JoliSoleil
JoliSoleil
5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Full view
About
Jolisoleil is a company hosted by Pieter Smits, that organizes private tours and wine tastings to the Alsace, Burgundy and Tuscany for individuals. We take you to the best wineries. On our more day tours we stay at small cozy hotels in the (wine) region. We also organize a luxury "wine-and-dine" weekend in the chateau of hattonchatel near Nancy.
Similar Experiences
Contribute
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
5.0
39 reviews
Excellent
35
Very good
2
Average
1
Poor
1
Terrible
0
Nancy Beth M
Murrieta, CA95 contributions
Oct 2019 • Couples
We were on a riverboat excursion and were taken to Strassbourg, so this canal ride was included. We enjoyed going around this absolutely lovely little town. It is so charming! You can see really well as the boat has glass roof. Thankfully, it was a beautiful day so you could see all the darling hpuses with their flowerboxes under all the windows..so pretty. I highly recommend not only the boat tour but coming to this town. It was one of my favorites on the whole trip.
Written December 8, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
New York City, NY58 contributions
Mar 2016 • Couples
We booked a private all-day tour with Pieter via Tours by Locals and had a perfect day! I cannot say enough wonderful things about our experience. We admittedly booked the tour last minute, and the weather wasn't great, but Pieter was quick to respond and ensured we would have a great day. We expressed our love of Pinot Noir and Pieter made sure that was the focus of the tour, even though Pinot Noir is only about 5% of overall Alsace production (we also prefer drier old-vine Reislings and generally avoid pinot gris and gewurtz).
We stayed in Strasbourg, although that's an extra distance from Colmar, which is Pieter's preferred pick up location. No matter, he was happy if we were happy! Pieter picked us up promptly in his gold van and took us to 4 wineries plus a delicious lunch. We first visited a larger, more corporate winery. We then went to three smaller wineries, and one which we can get readily in the United States. We ended up buying 26 bottles of wine that day, so I'd say it was a great success!
Pieter's english is perfect and we had no problems at all understanding during the tastings. Pieter informed us about the various regions, wine making practices, and the history of the area. But by far the best part of the day was the sheer number of wines we tasted in a single day. Oh my goodness I lost count! It must have been 12 wines just at the first location. And it was both reserve (which is Alsace's regional or entry-level wines) as well as grand cru's. Pieter has a great relationship with all of the winemakers and they really put their best foot forward. No one was rude or skimped on the experience for us.
Pieter also offers the ability to ship wine for you. We will definitely inquire with him in the near future to ship us some of his recommendations as he is a true expert. Highly recommend!!
We stayed in Strasbourg, although that's an extra distance from Colmar, which is Pieter's preferred pick up location. No matter, he was happy if we were happy! Pieter picked us up promptly in his gold van and took us to 4 wineries plus a delicious lunch. We first visited a larger, more corporate winery. We then went to three smaller wineries, and one which we can get readily in the United States. We ended up buying 26 bottles of wine that day, so I'd say it was a great success!
Pieter's english is perfect and we had no problems at all understanding during the tastings. Pieter informed us about the various regions, wine making practices, and the history of the area. But by far the best part of the day was the sheer number of wines we tasted in a single day. Oh my goodness I lost count! It must have been 12 wines just at the first location. And it was both reserve (which is Alsace's regional or entry-level wines) as well as grand cru's. Pieter has a great relationship with all of the winemakers and they really put their best foot forward. No one was rude or skimped on the experience for us.
Pieter also offers the ability to ship wine for you. We will definitely inquire with him in the near future to ship us some of his recommendations as he is a true expert. Highly recommend!!
Written March 6, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Oscar
Weston, MA215 contributions
Excellent tour, top wineries, very knowledgeable, good company, and delicious choice for lunch. I would repeat a tour if in the area. Strongly recommended
Written January 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JoliSoleil_Tuscany
Thanks guys,it was a pleasure!
