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8 Day Wine Tasting and Cooking Vacations in Lot-et-Garonne, Southwest France
French Holidays Plus, Figuès, 47600 Moncrabeau, France
Gastronomic Discovery & Cooking
This listing has one of the 10 most popular offers available in in Europe
Spend an amazing time discovering the fantastic food, wines, Armagnacs, history, and culture of south-west France. This luxury tailor-made tour will take your breath away! You will stay at a private 180-year-old farmhouse set in 50 acres, where your every need will be met by the staff who are on hand to ensure an unforgettable stay for you. There will be plenty of free time to ensure your holiday is a relaxing and fulfilling experience. Enjoy wine and Armagnac from limited reserves, lunch at a gourmet restaurant, and explore all the best Gascony has to offer in this once-in-a-lifetime trip.
Meet the instructors
Caroline & Adam
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Highlights
- Gourmet dinners
- Hands-on Cooking course
- Village markets, wine tasting, foie gras, Armagnac tasting, and gourmet restaurant
- Champagne tasting
- Cheese tasting
- Pairing wines to food
- Day trip
- 7 nights accommodation
7 days with instruction in English
The organizer also speaks: French
Airport transfer available:
Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport (US$ 199 per person)
Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport (US$ 199 per person)
Airport transfer available:
Toulouse–Blagnac Airport (US$ 177 per person)
Toulouse–Blagnac Airport (US$ 177 per person)
Accommodation
Check-in Time:
16:00
Check-out Time:
10:00
Facilities
- Swimming pool (outdoor)
- Table tennis
- Barbeque facilities
- Dining area
- Environmentally friendly
- Fireplace
- Garden
- Kitchen
- Lounge
- Multilingual staff
- Smoke-free property
- Special menu request
- Terrace
- Free bicycle
- Free parking
- Free Wi-Fi
- Internet access
- Ironing / ironing board
- Wireless internet
During your course, you will stay in Baron-Figuès which is part of a gorgeous 150 year old farmhouse with five beautifully appointed guest en-suite twin or double bedrooms. And one of the main attractions of this farmhouse is its large open plan traditional kitchen. Guests can sit around the homely table, that seats 14 guests, and share delicious meals. There are also no single supplements for solo travelers to have a private room!
So if you are travelling as a group, this is ideally suited to your needs and offers the wonderful traditional French feel to it. If you are travelling solo, there’s nothing better than the farmhouse, where you will share the accommodation with Caroline and her husband and meet likeminded people who share your passion for the French way of life.
This accommodation combines the wonders of rural Gascony, modern-home comforts of a traditional French farmhouse, and unbeatable food and wine experiences that will stay with you forever.
Program
The itinerary is for guidance only and is subject to change depending on the group’s needs and wishes but is typically as follows:
Day 1 - Arrival day
Arrive in the afternoon to be greeted by your friendly hosts. There is a free collection service from Agen train station. Airport (Toulouse, Bordeaux, Bergerac) collections can be arranged upon request for a supplement
Settle into your delightful room before getting to know your fellow guests over delicious aperitifs
Enjoy a social evening with a three course gourmet dinner served in the farmhouse kitchen along with a short introduction from your hosts about what to expect over the next few days
Day 2 - Boutique wines
This morning after breakfast you will go to a local delightful village market. Coffee and croissants with the locals with a brief history of the ancient kingdom of Henri IV, the future king of France. You will then return to the farmhouse to relax by the pool. A delicious lunch will be served by the pool or in the farmhouse kitchen
After lunch we will begin to explore the wines of the region, sampling the best wines we have discovered from local family producers. Learn the differences between the great wines and how to select the right wine to best accompany your meal. This is a wine course like no other – we select only the best wines from the best boutique vineyards in France. You will be privileged enough to sample wine from stock with less than 2,000 bottles left in the world
Dinner will be served back at the farmhouse giving you time to relax in the lounge or by the swimming pool or to take advantage of one of the onsite activities such as pool, table tennis or cycling
Day 3- Easy lunches, Foie Gras & Armagnac
After a leisurely breakfast, it’s time to enter the kitchen and begin your culinary experience!
Today we focus on preparing quick and easy plates of food that can be adapted to work as lunches, light snacks or starters
The lunch you have prepared will be served by the pool or in the farmhouse kitchen
After lunch, you will visit a family run foie gras business where you will learn how it is made and taste it cooked three ways
What better to wash down your foie gras than Armagnac. Early evening, you will visit a family run distillery (which Gascony is famous for) and learn how it is made from grape to Armagnac. Sample different vintages across generations of production. These are millesime armagnacs, not blended, and bottled for you directly from the cask.
A 3 course gourmet meal will then be served back at the farmhouse kitchen accompanied with local delicious wines.
Day 4 – Lazy salad days
After a leisurely breakfast, you will return to the kitchen to continue your culinary voyage.
Today you focus on salads, dressings, quiches and, following yesterdays visit you will prepare a terrine of foie gras.
The lunch you have prepared will be served by the pool or in the farmhouse kitchen.
After lunch you will visit a beautiful chateau famous for its aperitifs and wines for an afternoon of wine tasting and a walk through history.
Dinner will be served back at the farmhouse giving you time to relax in the lounge or by the swimming pool or to take advantage of one of the onsite activities such as pool, table tennis or cycling.
Day 5 - Champagne and Stars
After a leisurely breakfast, you will visit a bustling french market in the ancient town of Condom.
