Vinyards/wine testing
France is the largest wine producing country in the world, producing around eight billion bottles of wine every year. France has a long history of producing wine and can be traced back beyond the Roman invasion to around the 5th century. Many of the finest wines in the world come from French vineyards, some of which have been continuously produced for many centuries.
The most famous wine regions in France are Champagne, Burgundy, Bordeaux, the Loire Valley and Alsace. Each of these regions has specific wine varieties that they are best known for and all have their own types of climates that completely affect the grapes that can be grown.
According to tradition in France, wine is served with every meal. Few wines here, is only produced for the purpose of being served behind the bar. Many of the finest wines are meant to age for several years before being served. (www.vinjournalen.se)
We have visited two wineries near the house that offer guided tours both privately and in groups.
Chateau de Bellet
Domaine Saint Joseph
This winery is located almost on the road between the airport and the house, so a tip is to book a guided tour from home, threw the link below, to start the trip with this, on your way to the house. The road is winding and winding up the mountains, but once you are up on the mountain "Le Bellet", you have a fantastic view! The guide speaks good English and shows you both the vineyards, the process, the barrels and the wine cellar. At the last stop, in the wine cellar, there is also a wine tasting of white, red and a rosé wine. The tour takes about 60min. Afterwards, you can buy a glass of any kind and sit down on the nice outdoor terrace. A guided tour costs about 20euro / person, but for a group it is 200euro in total. There is wine from 22euro/ bottle to buy and bring home if you want.
After a few days in the house, when you have located yourself in the area, we really recommend contacting Julien, who has a vineyard in Tourrettes-sur-Loup. It only takes about 30min by car and is not far from the house - but the winding roads up the mountain require you to drive slower than normal. Julien speaks fluent English, and is most easily reached by phone. Se link below.
Arrange a time for you and your company, and he will arrange a private tour just for you. He has no prizes, but you will probably want to give him a symbolic sum for his incredible hospitality and exciting history. Julien runs this small vineyard himself and is currently in the process of changing its name, as there was another vineyard in the country with a similar name. Here you can bring your picnic food and have a wonderful moment of guiding, viewing and tasting. Sit down and enjoy the garden outside the house, with a glass of wine and possibly own brought lunch/picnic. A bottle is from 150sek and up. Julien also sells locally produced beer for a friend.
In connection with the name change, neither the website nor the Facebook page have come into use yet, but you can reach Julien on +33(0)609 282 659 or +33(0)493 588 131 alt. mail.