Written January 10, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Elle F
Springfield, MO44 contributions
Aug 2018 • Family
We’ve toured with Pieter before in Alsace & we were thriled to find out he does wine tours in Burgundy. Pieter speaks English & French and has wonderful relationships with exquisite, special & boutique wineries in the famous Burgundy region. He’s very knowledgeable about the region, the wine making process & takes you to view the most famous Pinot Noir vineyards & sights. Our full day tour included 2 visits & tastings in the morning & 2 after lunch. You pay for your lunch & Pieter will select a place for lunch based on your culinary preferences & desired price range. He will even make excellent suggestions for dinner if you ask. He made dinner reservations for us at a Three Star Michelin restaurant, which was on our bucket list! He picks you up and drops you off at your hotel & shows you famous Chateaus & museums of the region if you would like & have time. Our group included my husband, our 11 year old son & my mother in law. He’s understanding & accomodating to our well behaved son & my mother in law who needs help with waking, steps & such. I’m always impressed with Pieter’s vast wine knowledge & was delighted once again by his special relationships with the people at the places we toured & tasted. I’ve taken many guided wine tours & I feel like we get extra special treatment when we are with Pieter. The best part is, Pieter coordinates affordable wine shipping so you can purchase & ship the amazing Burgundy wine home to the USA! We look forward to touring another wine region with him in the future!
Written August 19, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cadudio
California19 contributions
Aug 2016 • Couples
My wife & I took a day tour in Alsace, starting with a visit of Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg. Just for that it was worth it considering we did not have to do with driving and mostly, with parking. We then spent the day exploring one wonderfully scenic town after another, and a very fun wine-tasting pit stop which gave is the opportunity of sampling some wonderful local wines. Pieter, our guide, gave us the time to do what we wanted to here and there, allowing some scheduling flexibility, and it was one of the best days of our vacation. I highly recommend touring with these guys. And if wine is what you're into, you're guaranteed a very knowledgeable guide to show you around and tell you all about it.
Written February 6, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Navigating French Wines
Paris, France21 contributions
May 2015 • Friends
My sister and I met Pieter and Terry in Strausbourg and had a very fun and informative day touring this Alsacian region. We went to 4 different tasting rooms, from co-ops, to family run businesses and tasted many wines of all the varietals from the area. I got a lot out of my visit to this region, and I'm very glad I had Pieter there as a driver and guide. His wife was also very friendly and added a personal touch.
Written May 29, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RET60713
San Francisco, CA28 contributions
Feb 2014 • Couples
My husband and I just recently toured the Alsace region of France with the help of Pieter and his company JoliSoleil. 

 
We had the most amazing time visiting the most interesting wineries and tasting the most beautiful wines. Pieter knew exactly what to do and where to go and even suggested the best wines to taste and how to taste them. For example, we were tasting the same grape from the same year but from a different parcel of land so that we can taste the difference that terroir makes. We did the same thing with different vintages and even tasted the same exact wine from grapes just picked weeks apart. Amazing!!!!!
We learned so much! We also discovered that we really really LOVE Alsatian wines. 
If you haven't been to Alsace you MUST go! You will meet the most amazing people, experience the most charming French villages, eat delicious food and drink fabulous wine!!!
Let Pieter do all the planning and have a great time!
We learned so much! We also discovered that we really really LOVE Alsatian wines. 
If you haven't been to Alsace you MUST go! You will meet the most amazing people, experience the most charming French villages, eat delicious food and drink fabulous wine!!!
Let Pieter do all the planning and have a great time!
Written March 5, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KatieCT045
Boston, MA75 contributions
Dec 2018 • Friends
We had the pleasure of traveling in December to Geneva, Strasbourg and Zurich. Hoping to see some of the countryside, we booked a day-tour with Pieter to travel along the northern part of the Alsace Wine Route. Based on email correspondences and discussions as we started our tour, Pieter put the perfect itinerary together which matched our interests. We spent time in Rinquewihr and Colmar, taking in the village sites and their Christmas markets. We also visited two wineries in the region and could not have been more pleased with his selections. In addition to their superb wines we enjoyed at the tastings, the winery staff carefully packaged our purchases to ensure safe passage in our checked luggage for the return home.
Pieter is clearly knowledgeable about the region and the wines produced in its vineyards. We were particularly impressed in the manner which he made mental notes as to our wine preferences at the first winery, and then made the suggestions at the secondary winery based on that information. This attention really allowed us to fully experience and appreciate the offerings at the wineries with the limited time that we had.
