6-Day Provence Wine Tour with an Award-Winning Author Host

Tour Provence's finest vineyards with an award winning author with this 6-day wine tour. Designed to encapsulate all that is great about Provence food and wine in 6 days of unforgettable experiences, this tour is a sensory and visual delight. 

Itinerary:

Day 1: Arrival

You will  be transferred to the accommodation in a 4-star hotel in the gorgeous Luberon village of Lourmarin. The journey is an easy hour's drive through picturesque countryside. Gather for a drink's reception around 6.30pm and a gourmet welcome dinner.

Day 2: Aix en Provence

A highlight of the tour is the visit to Aix en Provence, known as the Paris of the south. 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 states that Chateau Vignelaure is: “One of the showpiece properties not only of Provence, but of France.”

Returning to Lourmarin, you can choose from the numerous village restaurants in which to eat. You will be free to spend as much or as little time together with the group as you 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: Luberon Villages, Market Food Tasting and Wine Tasting.

The locals call the Luberon a corner of paradise. 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. Tour the market and enjoy tastings of local products. For lunch you 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 you will visit 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, you can choose from the numerous village restaurants.

Day 4: Les Alpilles – Natural Winery; Chateauneuf du Pape Tasting and Olive Oil Tasting

First stop is a natural winery (Domaine Milan) just outside the town of Saint Remy de Provence. Taste up to 10 different natural wines and learn about the philosophy of a natural winemaker. 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, you can choose from the numerous village restaurants.

Day 5: Cassis and Bandol

On the way to the glittering Mediterranean and the charming port of Cassis, you will visit one of the top vineyards of Bandol. The region is famed for its Mourvedre based reds and rosés. In the afternoon the tour will stop for a wine tasting at Domaine Paternel, where you can taste the Cassis’ stella white. In the evening, for dinner, you can choose from the numerous village restaurants.

Day 6: Lourmarin

The 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.