Travel in Provence
Travel in Provence
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Historical & Heritage Tours • Sightseeing Tours • Private Tours • Wine Tours & Tastings
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You've always wanted to know more about Provence, its hidden tracks only known by the locals? We organize private guided tours of Orange and Avignon in Provence as well as winetours in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Having worked in 3 top ranged estates, I’d be delighted to tell you all about the secrets its terroir can hide.
Orange, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
5.0
41 reviews
Excellent
41
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Julio Menocal
3 contributions
Sep 2019
The owner of Link Paris, Laura Glendinning, made a special fusion of two different tours to accommodate our shortened travel interval. We left Paris in the morning and traveled via high-speed train to Avignon. Then we went to this cute boutique Hotel called "L'Horlogue" in the middle of town.
We then walked through the old city to the Papal Castle and had a self-guided tour that allowed us to discover this interesting bit of Church History. There were plenty of Bistro's to have lunch before the tour but we chose one ( at the Hotel receptionist's recommendation) also called "L'Horlogue". The meal was very good but it was the interaction with the wait staff and the two owners that will not soon leave my memory.
The next day we got a "Provence in one day" private tour. I don't wish to disclose the details lest I ruin this for you. Everything you can expect from a tour with this title happened. Included was a Truffle lunch ...
This is a must
We then walked through the old city to the Papal Castle and had a self-guided tour that allowed us to discover this interesting bit of Church History. There were plenty of Bistro's to have lunch before the tour but we chose one ( at the Hotel receptionist's recommendation) also called "L'Horlogue". The meal was very good but it was the interaction with the wait staff and the two owners that will not soon leave my memory.
The next day we got a "Provence in one day" private tour. I don't wish to disclose the details lest I ruin this for you. Everything you can expect from a tour with this title happened. Included was a Truffle lunch ...
This is a must
Written October 24, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
akgdad
Mountainside, NJ12 contributions
Jul 2018 • Couples
I'm a serious wine collector. For each of the past 5 years, we have booked a trip to Europe and included 1-3 days of wine tasting with a local wine expert (Bordeaux, Burgundy, Bolgheri, Montalcino, Prioriat). We chose Sophie Bergeron at the recommendation of another wine professional. We had a magical day with her.
As other have noted, Sophie recommended smaller winemakers for the tour. She strongly prefers those over the larger, more expensive producers; her focus is on quality and value. I'm so glad we followed her sage advice. Our day included visits to five vineyards in Chateauneuf Du Pape. Each place had a different style with many different offerings. We probably tasted around 20-25 different wines. One of the places had a "library" tasting of wines dating back to the 1990s!
She is clearly passionate about wines of Southern Rhone, and CDP in particular. She tasted each and every wine with us, and you could see that she does this as much for her own enjoyment as for that of her customers.
Most important to me, she is extremely knowledgeable about the wine. As one example, I learned the specific esoteric blending grapes that give the wines the spiciness that I love, and how to find the wines of CDP that appeal to my tastes.
At the end of the day, after a sumptuous lunch at a very reasonably priced restaurant she recommended (we dined with her), we felt like we made a friend. She is a very friendly, warm person with excellent English that is user-friendly for experts and beginners alike.
We cannot recommend her highly enough. I have asked her to collect and sell me wines going forward, and we look forward to working with her for years to come!!
As other have noted, Sophie recommended smaller winemakers for the tour. She strongly prefers those over the larger, more expensive producers; her focus is on quality and value. I'm so glad we followed her sage advice. Our day included visits to five vineyards in Chateauneuf Du Pape. Each place had a different style with many different offerings. We probably tasted around 20-25 different wines. One of the places had a "library" tasting of wines dating back to the 1990s!
She is clearly passionate about wines of Southern Rhone, and CDP in particular. She tasted each and every wine with us, and you could see that she does this as much for her own enjoyment as for that of her customers.
Most important to me, she is extremely knowledgeable about the wine. As one example, I learned the specific esoteric blending grapes that give the wines the spiciness that I love, and how to find the wines of CDP that appeal to my tastes.
At the end of the day, after a sumptuous lunch at a very reasonably priced restaurant she recommended (we dined with her), we felt like we made a friend. She is a very friendly, warm person with excellent English that is user-friendly for experts and beginners alike.
We cannot recommend her highly enough. I have asked her to collect and sell me wines going forward, and we look forward to working with her for years to come!!
