Wine country · WINERY TOURS IN FRANCE
Good winery tours in France fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Visit Château Tour Baladoz and La Croizille near Saint-Émilion with a guide such as Sara, Thomas, or Isabella. See classic cellars and modern equipment, learn about Bordeaux grapes and aging, then taste three wines, including Saint-Émilion Grand Cru.
“Thomas was an extremely friendly and informative guide. Really interesting and fun tour.”
Travel from Bordeaux in an air-conditioned eight-seat minivan to a Saint-Émilion grand cru château, taste local red wines, and walk through the UNESCO-listed village. Guides such as Guy, Luigi, Mathis, and Dulce add wine knowledge and local stories, though free time in town is brief.
“Our tour guide, Ugo, was very knowledgeable, friendly, and entertaining! Having a small group made it wonderfully intimate.”
Visit Château Tour Baladoz and Château La Croizille with a small group of up to 10. Learn how wine moves from vine to bottle, taste three Bordeaux wines, then enjoy cheeses, cured meats, vegetables, fruit, baguette, and a glass of wine at a vineyard-view picnic.
“The tour was nice, reasonably quick between the two places so its easier if you have a bit of a base knowledge, but felt just right for what we wanted! Looking at the difference between the two chateaus was interesting and the views were amazing! The wine we tasted was excellent and the picnic was really nice with good food!”
Spend four hours exploring Médoc in an air-conditioned minivan with an English-speaking guide. Visit two classified-growth or Crus Bourgeois estates, taste Bordeaux reds, pass Château Margaux, and learn about winemaking. Guides such as Karim, Helen, Anne, and Ugo are praised for making the drive lively.
“We had a wonderful experience on our tour yesterday. Karim is one of the best tour guides we've ever come across. Engaging, fun, knowledgeable. He made our day! The 2 wineries we visited were lovely. Thanks again!!”
Ride an easy cycling route from Beaune through the vineyards of Pommard, Volnay, and Meursault with an English or French guide. You will taste wine in the vines, meet a local producer, visit a winery, and sample at least five red and white wines. E-bikes may be available for an extra fee.
“Thomas was a great guide, and we thoroughly enjoyed our half day tour, learning about the history of the region, wine theory, followed by tasting (and testing) our knowledge. My partner and I would highly recommend this experience!”
Meet your English-speaking wine guide in central Nice at 9 a.m. and ride by air-conditioned minivan to three Côtes de Provence wineries. Guides such as Lara, Laura, and Sandra explain terroir, grape varieties, and winemaking in a relaxed way, with lunch in a quiet Provençal village between tastings.
“One of the best wine tours I have ever taken. Our guide, Lara, was knowledgeable, fun and we had an amazing time and….tasted great wine. I would highly recommend.”
Travel from Paris in a small group of up to eight to taste 10 or more Burgundy wines at Domaine Jean-Marc Brocard, Domaine Bersan, and Les Caves Bailly Lapierre. You’ll learn about Chablis soils, visit historic cellars, enjoy lunch in Chablis, and return around 8 PM.
“We had a lovely excursion to the vineyards of Bourgogne. Three completely different vineyards The largest was Jean Marc Brochet which produces 3.5 Million bottles each year in Bourgogne. The brand ambassador Sebastien was a wonderful host ! We also visited Domaine Bersan a vineyard with a maze of quaint wine cellars from the 14th century And last but not leas,, tasting of Cremants (the sparkling wines in France not from Champagne) in a cellar under the mountain Jean Phillipe is an energetic and helpful Parisian guide The small group setting allowed us all to get to know each other snd enjoy the company. Much preferred to a large impersonal…”
Tour Château Cruzeau, a five-generation family vineyard near Saint-Émilion and Pomerol, with an English or French guide. See the vines, vat room, and barrel cellar, then taste three estate wines with three dark chocolates from Les Chocolats de Sophie.
“Our host was brilliant. It was a private tour and wine tasting. She guided us around how to taste wine and was extremely friendly! We’d love to come back”
At O'Vineyards near Carcassonne, winemaker Joe O'Connell leads you through the winery, from vines to barrel and tank, while Liz helps host a relaxed tasting. You will sample three wines with a deli plate on the decks, surrounded by broad views. The tour lasts about two hours and suits visitors aged 15 and up.
“If it was possible to leave more stars I would have. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone. So insightful, so welcoming, by the time I was leaving I left like family. The wines were stunning, the food was amazing. I really couldn’t recommend it highly enough.”
At Domaine Sylvie Fahrer et Fils, an English-speaking guide takes you through four generations of winemaking, cellar tanks, fermentation, and ageing. Choose unlimited tasting, a blind tasting, or four wines paired with pâté, salmon, cheese, and chocolate.
“Lovely little tour of the winery! Really enjoyed the tasting, they made it fun with prompts for analysing the wine and the atmosphere was lovely! Would definitely recommend!”
Spend about three hours at O’Vineyards near Carcassonne with winemaker Joe O’Connell. Walk among the vines, see the barrel room, taste wines at several stages, and sit down to a generous grill plate with cheese or dessert.
“Fabulous evening, beautiful setting, great hosts and delicious food and wine. A great way to spend an evening away from the hustle of the Carcassonne.”
Spend 5.5 to 7 hours touring Burgundy in a small group of up to eight. Guides such as Albane and Mathilde lead tastings of eight wines, a local charcuterie and cheese lunch, village walks, and a scenic visit to Montrachet Grand Cru.
“The tour was great and Mathilde our guide was fantastic. Super friendly and very knowledgeable. The lunch was delicious and in a beautiful setting. The wine tastings were very interesting. Overall we had a wonderful day and learnt a lot. Highly recommended.”
Keith and Linda take you from your Chinon hotel, gite, or train station to two or three Loire vineyards. Walk the vines, visit caves and cellars, taste 10 to 15-plus wines, and enjoy a picnic on full-day tours.
“Everything was so wonderful from the cute wineries to the very tasty wine. We gained a lot of knowledge about wine making in France and had the most delicious lunch that Keith and Linda prepared. Perfect hosts.”
Join a French- or English-speaking guide for a three-hour e-bike ride from Kon Tiki near Ramatuelle. Follow coastal and forest tracks toward Saint-Tropez, pause at several private wineries, and taste regional rosé. The route suits riders comfortable with moderate physical activity.
Travel from Reims in a small group of up to eight with an English-speaking guide such as Perrine, Martin, Julie, or Suzanne. Visit Hautvillers, see Dom Pérignon’s church, tour family-run cellars, enjoy lunch, and finish at Maison Mumm.
“Our trip was amazing. Martin was the perfect guide very knowledgeable. We would highly recommend it”
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