visit the producers
Two ways for you to visit France:
1. Join the club - you’ll automatically enter to win a trip for two
2. Get inspired by one of the itineraries down below & do your own trip - we’re here to provide you free advice and winery contacts.
Lucien Rocault, Burgundy
The winery of Lucien Rocault sits within the hillside village of Orches in Saint Romain, where the Rocault family have been farming grapes as far back as 1280. Lucien Rocault is an 18th generation steward of his family’s property. Since 2009, husband and wife Lucien and Fanny started their journey into winemaking and manufacturing the parcels that Lucien’s family had tended for centuries.
Lucien Rocault, Burgundy Climate Change
Across France and much of the world, climatic change is unfolding and forcing farmers and winemakers back to school. Class is in session and today’s lead professor is Nature herself. For grape growers, it is easy to recognize that global warming has been accelerating at a steady pace during the last decades of the 20th century. If there is one family who understands the severity of an unpredictable climate, it is the 18th generation grape growing family of Lucien Rocault.
Guilleminot, Champagne
At the most southern part of the french region of Champagne and less than an hour from Chablis, the hamlet of Channes is Pinot Noir country. We’ll start by opening a bottle then visit the family’s facilities and go through the entire Champagne making process with Corinne, one of Michel’s two daughters. After the visit, we’ll go for a pic-nic in the woods nearby. We’ll finish the day off with a lovely walk through the vineyards and understand a few of the family’s secrets to making outstanding wines year after year. A must visit is the Reims Cathedral that we can try and fit in before or after our visit at the Guilleminot’s.
Celine Barbaud, Rhone
Nested in the heart of the hillside Villages appellations of Côtes du Rhône in France is a newly designated province of Plan de Dieu. French wine producer Celine Barbaud of Domaine des Favards crafts wine from 25 hectares of certified organic vineyards located across two appellations of Southern Rhone Valley. Celine and her family have long strived to produce elegant, bright and balanced expressions of time-honored red and white varietals.
Chateau St Martial
In the Saint-Emilion appellation on the right bank of Bordeaux, lies the prestigious Chateau of Saint Martial. The property was purchased in 1782, by Bertrand Petit Dupeyrat just prior to the French Revolution. Chateau St. Martial produces one cuvee of Grand Cru St. Emilion. Producing the exceptional Chateau St. Martial cuvee are brother and sister grape growers and winemakers Monique and Michel Micheau-Maillou.
Domaine Kox in Luxembourg
One group of LaCave’s specially selected, top-quality wines originate in the vineyards of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, a tiny nation landlocked between two larger producers, France and Germany. While both French and German are official languages of this small country, Luxembourgers enjoy a unique culture, lifestyle, and locally produced wines.
Feature: Domaine De Rocheville
From the magnificent wine-growing landscape of the Loire Valley comes another remarkable selection of French wines to complement any occasion or add variety to your wine collection.
Supplementing the retailer’s variety of French wine offerings, locally owned La Cave Wines of Napa presents the most notable wines of Domaine de Rochelle, an elite winery opened in 2004 by Phillipe Porché, wine expert.
Domaine Deleuze Rochetin, Languedoc
In the heart of the Gard region and close to the magnificent Roman Bridge, we will take you to discover the remains of the Roman civilization around the Domaine. We’ll explore the 54 acre Domaine filled with the smell of olive, thyme and rosemary.
We will introduce you to Catherine and Jean Michel who are at the head of the estate since its inception and their cellar master, Baptiste. Baptiste will then take us to the cellar for a tasting, followed by a meal in the old town of Uzes, by the Duché.
Domaine de Marchandise, Cotes de Provence
Located in the middle of the Var region valleys, more precisely at the foot of the Rock of Roquebrunes-sur-Argens, we will take you to discover the Chauvier family’s Domaine, in the middle of the cicadas and the lovely smell of lavender. The winery is at the top of the hill, between horses and chickens, we will take you for a visit and introduce you to Marine. A tasting of their wine in the barrels will open your appetite, we will then accompany you to the heart of the old town of Roquebrunes to enjoy Provencal specialties.
