Tour Best Of Provence Wine Tour

Guide

Accommodation

All our groups are based in the village of Lourmarin at the 4-star Bastide du Lourmarin Hotel. The Hotel has a swimming pool and spa, and is conveniently located a 1 minute walk from the center of the village. Breakfast is included. Lourmarin is classed as one of France’s most beautiful villages. It is filled with shops, cafes, restaurants and art galleries and is an enchanting place to spend time. The village has an extensive literary heritage claiming Albert Camus, Henri Bosco and Peter Mayle as past residents. It is located in the Luberon Regional Nature Park, in the heart of Provence, 30 minutes north of Aix en Provence. Little known outside France, Lourmarin is beloved by the famously hard to please Parisians. Mention the name of the village to a Parisian and watch a wide smile spread across their face as they confess: “J’adore Lourmarin”. One of the reasons to choose our tour is that you will spend 5 nights in the village soaking up its unique atmosphere. Each night you will be able to choose a different restaurant to suit your mood. Tour members can dine together, or choose to spend some time apart.

Meals

4 meals are included Provence has a fantastic reputation for its food and wine. We understand the local food culture and want you to enjoy the best Provence has to offer. We avoid touristy restaurants and eat in off the beaten track places, patronized by locals. Although The Best of Provence Tour is not specifically listed as a Gourmet Tour it includes two wine tastings at top local domains and the opportunity to taste regional dishes such as bouillabaisse ( the famous fish soup of Marseille) and delicacies such as the Calissons of Aix en Provence (almond and candied fruit). Above all we want you to return from your Provence holiday raving about the food. 4 meals are included in the Best of Provence Tour as well as welcome drinks. Lunch is also provided from Monday to Thursday. Three lunches are taken in restaurants which have been specially selected by our tour leader Jamie Ivey. The fourth lunch usually takes the form of a picnic/buffet in a vineyard. In the evenings guests can opt for any of Lourmarin’s numerous restaurants. A small group also allows us to easily cater for food allergies etc…Please let us know in advance of any special requirements.

Transport

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Day 1 Day 1: Sunday - Arrival Lourmarin
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 1: Sunday - Arrival Lourmarin

Pick up by taxi or minibus (depending on numbers) at an agreed time from either Aix en Provence TGV or Marseille Marignane airport. You will be transferred to your accommodation in a 4 star hotel in the gorgeous Luberon village of Lourmarin. The journey is an easy hour’s drive through picturesque countryside.

Upon arrival a small hamper of luxurious Provencal goodies awaits in your bedroom. Any free time can be used to explore the village. On Sundays from Easter to the end of September there is usually an artisan market or brocante market. The group will gather for a drink’s reception around 6.30pm and a gourmet welcome dinner.
Day 2 Day 2: Monday - Aix En Provence
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 2: Monday - Aix En Provence

A highlight of the tour is our visit to Aix en Provence. Known as the Paris of the south, an enjoyable day can easily be spent people watching from the café terraces and indulging in a little retail therapy. Tour leader Jamie Ivey will share his love of the city in a tasting tour including local specialities, such as calissons, navettes, and savoury and sweet madeleines. Jamie will then lead a Provencal rosé tasting which will be followed by lunch in an off the beaten track local restaurant,

After lunch the tour visits Chateau Vignelaure. American wine critic Robert Parker. Parker states that Chateau Vignelaure is: “One of the showpiece properties not only of Provence, but of France.”

The uniqueness of the wine made by Chateau Vignelaure stems from its Cabernet Sauvignon grapes which in 1960 were grafted from the classed Bordeaux growths at Chateau Lagune by George Brunet. As a result the Chateau produces a Provencal wine which is capable of ageing for 15 to 20 years. At its best, so the owners claim, it is reminiscent of fine Bordeaux.

Returning to Lourmarin guests can choose from the numerous village restaurants in which to eat. Our touring ethos is that members should be free to spend as much or as little time together as they wish. Gregarious couples who enjoy company can choose to eat with the group. More private couples can take the opportunity for some time apart from the group.
Day 3 Day 3: Tuesday - Luberon Hill Villages
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 3: Tuesday - Luberon Hill Villages

The locals call the Luberon a corner of paradise. It’s not hard to understand why: – there are countless picturesque villages; numerous vineyards producing sumptuous wines; olive groves that stretch for miles; cherry orchards which produce snow storms of blossom in Spring and rolling mountains stretching away towards the Alps.

The day starts with a visit to Cucuron market. Centred around an old water basin (etang), the market is one of the most picturesque in Provence. Guests tour the market and enjoy tastings of local products.

For lunch the tour will stop at Domaine de La Citadelle outside Menerbes and enjoy a buffet lunch and wine tasting. There is even time to visit the vineyard’s famous corkscrew museum.

In the afternoon the tour visits either Roussillon, famed for its red soil (local legend has it that a jilted lover threw herself from a cliff and her blood stained the soil for miles around) or Gordes, which for decades has been an ultra-chic retreat for wealthy Parisian families and French celebrities.

In the evening for supper guests can choose from the numerous village restaurants.
Day 4 Day 4: Wednesday - Les Alpilles
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 4: Wednesday - Les Alpilles

First stop is a natural winery (Domaine Milan) just outside the town of Saint Remy de Provence. Guests taste up to 10 different natural wines and learn about the philosophy of a natural wine maker. Lunch afterwards is in the picturesque village of Eygalieres. This is followed by a Chateauneuf du Pape and Les Alpilles wine tasting at a prestigious local vineyard (Domaine de La Vallongue). There will also be an opportunity to taste the Domaine’s award winning olive oils, learn about the olive oil production process, and the different varieties of oil available.

In the evening for supper guests can choose from the numerous village restaurants.
Day 5 Day 5: Thursday - Cassis
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 5: Thursday - Cassis

On the way to the glittering Mediterranean and the charming port of Cassis, the tour will visit one of the top vineyards of Bandol. The region is famed for its Mourvedre based reds and rosés. Arriving harbourside in Cassis there’s time to explore the port before enjoying lunch together. Enthusiasts of seafood should not miss the opportunity to try Provence’s famed Bouillabaisse fish soup. In the afternoon the tour will stop for a wine tasting at Domaine Paternel, where guests can taste the Cassis’ stella white.

In the evening for supper guests can choose from the numerous village restaurants.
Day 6 Day 6: Friday - Lourmarin
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 6: Friday - Lourmarin

On Friday our home village of Lourmarin hosts one of the largest and best Provencal markets. It’s the perfect opportunity to do something last minute shopping before heading home.

6 days tour

Best Of Provence Wine Tour

This tour includes:

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Itinerary of your trip Best Of Provence Wine Tour

Day 1: Sunday - Arrival Lourmarin

Day 2: Monday - Aix En Provence

Day 3: Tuesday - Luberon Hill Villages

Day 4: Wednesday - Les Alpilles

Day 5: Thursday - Cassis

Day 6: Friday - Lourmarin

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