VINEYARD AND CATHAR TOURS

Vin en Vacances vineyard tours will introduce you to the amazing wines of the Languedoc-Roussillon with a interesting range of local regions to choose from including the Minervois for stunning wines, scenery and the village of Minerve, the pretty village of Saint-Chinian & it's wines, the Corbières where you can also visit the village of Lagrasse and Limoux for sparkling and still white wines.

Vin en Vacances has been voted the No. 1 activity in the Carcassonne area on Trip Advisor!

Meet the Team

Wendy Gedney, owner of Vin en Vacances holds some of the highest qualifications attainable in the world of wine and has recently written a book called The Wines of the Languedoc-Rousillon. Her knowledge and enthusiasm for Languedoc and its wines shines through on all her tours and she loves to take people to hidden vineyards off the beaten track, to discover the passion and individuality that these extraordinary wine makers put into their wines.

Kate Wardell is a hospitality graduate and dedicated foodie who loves to combine this passion with her other great love, wine. Along with the rest of the team she shares a great respect for the wine makers of the Languedoc-Rousillon and the wines they produce. Laughter is the name of the game with Kate; and she will delight in sharing her food & wine pairing ideas with you too.

Marcel van Baalen is living his dream. In the winter months he works as a Sommelier in The Netherlands and the rest of his time is spent in Languedoc working as part of the team at Vin en Vacances. He is great fun to be with and his depth of knowledge gained over more than 25 years in the wine business will ensure you have a deeply enjoyable vineyard tour. 

How To Book

Review the tours below then email us and tell us which one you would like to book during your stay. We will check availability and arrange all the details. As the tours are very popular with a maximum of eight people we would recommend you book well in advance, particularly during the summer to avoid disappointment.

Email: info@sainte-helene.com

Last minute availability from Sainte-Hélène...

Monday July 7th - Minerve & The Minervois - 6 places available - €110 per person

Thursday July 26th - Minerve & The Minervois - 6 places available - €110 per person

Friday Evening - July 27th - Food & Wine Pairing evening at Maison Laurent - €100 per person including transport & 4 course dinner

You can also book a private tour if these tours or dates don't suite…just email us when you book your holiday (or are planning your holiday dates), and how many people are in the group and we will get back to you with options and availability.

Details of all the tours...

Minerve and the Minervois Tour

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.

Minerve

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, you will make your 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 €100 per person.

Gourmet Minervois Tour

This tour follows the same agenda as the Minerve and Minervois tour but includes a superb gourmet 5 course truffle menu at the fabulous Relais Chantovent restaurant in Minerve.
The price of this tour is €145 per person.

"My Village Tour" - NEW for 2014

Wendy lives in the Minervois in a beautiful village called Villeneuve which is surrounded by hills covered in vines, olive groves and the herb scented garrigue. This tour will introduce you to her village where you will visit the truffle museum and walk through the medieval streets to see the castle and the interesting lavoir.

You will visit one of the local wine producers close to the village and enjoy a walk through the vines and a visit to his working windmill. Lunch will be in the village auberge or a very special picnic and afterwards you will visit the olive farm and taste the delicious oils produced below the black mountains before heading off to our last vineyard and wine tasting close to the village.
The price of this tour is €110 per person including entrance to the museum.
Please note this tour is limited so let us know your interest as soon as possible.

Saint-Chinian and the Minervois Tour (Thursdays and Sundays only)

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 scents the air. You will start your 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.

Saint-Chinian Market

The tasting is followed by a visit to the village of Saint-Chinian where on Thursdays and Sundays there is a typical French market where you will have time to wander the stalls and perhaps buy some local produce or gifts before heading to a country auberge for lunch. 

The auberge is one of the best and here you will served the local Cassoulet dish, a white bean stew with duck confit and Toulouse sausage washed down with local wine. Delicious!

In the afternoon you will head for the 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 Sainte-Hélène will take you through beautiful lush countryside awash with colour, vineyards and olive groves and a back drop of the Pyrenees.

The price of this tour is €115 per person. 

Corbières and Lagrasse Tour

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 along rocky hillsides and the roads wind round as you make your way towards the 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. You 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.