Regarding practical matters, Pieter was very responsive to email communications before the trip and payment was very easy via PayPal. He met us at our hotel precisely at the agreed meeting time. He automobile was clean and comfortable for travel. And I felt he was a safe and responsible driver. Above all, he is very personable, and we enjoyed the day that we spent with him. We have to say that his day tour was the highlight of our trip. If we ever turn to the region, a second tour with Pieter without a doubt will be on our agenda.
Pieter is clearly knowledgeable about the region and the wines produced in its vineyards. We were particularly impressed in the manner which he made mental notes as to our wine preferences at the first winery, and then made the suggestions at the secondary winery based on that information. This attention really allowed us to fully experience and appreciate the offerings at the wineries with the limited time that we had.
Regarding practical matters, Pieter was very responsive to email communications before the trip and payment was very easy via PayPal. He met us at our hotel precisely at the agreed meeting time. He automobile was clean and comfortable for travel. And I felt he was a safe and responsible driver. Above all, he is very personable, and we enjoyed the day that we spent with him. We have to say that his day tour was the highlight of our trip. If we ever turn to the region, a second tour with Pieter without a doubt will be on our agenda.
Written January 14, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BusyTe
London, UK159 contributions
Jul 2018 • Couples
Pieter was absolutely fantastic! We had such a special day touring the vineyards in Alsace and trying the various different types of wine in the region. Pieter was so knowledgable and helpful. Can’t wait to organise another tour with Pieter
Written August 18, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
epipk
65 contributions
Sep 2017 • Couples
From tasting the best of Alsace to lovely villages and chateaux and castles to some really great lunches to Colmar's Statue of Liberty (just like ours but not as tall), our three days with Pieter went by far too quickly.
We had a very general idea of what we wanted, Pieter filled it in with energy, experise, and enthusiasm.
Beginning with the 7 main grapes of Alsace and vineyards in the hills, we visited small boutique wineries to large super-colossal establishments and all were pertinent, tasty, and, well, fun!
Most importantly, wines presented & tasted were well planned, chosen with purpose, their place explained thoroughly: compare and contrast.
We visited a friend of Pieter's who is building an earth-friendly modern winery -- we interrupted their construction to say hello. We went to a winery guarded by a blind dog, he never moved. We went to the greatest Christmas store in the world. Castles, chateaux, quaint towns -- I don't know how we packed so much into 3 days.
And, of course, the wine. Red, white, and rosé, still, bubbly, and sparkling, sweet, dry or in-between -- truly we had it all.
Pieter's English is perfect, his French must be good because he fits in like a Frenchman, and he seems to know everybody and everything pertinent in the region.
We had such a great time, we're trying to get him over to Bordeaux next September for another visit to other vineyards.
We had a very general idea of what we wanted, Pieter filled it in with energy, experise, and enthusiasm.
Beginning with the 7 main grapes of Alsace and vineyards in the hills, we visited small boutique wineries to large super-colossal establishments and all were pertinent, tasty, and, well, fun!
Most importantly, wines presented & tasted were well planned, chosen with purpose, their place explained thoroughly: compare and contrast.
We visited a friend of Pieter's who is building an earth-friendly modern winery -- we interrupted their construction to say hello. We went to a winery guarded by a blind dog, he never moved. We went to the greatest Christmas store in the world. Castles, chateaux, quaint towns -- I don't know how we packed so much into 3 days.
And, of course, the wine. Red, white, and rosé, still, bubbly, and sparkling, sweet, dry or in-between -- truly we had it all.
Pieter's English is perfect, his French must be good because he fits in like a Frenchman, and he seems to know everybody and everything pertinent in the region.
We had such a great time, we're trying to get him over to Bordeaux next September for another visit to other vineyards.
Written October 29, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kathryn F
8 contributions
Are the domains open on Saturdays for tours?
JoliSoleil_Tuscany
Gerardmer, France13 contributions
Most are open.
JoliSoleil - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
JoliSoleil Information
Excellent Reviews | 16 |
|---|---|
Very Good Reviews | 2 |
JoliSoleil Photos | 38 |