Rennes les Château, The Cathars and Wine Tasting Weekend at Les Marguerites
If you have heard about the mysteries of Rennes Les Château, have
a wish to know more about the Cathar people and where they lived, like wine and
good food and want a fun and interesting weekend in the South of France then
this is the weekend for you.
The filming of the Kate Mosse book ‘labyrinth’ took place in Carcassonne in 2011 and is due for release in 2012. It will ensure that the story of the Cathar’s will become better known as will this historic region. This weekend combines the story of the Cathar people with vineyard tours and wonderful food plus we will visit the village of Rennes Les Château to learn more about the mystery that took place there in the 1800’s.
The weekend tour is available with or without evening meals and accommodation is with Les Marguerite which is a luxury Bed and Breakfast
Dates: May 25th, 26th, 27th and 28th
Prices range from €450 and €555 per
person depending upon which room you
choose and if you will be dining with
us each evening.
The prices do not include flights.
The weekend includes
• 3 nights at Les Marguerite
• Lunch each day
•
Food & Wine matching dinner
• All evening
meals if you choose the fully inclusive option
•
3 fabulous days touring Limoux, Corbières and the Roussillon
• The Cathar Castles of Queribus & Peyreperteuse
• Visit to
Rennes Les Château
•
All visits & tastings
•
Transport throughout in our air conditioned vehicle
You will be staying in Les Marguerite which is a luxury Bed and Breakfast ideally located for this weekend in the medieval village of Alet Les Bains. Set in landscaped gardens it offers peace & tranquillity in one of the 4 luxury bedrooms all of which have large modern en-suite bathrooms.
Dining – The weekend includes a food & wine dinner on the day you arrive and on the other two evenings you are invited to dine at Les Marguerite or you can choose to dine in the village.
Day One –
Domaine Gayda & Rennes Les Château
Your weekend gets off to a fabulous start with a tour of Domaine Gayda & Limoux on the Friday when you arrive. 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 enjoy a personalised private tour in the state of the art winery and learn how the wines are made and matured. We will enjoy a relaxed and fun tasting of their excellent range of wines 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 Rennes les Château to discover little the village with a big mystery! We will have time to explore the village and the church made famous by François Berenger Saunière the poor village priest who mysteriously became rich enough to build a fine house and tower during the 1800’s.
Tonight you will enjoy a superb dinner created by your hosts Antoinette and Keith and Wendy will entertain you with ideas on successful food & wine pairing.
Day
Two –Corbières & Lagrasse Tour
Today we head for the Corbières which is a region of contrasts; wild,
windswept garrigue, where cigales sing and buzzards circle lazily against a
blue sky. The vineyards are perched on sides of rocky hillsides and the roads
wind round and round as we make our way towards our first vineyard visit
Olleuix-Romanis which is a family owned vineyard close to the village of
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 traditional winery and then taste their
superb wines, the reds made a blend of Carignan, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah
and the whites from Marsanne and Rousanne. 
After lunch 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 before heading to a goat farm to taste the
cheese.
Day
Three – The Roussillon including Queribus & Peyreperteuse
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. During the day
you will meet a courageous English couple who have swapped their comfortable
office jobs to work the land and produce excellent full bodied Roussillon wines
including the famous sweet red wine of Maury – amazing with chocolate! We will see
the castle of Queribus and visit the castle of Peyreperteuse and drive through
the amazing Galamus Gorge. Lunch is at a country auberge in the village of
Cucugnan where you can visit the working windmill and wander the little streets
of the village.
Day Four – Carcassonne & Home
The morning is free for you to explore before being transferred to the airport
or continue your holiday independently.
To find out more or to book the tour please call Wendy on 07880 796786 or email wendy@vinenvacances.com
