What a great way to spend an afternoon! We had lunch here first. A salad with blue cheese and ham,…read moreyum. Then leg of duck with mashed potatoes and a crusted tomato. Dessert was an interesting apple pie. Then we learned about cognac. We had 4 different cognac's form different areas around Cognac. We got to try and smell each and decide our favorite blend. Then we made a 500 ml bottle of our mix, corked and then sealed. It's a big recommend!

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.

Chateau Lafite Rothschild, a First Growth château in Paulliac, was the second stop on the day's…read moreschedule of visits. However, it was clearly the highlight of the day. Note: Tours are by appointment only. Our guide spoke excellent English and effectively provided insight on Lafite Rothschild's unique terroir (a term that was discussed at every château we visited) and described in depth its winemaking process. While the winemaking operations and facilities were pretty comparable with other minor châteaux, its cavernous cellar was definitely an impressive sight to behold. The best part of the tour was its culmination, the tasting. We were offered a generous pour of the 2001 Lafite Rothshchild. To which I could only say, "Yes, please."

Our private guided tour was very personal and informative…read more As one of the largest vineyards in the Médoc, Chateau Lafite Rothschild is 110 hectares (260 acres) and spread across a very good slope. The name "Lafite" derives from the meaning "small hill" and the small hill is located in the rear of the beautiful château. The different grape varietals are planted according to the condition of the soil: estates with heavy soils plant more Merlot and estates with gravelly, porous soils plant more Cabernet Sauvignon. The Ch.Lafite vineyard is cultivated with old vines of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 5% is Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. In Pauillac, Cabernet Sauvignon is king and the varietal gives the specificity and character to Pauillac wines. Ch.Lafite utilises 29 wooden vats, 20 stainless steel vats and 18 little vats. Typically, pumping over is twice per day for ~17 days and there are 20 days of maceration. Wines are matured 18 months in new French oak barrels: 7 months in a natural cellar and 11 months in the second-year chai, built under the supervision of architect Ricardo Bofill. The circular vault holds 2,200 barrels and is supported by 16 columns. The circular design is functional since racking, bottling and cleaning can be done with greater efficiency than a traditional, linear designed chai. As has been the tradition at Ch.Lafite, 100% of the Domaine's cooperage is done in-house in Pauillac. Ch.Lafite employs 6 full-time coopers to produce 2,000 barrels per year. This is adequate to supply Ch.Lafite and all the other estate-owned properties with new French oak barrels each year. The French oak is selected from the Allier and Nivernais forests, then left to dry in the open air for two years at Ch.Lafite before being crafted. Traditional racking is 5-6 weeks. 8,000 organic egg whites are used for fining. When asked why organic eggs were used, our host explained that it was for stability reasons in the fining process as opposed to any environmental concerns. Annual production is between 15,000 and 25,000 cases (or 180,000 and 300,000 bottles). At the end of our visit, we tasted the 1995 Château Lafite - which was superb.

The last winery on our Bordeaux excursion! We got there a little past 3 in the afternoon, and from…read morethe looks of it, the winery staff was busy preparing for an event. Let me guess, the Vin Expo? Indeed it was according to our winery tour guide that afternoon. Both wineries we've visited earlier that day were also preparing for the Vin Expo like mad. Everyone in our group loved our guide. She was so bubbly and super nice. She had spent some time in Sonoma to earn a certificate for her wine studies, so she spoke English very well. We settled on doing a half-hour tour and tasting for 7€ with her. She took us outside and proceeded to describe the history of the vineyards, the Chateau and their current owner, who is incidentally an American banker. She showed us the vineyards, the chais and other parts of the winery. We ended the tour at the boutique where we tasted a couple of wines. The winery produces Grand Cru Classé wines and we were able to taste a 2007 vintage and one of their second wines. Both were excellent. The Grand Cru wine we tasted was going for 65€ and may be aged another 10 years according to our guide. After the tasting, we browsed in the botique and decided on buying a half case of their Rosé. Our group of 10 has been going through wine like crazy and the Rosé was 6 bottles for 50€. A great deal! We had no problem consuming all that in a couple of days along with the other wines we bought from the other places. When in France, drink lots of wine!

They were so nice to welcome us for lunch even if we were on a tight schedule. It is a gorgeous…read moreplace. The private table is very exclusive in fact. There's just two different dining room, a small one and a bigger one for small groups. The resident chef has built the menu to pair with the wines but in an unusual and daring way. The decadent reds were paired with decadent fishes dishes and very delicate courses. Even the dessert has the same shape as a sculture just outside the Castle. It was a memorable moment.

This was a beautiful intimate winery. The hosts were very knowledgeable and friendly. They talked…read moreto us about the wines and their process. Then we walked through the bottled inventory on our own. I enjoyed the wines during the tastings and bought a case to have shipped home. The shipping costs were also reasonable - especially compared to some of the other wineries we visited. We booked this Saint Emillion wine tour through Airbnb. The entire tour included several things and was wonderful.

Best known as being the wine supplier for Michelin star restaurants in Europe. Most of the…read moreinventory is sold as futures to these restaurants. Tried five vintages and settled on the 2015. It was inside a handsome wooden box - tres chic. The tiny, 3.3 hectare Right Bank vineyard is produces wines which are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot in equal portions in each vintage. The vineyard has a terroir that consists of limestone, clay, gravel and sandy soils. The wine is aged in 50% new, French oak barrels for between 12 and 22 months, depending on the quality and character of the vintage. On average, 1,000 cases are produced of Chateau Le Chatelet each year. The estate is currently managed by Alain and Julien Berjal The Berjals will ship their wines to the US and reviewing the order book showed lots of shipments this year to individuals.

Emilie, our guide, was wonderful today at Chateau Beausejour-Becot. I contacted her in advance and…read morewas able book a 4PM appointment. The tasting was 12 euros for their 2007 and 2011's vintage; free if you purchase any wine. Luckily, there was a professional tasting earlier in the day, which led us to also taste their 2009 Vintage as well (70% Merlot, 15% Cab Sauv, and 15% Cab Franc), lucky! The tour brought us to their Vineyard (one of the highest appellation at St Emillion), VAT-room, Cellars, Underground Cellar, and their lovely Tasting room. What stood out on this tour was their Underground Cellars; it was huge since Chateau Beausejour-Becot holds 10% of each vintage that goes back ages! It was dark, cold, a bit eerie, and yet wonderful with all the old wines. Overall, Chateau Beausejour-Becot is a lovely family owned estate. They also provide wine from each of the owners and offer lots of wine that's ready to drink now or to save for a special occasion. PS. Did I mention that they are also part of the 18 Premier Grand Cru of St Emillion; Premier Grand Cru is classified every 10 years, so the next classification will be in 2022. *101 Euros for their 2009 Vintage

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.