Lagrasse

This tour includes a fabulous lunch made especially for us by a wonderful cook called Elisabeth which we will enjoy in the beautiful village of Lagrasse.  After lunch we will take a walk through Lagrasse and visit a very interesting museum where we fast vinegars and olive oils.   Our last vista of the day is a family owned windery making quite a different wine to our first visit.

The price of this tour is €125 per person which includes the transport, the visits and tastings, a delicious lunch and the visit to the museum.

Gourmet Tour in Narbonne & Gruissan - NEW for 2014

We start the day with a tour of the wonderful indoor market in Narbonne. It is full of interesting characters selling amazing foods and you will get to sample some of them and hear the folklore that surrounds many of the dishes. 

After the market tour we head off to the village of Gruissan to visit the salt pans and learn how the salt is harvested. Next door is an oyster farm where you will see how they are farmed and learn how to shuck one then settle down for an amazing sea food lunch.

Right next to Gruissan is the highly sought after wine region of La Clape. It was once an island but by Romans times the waters had receded and it was linked to the mainland as it is now.  We will visit one of the finest wineries in the region where we will taste both red and white wines. The white wines include an ancient grape called Bourboulenc which nearly disappeared but here is nurtured and blended with other varietals to produce some of the finest white wines in the Languedoc.
The price of this tour is €125 per person

Domaine Gayda and Limoux Tour

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 you 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.

Domaine Gayda

After lunch you will take the short drive to the abbey of St Hilaire where the first ever sparkling wine was created by the monks in 1531. This is a beautiful abbey and you will spend a little time walking through the cloisters and viewing the wine cellar and the other historical buildings.

The final visit of the day will be to taste the sparkling wines that the monks made so famous. There are 2 styles of sparkling wines made here, Blanquette du Limoux and Cremant du Limoux and you will taste both styles as well as the Blanquette Ancestral, a delicious sweet sparkling wine – very unusual and very palatable!

The price of this tour is €110 per person.

What's included in your tour?

The price of your tour includes collection from and drop-off to Sainte-Hélène, transport in a comfortable air-conditioned vehicle, visits to the Domaines and Châteaux, wine and food tastings, a delicious lunch or picnic made from local, seasonal produce and your wine tour guide.  The tours will be 'open' unless you book a private tour and therefore you may be accompanied by other visitors to the area.  The maximum number on each tour is eight people.

Private One Day Tours

The owner of Vin en Vacances, Wendy Gedney, will be delighted to create a tour just for you and your party regardless of how many people are included.
All details will be arranged for you including transport, visits to vineyards in an area of your choice, lunch at a restaurant or picnic whatever your preference. Please contact us before you depart for France and a wonderful tour will be created just for you. 

Prices start from €500.

Book now!

Please send us an email if you want us to check tour availability during the period of your stay... Email: info@sainte-helene.com

Cathar Country, France - on Best of the World list!

National Geographic Traveler magazine have announced its annual Best of the World list, featuring 20 destinations plus a bonus readers’ choice destination to visit in 2014.

The list reflects what’s authentic, culturally rich, sustainable and superlative in the world of travel today according to NGT magazine. The destinations were featured in the December 2013/January 2014 issue of Traveler magazine, which was on the newsstands Dec. 3, and online.

Cathar Country, France

Rebellion and Refinement

"Cathars:  the ascetic, heretical Christian sect that stirred up southwest France in the 12th and 13th centuries.  Once entrenched in today’s Midi-Pyrénées and Languedoc-Roussillon regions, the Cathars were suppressed by the medieval Catholic Church in a series of fierce battles that led to their virtual elimination. Yet their rebellious spirit lives on amid lofty moldering castles, secret trails, and rolling hills fragrant with rosemary, juniper, thyme, and orchids.

Visitors beguiled by Cathar lore should visit the fortress of Montségur or Château de Peyrepertuse, the pink-stoned Albi on the River Tarn (a UNESCO World Heritage site and former Cathar stronghold, where street signs point the way in both French and the old Occitan language)."

Montségur

Gardens in the Bishop's Palace, Albi

There are also many other ‘Cathar’ villages and towns close enough to Sainte-Hélène to be easily accessible and a great day out.

Minerve

Poisson d'avril! April Fools Day

So it's the 1st of April and most people recognise this as April Fools Day or All Fools Day.  In France those who are fooled are called poisson d'avril (the April fish).

Children (and adults!) attach paper fishes on each other's back and shout poisson d'avril when they are discovered!

