Join your Paso Robles’ beloved winemaker Carl Bowker and his wife Pam on a custom journey through France’s iconic Rhône Valley to visit some of the region’s best wineries. Ranging from well-known producers to hidden gems, this trip promises to deliver an intimate experience that will be unlike any other, even if you’ve been to the Rhône.

Special guest Sommelier Kelly McAuliffe, who you may know from his frequent appearances at the Hospice du Rhône in Paso Robles, will accompany you throughout the trip as your Tour Manager. Kelly is an ex-pat American who has made the Rhône his home for over 25 years, and he has “magic keys” to gain access to wineries and restaurants that others only dream about.

During each of the days, we devote to wineries, expect to visit at least 2-3 producers. In addition to tastings, we will also be arranging experiences including vineyard walks, lunch on top of a 2,000-year-old aqueduct, and more. The specific wineries and exact details of the visits will be shared before the trip, in early 2023. We will also have a wine-paired lunch at one of Kelly’s favorite restaurants each of these days.

Lyon | Tain l’Hermitage | Côte Rotie | Condrieu | Saint Joseph | Côtes du Rhône | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | Luberon | Avignon

• Explore each region of the Rhône Wine country.
• Visit the Valrhona Chocolate Factory. 
• Sommelier Kelly McAuliffe as tour manager throughout the trip.
• See the icons of Lyon that are listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. 
• Visit Point du Gard
• Tastings at Les Halles Paul Bocuse.

• All hotels specified in the itinerary with breakfast and taxes included.
• Private arrival and departure transfers (1 per couple).
• Deluxe bus with a private driver at disposal as per itinerary.
• All winery visits, including some paired lunches or experiences such as vineyard tours, (to be determined prior to the departure date.)
• Meals specified in the itinerary, paired with wine.
• Management of all arrangements prior to and throughout the trip.
• Hotel gratuities.

• Meals not specified in the itinerary.
• International Airfare.
• Travel Insurance.
• Personal Expenses.
• Gratuities for drivers and guides.

Private Transfers from Lyon Airport to Intercontinental Grand Hotel Dieu in Lyon.

Set along the Rhône River in the heart of Lyon, this grand hotel was a former charity hospital dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries.  It transitioned to become a prominent maternity hospital until the last baby was born only 12 years ago, in 2010!  Intercontinental transformed the building into a magnificent 5-star hotel, located in the city center. The public spaces ooze with historic architectural details and gardens, while its rooms have all the modern touches. The Hotel Dieu’s Le Dôme Bar, with its impressive dome you can see in the photo, is considered to be the best bar in Lyon.

Check In – Tuesday, 9th May 2023

Check Out – Friday 12th May 2023

Time to adjust to France time.  Welcome dinner in Lyon at one of the best “bouchons,” the restaurants which serve the authentic cuisine that Lyon is known for.

Meet your Tour Manager, Sommelier Kelly McAuliffe for your first day of winery visits in the Northern Rhône where Syrah is king.  You’ll be visiting several wineries in the regions of Côte Rotie, Tain l’Hermitage, and Saint Joseph.  

Today’s wineries may include Stephan Ogier, Francois Villard, Gaillard, Voge, Tunnel, Clape, Coursodon, Colombier, Combier, Chapoutier, Jaboulet, Delas, and La Cave de Tain.

A wine-paired lunch at a restaurant chosen by Kelly is included.  If there is time, you’ll also visit the Valrhona factory and taste their famous chocolates.

Return to Lyon at end of the day.  Evening on your own.

Today’s journey will take you further south to Côte du Rhône, visiting Kelly’s favorites in this region that you didn’t get to visit yesterday, such as Cave Yves Cuilleron and E. Guigal.

Wine-paired lunch is included.

Return to Lyon at end of the day. Evening on your own.

The day will start with a walking tour of Lyon accompanied by a passionate local guide.  This tour will give you a chance to see the iconic places of Lyon which are listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. You’ll tour The Peninsula (Presqu'ile), where you’ll see some of Lyon’s most beautiful architecture from the 18th and 19th centuries and view how Lyon is at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône Rivers. Then you’ll visit the Old Town and see a couple of the secret passageways known as traboules. You’ll conclude your visit at the magnificent Basilica that sits atop the Fourvière Hill, with time to marvel at its amazingly intricate mosaics.
 

If time permits, you’ll also peek into a silk printing studio to see how silk art is created. Lyon is a famous silk-producing region dating back centuries, and in fact, the process of silk-screening is what led Lyon’s Lumière brothers to invent the first film used for movies.

