Our friends over at Chocolatine have our very favorite wine tour. This 4 day tour includes accommodations, guided tours with a local wine expert, tastings of a few of the region’s best wines and dinner prepared by a Michelin starred chef! Your Stellar Travel advisor has all the details, contact us today.
Wine Expert: Patrick will be your special wine expert for the 2-day wine experience. For the last 5 years Patrick has led many high-end wine-tasting experiences for Chocolatine’s distinctive clients. He is not only a true wine connoisseur, but also a food lover. Over the years, he was the owner of 2 restaurants, in Brazil and in Canada. His interest and passion for wine grew strong and, after a journey through Napa valley, he taught food and wine pairing at the Greystone Culinary Institute of America. He then took oenology courses in Burgundy, followed by 4 years of wine making. He is now the owner of a very reputable boutique, Vignoble & Chateaux, where numerous high-end clients come to replenish their cellars. He also shares his knowledge as a consultant.
Accommodation: The guesthouse is a little gem located in the beautiful, ancient, walled town of St. Emilion. Tastefully renovated to the highest standards, the guesthouse is a lovely stone house with a peaceful garden located within the original town walls of sophisticated St. Emilion. This charming home offers accommodation for 10 persons, with 5 bedrooms, 3 ensuite bathrooms, an additional full size bathroom, powder room, dining room, living room, study and a large garden with terrace, outdoor dining, and barbecue. The barn has been converted into a leisure annex with billiard table, exercise equipment and upstairs lounge area, which can accommodate extra guests. It’s the ideal base from where to visit the famous chateaux and vineyards of the area.
PROGRAM
• Day 1
Pick up at Airport or Train Station by private chauffeur and drive to Saint-Emilion for first night at the private guesthouse.
• Day 2
10 am: Pick up at the guesthouse
10:15: Private tasting course at Vignobles & Chateaux (special tasting of 1st growth)
12:30 pm: Private visit and tasting at Chateau La Conseillante in Pomerol followed by a private lunch at the chateau with a vertical tasting of their wines (one of the best of this area)
3:30 pm: Private visit at Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angelus or Pavie 1er Grand Cru Classé A of Saint-Emilion followed by a tasting of their wines
4:00 pm: Tour of the vineyard of Saint-Emilion and Pomerol
5:00 pm: Fabulous old vintage tasting of top wines of Bordeaux form the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s or 90’s
8:00 pm: Return to the guesthouse for a gastronomic dinner prepared by a private chef, and hosted by a wine expert
• Day 3
9:00 am: Pick-up at guesthouse for drive to Medoc region
11:00 am: Private visit and tasting at Chateau Mouton Rothschild or competitor Pontet-Canet—both prime wines of Pauillac
12 noon: Private visit and tasting at Chateau Pichon Baron Longueville, followed by a private luncheon with a vertical of wines at the 19th century chateau
3:00 pm: Private visit (including their revolutionart wine cellar) and tasting at Chateau Cos d’Estournel—the top wine of Saint-Estephe
4:30 pm: Private visit and tasting at Chateau Gruaud Larose, the ancient vineyard of Saint-Julien, with a tour of their wine cellar and tower
5:30 pm: Return to Saint-Emilion
8:00 pm: A special dinner this evening at the guesthouse is personally prepared by Michelin-starred chef Cédric Bechard, and served with Saint-Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé
Le Chef: Starred Chef Cédric Bechade. Mr. Bechade has trained with the greatest chefs, including Jean-Marie Gauthier, Alain Ducasse, and Jean-Francois Piege. He offered great cuisine at Le Crillon before joining Alain Ducasse at Robuchon’s former restaurant, 59 Avenue Raymond Poincarré. After a few years there Alain Ducasse moved to Le Plaza Athénée, where Cédric spent 3 years as Jean-François Piége’s assistant and then became the chef of the Plaza restaurant, La Cour Jardin for Alain Ducasse. He opened his owned restaurant in l’Auberge Basque close to Saint-Jean-de-Luz in 2007. He was soon awarded his first Michelin star and the “Discovery of the Year” title by the Gault & Millau guide in 2008. Today, he is the chef at the very reputable l’Hostellerie de Plaisance in St Emilion.
Day 4
Morning pick-up and transfer to the airport or train station
