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Wine is a way of life in the Languedoc and plays an
extremely important role in the local economy. Wine producers
can be seen in their vineyards throughout the year, tending,
shaping, pruning, testing and ultimately picking and
they take immense pride in their work.
 The
region produces an amazing array of red, white
and rose wines of excellent quality all infused
with the taste of the local climate and terrain.
Our wine tours aim to provide a snapshot of how
the local wine is produced and we hope that by
the end of the day, you can begin to truly appreciate
what has gone in to making that perfect glass
of wine that you are drinking
The wine tour will
provide an insight into the history of wine production
in the region, how the vines are grown and how
the local wine gains its unique flavour. You will
discover the lesser-known, independent vignerons
who passionately practice the natural, traditional
methods of wine making, in contrast to the more
common, bland, industrially produced bottles marketed
by the big companies.
The appellation
of St Chinian covers a large area, with over 2,700
hectares of vineyards stretching over 20 villages
from the neighbouring region of Faugeres in the
east to Minervois in the west with a diversity
of terrain. In the north and west the soil is
schist; these wines are lighter, fruity and supple
in style, mineral in character and tend to be
ready for drinking earlier. The southern area
is a mixture of clay and limestone; these wines
have a firmer structure with more marked tannins
and benefit from longer ageing.
The weekend
will begin on Friday with a welcome at your arrival
airport or train station and transfer to the Domaine
de Brousson for a fun and friendly evening with
a reception and dinner.
On Saturday we will visit the picturesque villages
of Roquebrun and Berlou. We will visit the vineyards
and have an opportunity to taste the special character
of these wines and enjoy lunch either at a local
restaurant or for a picnic at a selected beauty
spot amongst the vines. We will return to the
House for 4-course tasting dinner which will be
specially prepared to accompany our samples of
St Chinian.
On Sunday we will take a trip to the local appellation
of Faugeres with an explanation of its unique
landscape and a tasting at the local wine co-operative
and a local independent wine producer. Here you
will see how the soil and the terrain have an
impact on the taste of the wine, making it different
to St Chinian which is only a few miles away.
Lunch will be taken at a local restaurant with
a 4-course tasting dinner including a blind tasting
of Faugeres and St Chinian wines.
Some of these
wine tasting trips may coincide with local wine
festivals, in which case a visit to the festival
will be incorporated in to the itinerary. A visit
to a French wine festival is truly a fantastic
way to immerse oneself in the wine culture of
the region.
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September is the busiest and prettiest time of
the year in both the vineyards and the cellars.
The colours are at their autumn best with the
leaves a myriad of shades from greens to amber
and russet reds. This is the most colourful and
exciting time to see at first hand the viticulture
and wine-making styles of each individual producer.
The Vendage
Special is spread over a few days to ensure that
you will receive a good understanding of the wine-making
process, the choices the vigneron must make and
the role and influence of their individual terroirs.
This weekend represents a celebration of a year's
work and we will enjoy lots of opportunity for
tasting and feasting, in addition to learning
all about the wines of this region.
We start the trip by welcoming you at the airport
or train station on a Friday afternoon and begin
with a discussion of our itinerary. We cannot
give precise details of what this is as it will
be determined by the start of the vendange, which
is at the mercy of 'Mother Nature' and will vary
amongst the different producers and regions.
On Friday evening
we begin with a tasting at our local vigneron
in the village of La Tour sur Orb. The Orb valley
has its own particular micro climate and their
Chardonnay and Carthagene is some of the best
in Languedoc.
Over the following three days we will visit vignerons
in different appellations and watch them in action;
sorting and pressing the grapes, starting the
fermentation, and its vinification. We will be
able to see the grape harvest in full swing and
witness the picking by hand and machine, with
a chance to join in ourselves (should you wish!).
We will lunch
at local restaurants or picnic at scenic spots
and in the evening will feast en famille at the
House where we will enjoy matching the wines we
have chosen from the day with our freshly prepared
supper.
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