Paris opens the journey exactly as it should. We settle into Hôtel Bel-Ami in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, a refined and welcoming home base just steps from cafés, galleries, and classic Parisian wandering. After arrival, we gather for welcome drinks and a celebratory dinner, Champagne leading the way, as we toast the week ahead. It’s an easy, elegant start. A soft landing into France before the road carries us onward.

The Loire Valley is where the pace slows and the story deepens. We base ourselves for three nights at Château Louise de la Vallière, then spend our days moving between history, wine, and water. Highlights include a cellar tasting at Caves Ambacia, a guided visit to Château du Clos Lucé, and time wandering the streets of Amboise. We tour the grand Château de Chambord, glide down the Loire on a private wooden boat, and explore Château de Chenonceau before heading into Chinon for a vineyard lunch and tasting carved into limestone cellars. Evenings balance group dinners with time at leisure, all framed by gardens, rivers, and long, unhurried meals.

Bordeaux brings structure, scale, and some very serious bottles. We stay two nights at InterContinental Bordeaux – Le Grand Hôtel, perfectly placed for exploring the historic center. After a guided walking tour and lunch in the city, we head out along the Route des Grands Crus in the Médoc, with tastings at Château Phélan Ségur and Château Gruaud Larose, plus a relaxed winery lunch along the way.

We then shift south for a Graves & Sauternes day, visiting Château Smith Haut Lafitte for a tour, tasting, and lunch, and Château Guiraud in Sauternes for a deep dive into one of France’s most distinctive sweet wine traditions. Evenings balance group dinners with time at leisure before we continue on to Saint-Émilion.

Saint-Émilion is our final chapter, and we give it the time it deserves. We stay at Château Grand Barrail Hôtel, set among the vineyards just outside town. Our day begins with a guided walking tour of Saint-Émilion, exploring its medieval streets, monolithic church, and underground galleries. Lunch follows at La Terrasse Rouge, perched above the cellars of Château La Dominique, paired with a tasting and panoramic vineyard views. In the afternoon, we visit Château Beau-Séjour Bécot for a guided tasting and tour of its historic limestone quarries and modern cellars. The journey concludes with a farewell dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant, a celebratory final evening in one of France’s most storied wine regions.