Vin en Vacances
40 Avenue General Leclerc
11000 Carcassonne
France

Mobile: +33 (0)6 42 33 34 09
UK Mobile: +44 (0)7880 796786
wendy@vinenvacances.com

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We offer a range of tours that visit the major wine regions of the Languedoc-Roussillon

A Vin en Vacances one day tour is a great way to get to know the beautiful region of the Languedoc-Roussillon and the unique wines made here. We collect you from your hotel or villa in the morning in our air-conditioned and comfortable vehicle and drop you back at the end of the tour. No need to worry about driving! Just sit back, relax, savour the wine and enjoy the sights!

Choose from these fabulous tours...

Minerve & The Minervois

The Minervois is a beautiful area of the Languedoc-Roussillon and produces some of the regions finest wines too. This one day tour will introduce you to La Livinière which is not only a very pretty village but also home to the only ‘Cru’ in the Minervois. You should not visit this area without experiencing the beautiful village of Minerve where you will have a little time to explore.

You will enjoy a superb lunch, either a lavish picnic made from seasonal local produce or a 3 course meal with wine at one of the country restaurants in the region. This tour also includes olive oil tasting and, after this delightful visit, we will make our way home along a route which winds through the vineyards and olive groves and spectacular views of the Pyrenees. The price of this tour is €90 per person.

Saint-Chinian & The Minervois

The area around the village of Saint-Chinian is very beautiful  with a back drop of the Cévennes mountains and hill-sides smothered in vines and garrigue that wild, herb strewn vegetation that cents the air. We start our tour by visiting a very pretty domaine perched high up with views over to the Mediterranean on a clear day. This organic vineyard is also biodynamic which means everything they do in the vineyard and the winery is governed by the rhythm of the earth and moon. They produce red, rosé and white and after visiting the winery you will have the chance to taste them all.  The visit is followed by a visit to the goat farm close by where you will meet the goats and taste their produce before heading to a country auberge for lunch.  The auberge is one of the best and here you will served the local Cassoulet dish, that white bean stew with duck confit and Toulouse sausage washed down with local wine. Delicious! In the afternoon we head for our second vineyard which is in the Minervois appellation. This one is also organic and produces small amounts of top class wines of all styles. The drive back to your holiday home will take you through beautiful countryside awash with colour, vineyards and olive groves and a back drop of the Pyrenees. The price of this tour is 95 euros per person.

Corbières & Lagrasse

The Corbières is a region of contrasts where cigales sing and buzzards circle lazily, against a blue sky, over wild, windswept garrigue. The vineyards are perched rocky hillsides and the roads wind round and round as we make our way towards our first vineyard visit which is a family owned vineyard in Monseret. The vineyard is situated in the heart of the Boutenac region, an area dedicated to the culture of the vine since roman times and the only cru in the Corbières. We will take a look at their winery and then taste their superb wines, the reds made from a blend of Carignan, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah and the whites from Marsanne and Roussanne.  There are some delightful picnic spots in this area where we will enjoy a lavish picnic or we may take lunch at one of the country restaurants.  In the afternoon we will visit our second winery, carefully chosen to give you a quite different experience from the morning visit.  Our last visit of the day will be to the pretty and historic village of Lagrasse where you will have some free time to explore. The price of this tour is 90 euros per person.

Fitou & Corbières

Fitou is divided into 2 separate districts, the Montagne and the Oceanic and to reach them we need to take the AutoRoute towards Narbonne and then towards Perpignan. En-route we get to see the lagoons that divide the land from the Mediterranean. When we leave the AutoRoute we drive through some breath-taking scenery to reach our first domaine – not one of the big producers in fact one of the tiniest we have ever come across. Just 3.5 hectare! Katie is new to wine making but if her first production is anything to go by she is one to watch. Her vineyards are nestling amongst the hills that are smothered in wild herbs and here we will have a splendid picnic amongst the vines after tasting her superb wines.

After lunch we will go olive oil tasting where you will have the opportunity to taste oil from many varieties including wild olives or as the French call them Olive Sauvage! Our final vineyard is in the pretty town of Peyriac de Mer where we will visit a beautiful vineyard situated on one of the lagoons that form this part of the Mediterranean coastline and built on the site of a Roman villa. The wines are superb and we will enjoy a tasting of all 8 of the different cuvees produced here. This is a tour for people who want to experience the wild and remote parts of the Corbières as well visiting the coast. The price of this tour is €100 per person

Domaine Gayda & Limoux

This tour includes a visit to Domaine Gayda, one of the leading and most impressive wine producers in the area and a place not to be missed! During the visit we will tour the state of the art winery and learn how the wines are made and matured and we will enjoy a relaxed and fun tasting of their excellent range of wines. This is followed by a three-course lunch with wine in their superb restaurant that overlooks the Pyrenees. 

After lunch we will take the short drive to the abbey of St Hilaire where the first sparkling wine was created by the monks in 1531. This is a beautiful abbey and we will spend a little time walking through the cloisters and taking a look at the wine cellar and the other historical buildings. Our final visit of the day will be to taste the sparkling wines that the monks made so famous. There are 2 styles of fizz wines made here, Blanquette du Limoux and Cremant du Limoux and we will taste both styles as well as the Blanquette Ancestral, that delicious sweet sparkling wine – very unusual and very palatable! The price of this tour is €95 per person.

