My husband and I along with our friends went wine tasting in Southern France. We read about Cave d…read moreEymet in the charming town of Eymet and decided to give it a try. I can't say enough wonderful things about this experience. Mitch was such an amazing lady with an abundance of knowledge about wines and wine tastings. We actually ended up booking two wine tastings with her. One was for local and regional wines and the other was for wines around the world. Mitch speaks English and has a delightful sense of humor. This was by far our favorite tasting experience. And as an added bonus...her dogs are adorable! We had an absolutely fabulous evening each time we were there. I advise calling ahead for a reservation so she can give you the absolute best experience. This is a must do when in the area!

During our month long stay in southwest France we toured several wineries and tasting rooms. Cave…read mored' Eymet was our best and most educational tasting and wine experience. Mitch, the owner, gave us two separate night tastings, first taking us through the region and then around the world. Her expertise was enlightening and educational. With her humor and knowledge we had a wonderful experience. I highly recommend anyone interested in wine make an appointment and enjoy an evening with Mitch.

Loved this winery. Organic wines at a major bargain. Most were 15 Euros or under, and we bought a…read morefew at such prices. Super friendly owners who are happy to have you and give you a personal experience, in contrast to so many other wineries. I liked the estate red from 2012 personally, wife liked the Negrette (a unique grape from this region). They also make a cherry wine that was delish. There's a wedding venue, too, apparently.

From the owner: La Distillerie DENOIX, Grande fabrique de liqueur fondée en 1839 à Brive-la-Gaillarde. Nous…read moreperpétuons le métier des maîtres liquoristes du XIXème siècle, garantissant ainsi la qualité de nos liqueurs et apéritifs à base de noix, plantes et fruits. Labellisée "Entreprise du Patrimoine vivant", un véritable savoir-faire s'est préservé. La visite de nos chais vous convaincra qu'il existe encore une tradition vivante et authentique. - Toute l'année visite libre et dégustation gratuite. - Pour les groupes jusqu'à 50 personnes visite guidée et dégustation gratuite (durée 1h) toute l'année sur réservation du mardi au vendredi. - En juillet et août, ouverture du lundi au samedi. Visite guidée à 14h30 (durée 1h) du mardi au vendredi avec dégustation gratuite.

One of the first places to go in this area if you are interested in wine, floc, armagnac and…read morecocktails. Visits and tastings are all free. Park your car outside on the road (no charge) and wander into the building, where you will see a reception desk and sales counter. Staff generally speak some (or good) English. Tell them that you would like a guided tour, and they will arrange for you to join the next available group. The tour will take you first outside, where you can admire the wonderful views from this hilltop site, then into the cellars, where you will learn how some of the wines and spirits are made. There will be an emphasis on their sparkling wine. Back upstairs in the main building, you will see where the grapes were unloaded and the first pressing made. You'll be introduced to a bloodthirsty old sabre-rattler, born in 1500, called Blaise de Monluc. This is all very interesting, and with certain guides, very entertaining, too. But what everyone is really looking forward to is the tasting. You will be offered a number of wines made by the company, and a drink which is quite unique, a cocktail called Pousse-Rapière. Some of the wines are mediocre, others are pretty good, but for me the best of them is the Tuilé, a rosé sparkling wine. For me, it puts most champagnes in the shade. A friend in the area thought it good enough to use for the toast at his wedding. But be warned: this particular wine can only be bought on the premises. Do try the Pousse-Rapière; it is delicious. This is a great visit for an hour or more. Ideal for a rainy day (if you have one!), and perfect for anyone who wants to learn more about the wines of Gascony.

We found Domaine du Péto from their sign on the main road between Montréal and Condom. It's not…read moretoo far from the main road and you cannot miss their sign. It'll be on your right. Once you turn in to their driveway, you will drive through a beautiful arcade of trees to get to the main house. Park behind the house and walk through the gate. The owner who is probably in his late 60s or early 70s welcomed us and spoke very good English! He was very friendly! We did not have a reservation but he accommodated us anyway. He led us to the Bamboo labyrinth he's built on the estate (!) and described the history of the estate. His grandfather bought the estate and was an Armagnac maker, and he has followed his grandfather's footsteps. He then led us to the chais or the cellar where he showed us barrels with various dates from the 1980s to the 2000s. They obviously have Armagnac aging in these French oak barrels. The blackened parts of the walls inside are telltale signs of the alcohol evaporating and discoloring the walls. After the talk in the chais, we proceeded to the tasting room. He had three bottles of Armagnac of varying vintages (30, 25 and 20 year old ones) waiting for us. We tasted all three and I must say that I preferred the 25 year old out of the three. I thought it was the easiest to drink out of all three. Very smooth and has a sweetness that would make it a good digestif at the end of the meal. Our group of 7 bought varying sizes and vintages of Armagnac. He sells a gift box of 3 small bottles with 30, 25 and 20 year old Armagnac for 18€. It would make a great gift from this region of France which is Armagnac country. We really enjoyed the tour, the hospitality of our host and the tasting. Really makes you want to come back to this region of France!