Domaine Basse ville, Sevre et Maine
Located at the entrance of the old city of Nantes, Gilbert and Jean Louis will present to us their vineyard on this land that is theirs since the 15th century. We will walk in the middle of their vines and discover all their typicities. Once this little overview is done we will have the pleasure of tasting the wines at the winery. To finish this trip "nantais" what better than a few oysters accompanied by a pretty muscadet in the beautiful city of Nantes - maybe a Loire Valley Chateau visit!
Pascal Thomas, Sancerre
The village of Chavignol has many secrets left to discover, but this one is the most surprising and friendly. Pascal’s cellar is in the middle of the village, right next to his wife’s former restaurant. The simplicity of this place, in the middle of barrels and smell of wood and goat smells, will take you back to nature as only the wines of Pascal Thomas know how to do. After tasting, we will invite you to discover the specialties of Chavignol especially warm goat cheese salad accompanied by its fresh white Sancerre in the local restaurant.
Manoir d'Apreval, Pays d'Auge
In a little village called Pennedepie, on the Normandy coast-line, Agathe's family will greet you at their Domaine and go through their entire process. They produce hard cider, Pommeau & Calvados in several different nuances. Mid-day, we'll either pic-nic in the Manoir's orchard or go to the village's restaurant. In the afternoon, we'll walk along Honfleur's famous old port and snack on half dozen oysters paired a glass of Muscadet. Honfleur is the cradle of Impressionism and the Boudin museum is a must but just walking in the streets fills you with history.
La Cave Shop, Normandy
Five minutes from Honfleur, Charles will greet us with a glass of the day's special. We'll have a look at the wine selection and sit by the chimnee to select your perfect bottle to take home. If you are a cheese enthusiat, we'll take you to Pont L'Eveque, Camembert & Livarot (we might stop by Isabelle & Jean-luc's Haras). The Normandy beaches are only a couple hours away which will make an easy day trip if you have never been. On our last night we'll stay & have dinner at the Manoir des Impressionnistes, facing the sun setting on the Seine estuary.
Itineraries
Itinerary #1
D1: Arrive in Paris
Night at Le Manoir des Impressionnistes
D2: Visit of Honfleur (am)
Lunch at Le Moulin St Georges
Afternoon Spa at Le Manoir
Calvados tasting
Night at Le Manoir des Impressionnistes
D3: Normandy D-Day beaches (am + pm)
Night at Relais du Mont St Michel
D4: Visit of Mont St Michel
Road to Nantes
Night at the Mercure of Nantes
D5: Visit of Domaine Basse Ville (am)
Visit of Domaine de Rocheville (pm)
Night at the Mercure of Saumur
D6: Chartres Cathedral + Picassiette (am)
Paris
Night at the Niepce Hotel
D7: Morning in Paris, leave in the afternoon
Itinerary #2
D1: Arrive in Paris
Night at the Niepce Hotel
D2: Visit of Reims (am)
Visit Champagne Guilleminot (pm)
Night in Beaune
D3: Visit of Beaune (am)
Visit of Lucien & Fanny Rocault
Night in Saint Romain
D4: Hermitage, Rhône (am)
Visit Domaine des Favards (pm)
Night at Gîte des Favards, Violes
D5: Drive to Sancerre (am)
Lunch in Chavignol
Visit with Pascal Thomas (pm)
Night at Le Panoramic in Chavignol
D6: Chateau de Versailles (am)
Paris
Night at the Niepce Hotel
D7: Morning in Paris, leave in the afternoon
Itinerary #3
D1: Arrive in Paris
Night at Le Manoir des Impressionnistes
D2: Visit of Honfleur (am)
Visit Calvados production (pm)
Night at Le Manoir des Impressionnistes
D3: Paris TGV (train) to Marseille
Visit Domaine de Marchandise
Night at the Provençal Hotel
D4: Visit Domaine Roche Redonne (am)
Visit Domaine Deleuze-Rochetin (pm)
Night at Chateau D'Agoult
D5 : Visit Domaine des Favards (am)
Drive to Burgundy
Visit of Beaune (pm)
Night in Beaune
D6 : Visit with Lucien & Fanny Rocault
Paris
Night at the Niepce Hotel
D7: Morning in Paris, leave in the afternoon
Trip to France
2020 winner announced on this Facebook post!
The trip includes airfare (sponsored by French Bee) and accommodation for two during 5 days. We will visit some of the boutique wineries we work with including one night at Le Manoir des Impressionnistes in Normandy where our wine shops are located. terms