The Roussillon Tour

NEW FOR 2012

The Roussillon was part of Catalonia until the 16th century and the wines of this region still have a Spanish style to them. They are grown on incredible landscapes with heart stopping views of the Pyrenees. The soils and the dry, arid climate here produce wines with incredible concentration and minerality and this has attracted some of the most passionate wine makers to the region.  Today we take the motorway to Perpignan and from there we drive into the Roussillon to the village of Calce which seems to be the epicentre for top wine making in the Roussillon. Here we will visit an organic vineyard producing superb Roussillon wines.  We will have a tour of the winery followed by a fabulous tasting of the range of red and white wines produced in this interesting winery. After the tasting we will take the mountain road to the little town of Maury where we will have lunch in a country auberge. Afterwards we will visit a small domain owned by a courageous British couple who have swapped their office jobs to follow their dreams and become wine makers. We will taste their excellent wines including the sweet red wine that this region is famous for. This tour also includes olive oil tasting at an independent producer close to Perpignan. The price of this tour is €95 per person.

Cathar Tours

The filming of the Kate Mosse book ‘labyrinth’ took place in Carcassonne in 2011 and due for release in 2012 will ensure that story of the Cathar’s will become better known as will this historic region. We offer 2 Cathar tours each centered around the castles they fled to for refuge:

Half Day Lastours & Minerve

During this tour we visit the Châteaux de Lastours in the foothills of the Montagne Noir, that amazing fortress made up of 4 towers which we view from the belvedere. Here your guide will tell you the incredible story of the Cathars and how the Lord of this castle was at the forefront of the battle against Simon De Montfort.  From here we head for the village of Minerve which is where one of the Cathar crusade sieges took place. The cost of this half day tour is €70 per person and includes lunch in the village of Minerve.

Cathar Fortresses - Queribus & Peyreperteuse

This tour includes visits to 2 of the amazing ‘Cathar Castles’ Queribus and Peyreperteuse and is ideal for people who enjoy enjoy walking and hiking.  We take the motorway and head to Perpignan and then join the road that winds its way through the fabulous scenery to Château Queribus. We enjoy lunch in the little village of Cucugnan where you will have time to explore the windmill narrow streets.

In the afternoon we head for Peyreperteuse and another hike up to this amazing castle where you will be rewarded with fantastic views.  The tour also includes a drive through the stunning Galamus gorge and your guide will also be on hand to tell you the amazing story of the Cathar people. The cost of this full day tour is €120 per person which includes lunch.

Cathar Castles Vineyard Tour

This tour will delight and amaze you as we have combined so many delightful experiences including stunning scenery, olive oil and wine tasting, a superb lunch and a visit to the castle of Quéribus. We start the day by journeying to the Corbières and tasting olive oil followed by a visit to the famous co-operative winery in the little village of Tauchan where we will taste a large range of wines. Lunch is often a lavish picnic in amongst the vines or a delightful lunch in a country auberge. In the afternoon we visit the castle of Queribus which includes the steep walk up to the castle which is a bit of a hike but you are well rewarded for your efforts. We take a beautiful drive through the mountains and the hills smothered with wild herbs and flowers to reach Perpignan where we join the motorway to bring you back home. The price of this full day tour is €100 per person which includes lunch.

Foodie Tours

Escorted Foodie Tour with Peter Woodcock

What makes French food special? We think it’s the small producers; the bakers, the butchers, the cheese makers, the sausage curers, the vegetable growers and the hundreds of others who continue to make their products using traditional methods that haven’t changed for years. Spend the morning visiting some of these artisans, in and around Carcassonne then head back to a beautiful 18th Century townhouse to prepare a fabulous lunch using the products we’ve sourced and learn a little of the food traditions of the region. Over lunch you’ll taste some delicious handmade wines from vignerons that are dedicated to producing quality wines from their tiny vineyards and learn a little about food and wine matching. The price is €95 per person which includes 3 course Lunch and wine.

Private One Day Tours

We will be delighted to create a tour just for you and your party regardless of how many people are included. We will arrange every detail including transport, visits to vineyards in an area of your choice, restaurant or picnic what ever your preference. Please contact us either before you depart for France or once you are there and we will create a wonderful tour just for you. Prices start from 360 euros.

What's Included in the Tour

The price of your tour includes collection from your hotel or villa within 30 kl of Limoux and Carcassonne. It also includes air-conditioned comfortable transport throughout the tour, visits to the Domaines and Châteaux, wine & food tastings, a delicious lunch or picnic made from local, seasonal produce and your wine tour guide. Unless you book a private tour, the tours will be 'open' and therefore you may be accompanied by other visitors to the area. However the maximum number on each tour is 8 people.

Thanks to all the wonderful people who have come on our tours, we have been voted the premiere attraction in Carcassonne. Read what our clients think of our tours by visiting Tripadvisor

To book your 2012 tour complete the booking form below or email your holiday dates to wendy@vinenvacances.com  You can also call Wendy on +33 (0)6 42 33 34 09 or +44 (0)7880 796786