I had visited Chateau Feely a few years ago as a study abroad student, and to this day, it is still…read moreone of my favorite memories from France! A friend and I were visiting Bordeaux for a weekend trip looking for wine tasting tours and were so happy to find this one off the web. We had signed up for The Essential Wine Tour adventure and Caroline was quick to respond to emails. Unfortunately, on the day of, the French train workers went on a strike, so we missed our original one-hour train from Bordeaux to Gardonne. A quick call to Caroline and no problem! She was able to adjust the tour when we came later and even helped come to meet us at the train station given the train fiasco. The wine tasting experience felt like I was in a National Geographic documentary examining vineyards! She pointed out everything from history of the nearby communities and walked us up and down the vineyard with an ambiance of a true expert and lover of wines as we felt more like friends than tourists. Her wine class and lunch were delicious and we even had an opportunity to meet her children; again, it felt like we were family and friends and it was a pleasure to be in her home. It was here that I feel in love with dessert wine! Originally, we had looked at the big Bordeaux-based companies that have tour buses, but glad to avoid the typical tourist route. The personal experience at Chateau Feely was the way to go. Highly recommended!

If staying at a winery in France is not on your bucket list, it should be! Chateau Feely is an…read moreorganic, biodynamic winery located in Southwest France. Honestly, I will never forget the absolutely wonderful three days/nights we spent here. Our host, Caro Feely, greeted us outside as soon as we drove up. We immediately were made to feel as if we had arrived at the home of a friend instead of the guest house where we stayed for the next three days. She also led our tour of the vineyard and winetasting lunch that next day. She is knowledgeable and passionate about their wines and organic/biodynamic wine making. It truly was an educational and fun experience. We opted for the half day wine tour with 'Revelation' Lunch for 50 Euro per person. Our small group of 6 began at 10:00 learning about the grapes, growing, the land/area, wine making all while strolling through the property. Towards noon, we were back to the lovely tasting room for our lunch. Caro opened a few wines, explained each one and then left us with tasting notes to explore and taste as she prepared our lunch. Lunch was a great mixture of pate, duck prosciutto, smoked trout, salads and different cheeses plus delicious, hearty breads and even chocolate to pair with all of the wines. She explained which wines paired best with the different foods, but also encouraged us to experiment with our tastings to see what appealed most to our individual palates. This was a great ending to our tour. The wines were delicious. It isn't often I like each one, but I did here. My favorites were the Sincerite, a dry sauvignon blanc and Grace, their barrel aged red wine. Sincerite is 100% sauvignon blanc, crisp and citrusy. Grace is 60% cabernet sauvignon and 40% merlot aged for 24 months in oak. The result is a rich red blend with dark fruits and depth. Delicious! Last, but not least, the accommodations. What a treat it was to stay on premises. Our wine cottage was comfortable with the most amazing views of beautiful scenery. Stress just melted away as we stared at the landscape sipping delicious wines we had purchased at Chateau Feely. There was a small kitchen and even a grill out on the patio if we wanted to stay in and cook for ourselves. There were a number of restaurants that Caro kindly recommended, one even within walking distance and more than one that were awarded a Michelin star. Needless to say we did not go without. I would absolutely visit this lovely winery again. What an unforgettable experience this was! Many thanks to Caro Feely for her wonderful and welcoming hospitality!

VITROLLE On then to the Vitrolle, site of the vineyard of…read moreVin de Pays de Perigord near Limeuil. Unfortunately, it won't be open 'til the afternoon. Fortunately, our host at the gite has already introduced us to this red wine made from a blend of several grapes, as is usual here, including merlot. Our host, by the way, has strong opinions on wine labelling and is not at all impressed with those who buy by the grape variety alone. Some wines here are made with up to nine grapes. How are you going to get all those onto the label? If you are to put anything like that on the label then it should be the maker as he has the most influence.