. Forget the very famous crus such as Cheval Blanc, Margaux, Latour, Petrus, very exclusive they are not used to welcoming visitors except professionals.
Yes this is possible if you do it in time…
Yes the purchase of wine is possible directly in the properties visited or not.
The châteaux are producers and not distributors, tastings are associated with the visits.
You should allow about 1 hour’s drive from the centre of Bordeaux by car. This is why my wine tours generally focus on one region per day. Consider one day’s wine tour for the right bank and another for the left bank.
The vineyards of Bordeaux are vast, St Emilion, the Médoc and the Graves are far apart.
Most Châteaux welcome you by appointment only. The visit begins with a guided discovery of the estate and its technical installations (the cellars) and lasts approximately 1h-1h30. During this visit you will discover the history of the estate, the owners, the terroir, the vineyard and the winemaking process. The visit ends with a tasting of several of the estate’s wines.
The sooner the better. Some tours are small group visits, some are private. It is always best to book as early as possible to secure your place. If you wish to visit your favourite vineyards, please do not hesitate to contact me even 6 months in advance.
Try to avoid certain periods such as weekends in low season (November to March), the first week of April (Primeurs week) and other wine-related events such as Vinexpo (trade fair). During these specific times, many châteaux are closed or open only to professionals.
July and August are usually quite busy as these are the summer holidays.
Spring is a very good choice (April, May and June) less crowded, pleasant climate. Finally, September and October, the harvest period, is a very good time, but book your visit in advance as it is also a very busy period.
The temperature in the wine cellars does not exceed 15 degrees Celsius, remember to wear warmer clothes.
Bring closed shoes for the cobbled streets of St Emilion.
Yes, many of them are open at weekends, especially from April to October. During the low season, we suggest you come on weekdays.
YES! On June 28th 2007, UNESCO listed Bordeaux, Port of the Moon, as an exceptional urban ensemble on the World Cultural Heritage List. Bordeaux thus has more than 350 listed buildings or buildings listed as Historic Monuments. It is the largest urban ensemble classified by UNESCO.