Now that you’ve worked up an appetite, our coach will transfer you to Les Halles Paul Bocuse. This is not “just” a covered food market—it is the city’s homage to its native son, Chef Paul Bocuse, the father of Lyonnaise gastronomy. If you visit nowhere else in Lyon, you must visit Les Halles to discover the culinary culture and flavors of the city. Strolling through the market with your epicurean guide, you will taste the best produce in the region. Your guide will tell you the stories,  about the Mères Lyonnaises and other anecdotes about starred chefs and local specialties in this temple of cuisine. You will have multiple tastings: from the traditional quenelle to the numerous kinds of cheese and charcuterie, including sweet treats such as pink pralines and Coussin de Lyon, marzipan-covered chocolate ganache candy unique to Lyon. Tastings will vary based on seasonal availability, but your tour will be a gastronomic treat, whatever you taste.

After the guided tour, you’ll have some free time in the market before departure, perhaps to try some oysters or foie gras. Or, if you want to make a little shopping trip, the Westfield Mall is right across the street and you can get your Galleries Lafayette fix!

It is then time to say au revoir to Lyon. You’ll have about 3 hours to nap or enjoy the scenery as you head to one of the best-preserved Roman vestiges in the world, the Pont du Gard. This masterpiece of ancient Roman architecture was built in the 1st century AD to capture water and deliver it to the city of Nîmes. Pont du Gard is 49 meters high (over 160 feet)  and is the highest bridge-aqueduct of antiquity. Even if you’ve seen the photos, nothing compares to seeing this three-level stone aqueduct in person. Your guide will take you to the top of the bridge and to the former gallery where water used to run so you can see for yourself the marvel of ancient Roman engineering.

Following the visit to Point du Gard, you will continue to your hotel, the five-star Hotel de l’Europe in the heart of Avignon.  It is located between the Palais des Papes and the St. Benézet Bridge. This 16th-century house has been home to travelers and royalty, not to mention Napoleon Bonapart. While there, you may want to reserve one evening for dinner in their Michelin-starred “gastronomic” restaurant. The evening will be on your own to explore the restaurants, shops, and bars all within easy walking distance.

After breakfast at your hotel, you will be picked up for a day designed by Kelly. Known for being one of the best wine regions in the world, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is one of Kelly’s favorite regions of the Rhône, and he will choose his favorite wineries for you to visit.

The list is long, but here’s a sample of the ones you’ll select from: Janasse, Clos du Caillou, P Usseglio, Giraud, Domain de Beaurenard, Grand Veneur, Pegau, Font du Loup, Vieux Telegraph, Clos de Calvaire, Bosquet des Papes and Mont Redon, to name a few.  Kelly will make sure to include both well-known and secret boutique wineries to give you a broader sense of the best of this region.

Lunch will be a paired meal at an authentic local restaurant that is one of Kelly’s favorites.

Return to Avignon.  Evening on your own.

Since many places are closed on Sundays, you’ll take a break from wine to explore some of the charming villages in the area. In the morning, you’ll be driven to the picturesque village of L’Isle-sur-Sorgues and discover what Sunday life is like in one of the most beautiful villages in Provence.   Here, your guide will take you through the vintage and antique market held in the center of the village. You’ll have time to stroll on your own, perhaps getting a coffee on the terrace of one of the many cafes that will welcome you.  

After lunch on your own, your guide will drive you through the Luberon Region to visit such other beautiful villages as Gordes, Roussillon, Menerbes or Lacoste.  You’ll return to Avignon by early evening, where you will have a “pre” farewell dinner at one of Kelly’s choice restaurants.

Pick up at Hotel in Avignon after breakfast. Full-day visiting wineries of Kelly’s choosing in Gigondas, Vacqueras, Ventoux, and possibly Luberon or Tavel, depending on time. Today’s wineries may include Clos de Trias, Saint Cosme and Bosquet in Gigondas, Clos de Caveaux and Sang de Cailloux in Vacqueyras and Domaine de la Mordorée, Lafond or Maby in Tavel. Since this is one of Kelly’s favorite parts of the Rhône, he also has some favorite restaurants, so today’s wine-paired lunch will be an extra special treat.

Return to hotel in Avignon. Evening and dinner on your own.

After breakfast at the hotel, check out and private transfer to Marseille Airport (other transfers, such as to the train station, upon request.)