Written July 18, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Walt K
Granbury, Texas, USA7 contributions
Jan 2018 • Couples
We were privileged to spend two days tasting in the Southern Rhone with emphasis on the producers of Beaumes-de-Venise, Vacquerayas, and Gigondas with a few wines from other appellations as well, tasting at all levels of production, from Cru's to IGP, Product of France and everything in-between. It was a wonderful way to find value at every level of production, and appreciate more fully the levels of care given to wines at each level of production. We came away with a much greater appreciation of the love that a producer gives to his or her wine, with a few IGP wines surpassing the Cote' du Rhone or Cote' du Rhone Village wines from other producers.
Sophie has many acquaintances in the industry, and is able to open doors which would be difficult for us to open on our own. We became much more familiar with the delicious white wines (both dry and sweet) from the Southern Rhone. A variety of whites is hard to come by where we are from. We will now search them out! We were even introduced to rare red sweet wines from the region, which we did not know existed...made the "Old Way."
Our second day was spent in the the Chateauneuf de Pape appellation. When you are traveling with a lady who aspires to visit, taste and know all 320 producers within Chateauneuf, you know you are with a fellow wine zealot! Sophie is amazing, as we were able to taste vertically at one producer over several years. (Dare I even say that a 1972 anchored the array....I know this is not something that can be promised to all, but it can happen on occasion.)
My wife and I are both experienced with the joy of wine, having tasted and judged many wines over 45+ years. Sophie quickly picks up on where people are at in terms of their experience and customizes her presentations and tours to your level. She is very knowledgeable and we learned quite a lot from being with her, especially details of the Rhone in general and the Southern Rhone in particular, that can only be gained from a fellow student of wine who avidly pursues additional knowledge and imparts it to her guests.
Beyond the wine...Sophie is a genuinely nice person. If we lived closer we would pursue a friendship!
Sophie has many acquaintances in the industry, and is able to open doors which would be difficult for us to open on our own. We became much more familiar with the delicious white wines (both dry and sweet) from the Southern Rhone. A variety of whites is hard to come by where we are from. We will now search them out! We were even introduced to rare red sweet wines from the region, which we did not know existed...made the "Old Way."
Our second day was spent in the the Chateauneuf de Pape appellation. When you are traveling with a lady who aspires to visit, taste and know all 320 producers within Chateauneuf, you know you are with a fellow wine zealot! Sophie is amazing, as we were able to taste vertically at one producer over several years. (Dare I even say that a 1972 anchored the array....I know this is not something that can be promised to all, but it can happen on occasion.)
My wife and I are both experienced with the joy of wine, having tasted and judged many wines over 45+ years. Sophie quickly picks up on where people are at in terms of their experience and customizes her presentations and tours to your level. She is very knowledgeable and we learned quite a lot from being with her, especially details of the Rhone in general and the Southern Rhone in particular, that can only be gained from a fellow student of wine who avidly pursues additional knowledge and imparts it to her guests.
Beyond the wine...Sophie is a genuinely nice person. If we lived closer we would pursue a friendship!
Written January 13, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Scottisher
London, UK39 contributions
Jul 2017 • Friends
What can I say? Thank you Sophie! What a truly excellent day. Sophie collected us from our accommodation and was the perfect guide, host, translator and wine expert for our full day tour, visiting some of the innumerable caveaux of Chateauneuf-du-pape, finishing with a brief tour of her home town of Orange, where we were also staying. As wine lovers, we were keen to sample a good and varied selection of chateauneuf-du-pape and cotes-du-rhone wines. Visiting very small to medium sized producers, we tasted a full range of styles, vintages and personalities! Sophie really knows her stuff and gave us a really good insight to the history, tradition, terroir, viticulture and the characters(!) of this small but exceptionally good area of wine production. As well as teaching us about the specifics of this wine region, Sophie introduced us to some additional tasting methods to help us develop our palates further. Sophie is very passionate and knowledgable, clearly has an excellent relationship with the producers we visited, and so you are treated as serious visitors. and accordingly get a full experience. For example, we were lucky enough to taste a 1971 Domaine du Haut des Terres Blanches Chateauneuf-du-pape, which blew us away. If you are serious about wine, or just want to learn more, let Sophie enhance your experience with this wonderful end-to-end service, you will get so much more out of your tastings.