Visit the cathederal, mingle with the locals, sample the cheeses, meats and fruits then relax with a coffee and watch the world pass by.
Today you will have a relaxing lunch at a gourmet restaurant.
After lunch, you will return to the kitchen to discover how to prepare fabulous dinners that you can enjoy with your guests.
In the afternoon, you will cleanse your palate with a course about Champagne and Methode Traditionelle. Try whites and pinks, dry and sweet, all delicious.
The dinner you have prepared will be served back at the farmhouse giving you time to relax in the lounge or by the swimming pool or to take advantage of one of the onsite activities such as pool, table tennis or cycling .
Day 6 - Cheese and Wine pairing
After a leisurely breakfast, you return to the kitchen
Today you will learn some of the tricks of the trade and work with the skills you have learned to prepare a meal fit for a king.
Lunch will be served by the pool or in the farmhouse kitchen
In the afternoon, spend time discovering cheeses from the region and around France. Understand the different processes and tastes.
Return to the farmhouse to relax by the pool and spend time with your new friends putting all you have learnt to the test as you match wine and champagne with cheese and foie gras.
A three course gourmet meal, incorporating the food you have prepared earlier, will then be served back at the farmhouse kitchen accompanied with local delicious wines.
Day 7 – Day group excursion
- Relax with a delicious breakfast this morning before heading out on a fun excursion for the day
- Today you’ll enjoy an excursion to a location of your choice! Your hosts will take you to visit further afield depending on the groups preferences.
- Explore the stunning scenery and relax on your final day, and enjoy lunch whilst you out.
- This evening you’ll return home for your final dinner, where you’ll reflect on the week and how much you have learnt.
- -Day 8 – Departure day
After breakfast, guests are asked to check out by 10am. You will return home with fantastic memories and new skills to last you a lifetime
As with all of their exclusive breaks, this holiday can be tailored to meet the needs of the group. Please contact your host to discuss your personal requirements and they will ensure your holiday is exactly as you want it to be.
Included excursions
All excursions are included in the price
Instructors
Caroline
Caroline and her husband, Adam, have decided to leave their comfortable life in Kent and headed off for a new adventure in France with their four young children. The summers spent vacationing by the Mediterranean had instilled in them a love for the outdoor life. Looking back, this was probably madness, as they had little knowledge of France and no real idea of what they were coming to. Caroline, a qualified teacher for over 20 years, loves her work running PMC Studio France. She enjoys meeting fascinating people from all over the world who come to learn or enjoy a relaxing holiday.
Adam
After working in global consulting and finance, Adam jumped at the chance to rebalance his life more in favor of family. Adam's passion for food and wine has been cultivated during these early years and he has honed his skills over the last decade living in “Garden of France”, an area rich in gastronomic delights, fabulous wines, and amazing Armagnacs. For Adam, cooking is a journey through the senses. Next to him, you will understand how local produce is made and the traditions behind it.
Location
This holiday will take place in Gascony, France. Gascony is an undiscovered region of Southwest France, so there's no chance that you will have to wrestle with crowds when you go to sample the wonders that make this region so special. You will quickly learn why Gascony is famed for its sumptuous local produce and seasonal recipes and you will realize that the locals take their food very seriously.
If you are partial to a cheeky little treat, Gascony is one of the main producers of foie gras. It's not just mouth-watering food you have to look forward to. You can't visit Gascony without trying out the fruits of the vine. Wherever you walk, you will be able to see the many vineyards sprawling over the hills and valleys and discover that the wines are individual, full of character, and exquisite.
Food
Seasonal food made from local produce
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Snacks
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Water
- Coffee
- Tea
- Soda
- Alcoholic beverages
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Gluten Free
- Organic
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
- Pescatarian
- Seafood
- Lactose Free
- Whole food
- Other dietary requirements on request
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation
Things to do (optional)
All extracurricular activities on your holiday are free. So, if you don't feel like taking a trip after your lessons you can try on-site table tennis, badminton, and cycling, or you may just like to relax by the pool with a glass of soul-warming Armagnac. There is also a great selection of board games that will amuse you during the warm nights, and let you enjoy the company of other guests.
What's included
- Gourmet dinners
- Hands-on Cooking course
- Village markets
- Wine tasting
- Foie gras
- Armagnac tasting
- Gourmet restaurant
- Champagne tasting
- Cheese tasting
- Pairing wines to food
- Day trip
- 3 meals a day
- 7 nights accommodation
- Transfers from Agen train station and excursions
How to get there
Recommended Airports
BOD
Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport
123 km
Transfer available for additional US$ 199 per person
TLS
Toulouse–Blagnac Airport
91 km
Transfer available for additional US$ 177 per person
Arrival by airplane
The closest airports are Toulouse Blagnac Airport (TLS), Bordeaux-Mrignac Airport (BOD), or Bergerac Dordogne Prigord Airport (EGC). French Holidays Plus can pick you up from the airport. The pick-up is at additional price per car, not per person.
Arrival by train
- The closest train station is Agen train station. French Holidays Plus will pick you up from the train station. The pick-up is included in the price.
Airport: Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport
Airport transfer available:
Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport (US$ 199 per person)
Additional charges may apply. You can request this in the next step.
Airport: Toulouse–Blagnac Airport
Airport transfer available:
Toulouse–Blagnac Airport (US$ 177 per person)
Additional charges may apply. You can request this in the next step.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 25% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through Tripaneer.com. All major credit cards supported.
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