Even the family pet isn't immune!

Some think that people playing tricks or hoaxes on this day actually started in France and goes back to the sixteenth century.

One of the most lauded theories is that in 1564 King Charles XIV of France decided to reform the calendar by moving the start of the year from the end of March to the 1st of January.  As this decision took a while to make it's way to rural France the poor and lower classes were the last to hear about the new calendar and therefore the last to accept it.

The New Year was then celebrated on the 1st of January rather than the 1st of April - those who were slow to accept this had jokes played on them for their supposed stupidity when celebrating on the 1st of April - the fools of April!

The significance of the fish is widely argued!  There are many stories and theories but it doesn't worry the children as they cut out their fish shapes to stick on their unsuspecting victim's backs just as generations have done before them!!

You will also see the boulangeries bulging with fish shaped pastries and chocolates made by the chocolatiers in honour of today.

    An old French postcard celebrating 1st April

Festival de Carcassonne 19 June - 3 August

The Carcassonne Festival is one of the major cultural events in the South of France and is now one of France’s largest festivals with nearly 120 shows on offer (something for everyone - Opera, Dance, Theatre, Classical Music, French and international popular music, Modern music), more than 80 of which are free!

From the end of June to August, prestigious artists from various domains will be present on 10 stages, including the Roman Theatre of the Medieval City La Cité (a World Heritage site).

The program has just been announced and highlights this year include Patti Smith & Lou Reed 22 July, Elton John 23 July and Opera in the Air 6 July.

La Cité is only 35 minutes from Sainte-Hélène!!

For the full programme (en francais): 

www.festivaldecarcassonne.fr

The sun is shining...

Since moving to Olonzac we have tried to get out with a local walking group most weeks and this month has been no exception.

We have done walks varying from 1 hour to 3 hours around villages close to Sainte-Hélène such as Beaufort, Azille, La Redorte and of course Olonzac.

You can walk or cycle all year in and around Olonzac as you will see in the photos below...

Olonzac Park

'Le Refuge'

Olonzac Park 

WWII Observation Tour

Swallows at the back of Olonzac

Canal du Midi

Homps Village

Canal du Midi

Lac Jouarres

Community Spirit

It’s been a very strange week and one which has made me really think about what I am thankful for.  

Coincidentally it was Thanksgiving in America!

We love living in the community of Olonzac and this week we saw how a community like this pulls together when someone needs their help.  A friend lost her partner suddenly in a car accident and there has been no question about everyone wanting to do whatever they can to make her life a little easier in the lead up to Christmas.

It’s made my heart sing...a reminder of human nature at it’s best!  Instead of words I thought I would share some photos that have made me smile this week...

Our very own grapevine...
just had a hard prune today but hopefully
 it will come back bigger and better next summer!

Reminded of one of the roses in our courtyard...
during the pruning...

Our kitchen window...LOVE the smell of fresh basil...

We found two lots of pears on the tables in our courtyard
when we got home one day and discovered later
they were from a neighbour :-)

Regis, the friendly cheese man at the market who makes us laugh every week!

Hope you all see something that makes you smile this week...

Armistice Day (Jour de l'Armistice de 1918) in Olonzac

Well, we're off and running with our website, blog, twitter, facebook and pinterest!! Phew!! Thanks for your support...

After the last blog was published we headed off to join the village for the Armistice Day memorial service. This was our first year so we didn't know what to expect...we just knew we wanted to be there.

We didn't understand much but could feel the sense of what was being said.  We did find out later that this is the first year that France is also acknowledging people that have been lost in all wars and not just the first world war as has previously been.  This is something that most countries are used to so we were glad this has become the way in France.

There was a special merit presentation during the ceremony...this was quite moving as everyone involved looked so proud and there was total mutual respect.

Jean Coupet was decorated with the medal of Knight in the National Order of Merit.

They laid flowers and wreaths at the village memorial and it was wonderful to see the kids proudly involved...

                  

When the service finished some of the old boys went to the local cemetery to lay flowers on their friend's graves...then everyone headed to the Mairie (town hall) to be together...

The council provided local wine, soft drinks, tea & coffee and a massive quiche (!) and the place was buzzing - French, English, German, Dutch...we all drifted off after an hour or so and Mark & I reflected on our first Armistice Day in Olonzac...