Written August 19, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
twiggsLondon
Aix-en-Provence, France71 contributions
Oct 2018 • Couples
We spent a great time touring 5 different Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyards...very good wines and very interesting information on the different wines we tasted. Sophie knows her wines and was a great tour guide. Highly recommend this tour with her as your guide. Many thanks Sophie...👌
Written October 31, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
trish730
London, UK2 contributions
Jun 2018 • Friends
We had an excellent tour with Sophie, visiting 3 different cellars and then lunch on a gorgeous terrace with a view that shouldn't be missed.
I highly recommend her and will certainly arrange tours with her again
I highly recommend her and will certainly arrange tours with her again
Written June 29, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
kennethkoo5
Shanghai, China1 contribution
Apr 2018 • Friends
Sophie was delightful guide, with wonderful temperament, deep wine & wine industry knowledge, and huge depth of insights into the region, wine practices and the winemakers. Two of us had a private tour, so we had a monopoly on her time for a full day, and we peppered her the entire time with our detailed questions in our thirst for wine, and for wine knowledge/trivia. Her past work experience at other wineries/negociants gave her genuine authority behind her many insights and tips, which are what true wine lovers are keen to know. Aside from unrushed, thoughtful tastings of wide range of wine styles (white & reds), she gave us practical tips to make us better judges of wine quality and VALUE -- this is what all true wine lovers strive for.
She also booked us at a lovely scenic restaurant with tasty food (& wine), which filled out the day's fun program. (She similarly, at my request, booked us into a lovely 100+ year old farm/B&B in Orange with a solicitous proprietor.) We left regretting that we had only one day with her in southern Rhone, as we had an evening train to do a scheduled tour of northern Rhone wineries the next day. Definitely worth our returning there.
She also booked us at a lovely scenic restaurant with tasty food (& wine), which filled out the day's fun program. (She similarly, at my request, booked us into a lovely 100+ year old farm/B&B in Orange with a solicitous proprietor.) We left regretting that we had only one day with her in southern Rhone, as we had an evening train to do a scheduled tour of northern Rhone wineries the next day. Definitely worth our returning there.
Written May 8, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Cmdrzzz
Pensacola, FL70 contributions
Apr 2018 • Couples
Wonderful afternoon in Chateau Neuf de Pape with friends. Visited 3 small wineries.
The tour was very informative with good background education on the local terroir.
We were amazed to see cement casks for the wine aging.
We got to taste both the red and white versions of the wine. In two cases we got to meet owners of the facilities.
Thank you Sophie for an excellent experience!
The tour was very informative with good background education on the local terroir.
We were amazed to see cement casks for the wine aging.
We got to taste both the red and white versions of the wine. In two cases we got to meet owners of the facilities.
Thank you Sophie for an excellent experience!
Written April 23, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
John B
3 contributions
Sep 2018 • Friends
During our week long tour from Lyon to Marseilles we elected to spend two lovely days touring with Sophie. We did the Wine tour in Gigondas, Beaumes-de-Venise and Vacqueyras the first day and the Wine tour in Châteauneuf-du-Pape the next. Sophie was an incredibly knowledgeable, energetic, and friendly guide.
With her extensive knowledge of the Southern Rhone and it’s winemakers, Sophie offered us an insight into the true nature of the region, and introducing us to some of it’s most passionate producers.
We thoroughly enjoyed meeting and spending time with Sophie and we’re very glad that we decide to make this tour a part of our trip.
Merci Sophie!
With her extensive knowledge of the Southern Rhone and it’s winemakers, Sophie offered us an insight into the true nature of the region, and introducing us to some of it’s most passionate producers.
We thoroughly enjoyed meeting and spending time with Sophie and we’re very glad that we decide to make this tour a part of our trip.
Merci Sophie!
Written October 7, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
John Paul M
Saint Hubert, Quebec, Canada9 contributions
Sep 2018 • Family
Sophie organized a tour covering Roman times, present-day France and (the best part) wine! We saw some of the most beautiful Provence wine villages and classical sites. Sophie is extremely knowledgeable in ancient and contemporary history and conveys such in an instructive yet easy-going manner. She also knows wines and gave excellent commentary on what we were tasting. She has a great sense of humour and lots of colourful anecdotes. She also helped us in our solo visits to Aix and Avignon. Merci, Sophie!
Written October 6, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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